Gỏi Cuốn (Vietnamese Spring Rolls)

This recipe for Goi Cuon (Vietnamese Spring Rolls) is light, fresh and delicious. Rice vermicelli noodles, fresh veggies, and protein are rolled up in rice paper and served with a peanut dipping sauce.

Besides Vermicelli Rice Noodle Bowls, these goi cuon are one of my favourite meals to enjoy in the summer.

They're great during hot weather because there's almost no cooking involved.

What is goi cuon?

Goi cuon is a Vietnamese dish known by many names, such as summer rolls, salad rolls, or (fresh) spring rolls.

It consists of rice vermicelli noodles (bun), protein (such as shrimp or pork), and vegetables wrapped up in rice paper.

Goi cuon is different than cha gio, which are deep fried spring rolls.

Why you'll love this recipe

There's not much cooking involved -- only cooking the protein and the rice vermicelli noodles. 

Goi cuon is easy to assemble and fun to make at the dinner table.

This is a great clean-out-the-fridge type of meal.

Feel free to switch up the protein or vegetables to your liking.

It's great served cool, or at room temperature, so you can make it beforehand.

Ingredients you'll need

For the rolls:

• rice vermicelli noodles (bun): for these rolls, I like using medium-thickness vermicelli noodles -- thinner than bun bo hue rice noodles, and thicker than noodles for Sarawak laksa
• rice paper (banh trang): is a thin edible sheet made of rice starch and water; it is usually sold dry and reconstituted in hot water before using; it can come in round or square shapes and various sizes
• fresh herbs: feel free to use whatever herbs you have on hand; Vietnamese mint, basil, perilla, cilantro and garlic chive are great additions
• lettuce: you can use iceberg or green leaf, or any leafy green 
• veggies: cucumber or carrot, julienned
• protein: cha lua (pork patty), shrimp

For the peanut sauce:

• peanut butter: use smooth peanut butter or substitute with tahini if you like
• soy sauce: adds a little savory flavor to the sauce
• granulated sugar: or whatever sweetener you like; balances out the saltiness
• hot water: thins out the sauce so it's not too thick

How to make the rolls

Boil some hot water in a kettle.

Have a large shallow dish (or pan) that can cover the size of the rice paper ready.

Next, have a similar sized clean plate for rolling.

Pour the hot water into the shallow dish.

Take a rice paper and quickly dip it in the hot water, turning it every so often so it's moistened.

Place the rice paper onto the clean plate.

Add the leafy greens, rice noodles, herbs and protein towards the bottom 3rd of the paper.

Starting at the bottom, gently take the rice paper and pull it over the filling.

Tuck in both sides, and continue to roll.

Serve with peanut sauce or nuoc cham and enjoy immediately.

Repeat with the remaining.

How to make the dipping sauce

In a small bowl, combine the peanut butter, soy sauce, sugar and give it a stir.

Add in a little hot water to loosen.

Garnish with sesame seeds if you wish.

For a spicy kick, add a little chili oil.

How to serve

Serve the goi cuon at room temperature, freshly made.

Enjoy the spring rolls with a dipping sauce: peanut sauce, hoisin or nuoc cham.

Pair the fresh Vietnamese summer rolls with a Vietnamese iced coffee as a light lunch, or enjoy as an appetizer along with with banh mi sandwiches, beef pho noodle soup, or bun bo hue noodle soup.

How to store

Store freshly made Vietnamese spring rolls in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 day.

Do not freeze fresh goi cuon.

Note: rice paper and rice noodles do stiffen up when chilled, so the texture will be different from freshly made, but will be still fine to eat. 

You can cook the noodles and protein just prior to serving and have the prepared veggies ready in the fridge.

Substitutions

If you want, you can change up the protein by subbing in crispy tofu or fish. Try a pan-fried tofu or salmon.

Add in avocado for a creamier texture.

Swap the noodles for more veggies, such as bell peppers, carrot, or cabbage.

Or try adding crunchy cha gio (Vietnamese fried spring roll) or crispy netted spring rolls to the roll -- it's delicious!

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