Vietnamese Spring Rolls (Fresh Summer Rolls)

Opaque rice paper rolls filled with carrots, purple sprouts, thin glass. noodles and brown mushrooms are served on a large black plate. Several rolls are cut half so you can see the filling. Red sauce in a small white bowl is served next to it.

Vietnamese Spring Rolls (Fresh Summer Rolls)

Wrapping fresh julienne vegetables, fresh herbs like basil and mint, rice vermicelli noodles, and crispy mushroom shreds with rice paper wrappers will make for a delicious vegan Vietnamese spring roll, also known as fresh summer rolls. They are a popular appetizer or snack that you can also easily prepare at home.

Course Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine Dairy-free, Egg-free, Gluten-free, Indian, Nut-free, Soy-free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Keyword rice paper rolls, spring rolls, summer rolls, vietnamese spring rolls

Prep Time 20

Baking time 20

Total Time 40

Servings rolls

Calories 108kcal

Author Emese Maczko

Equipment

Ingredients

10 Rice paper sheets -> guide to all types

Spring roll filling

1 oz Glass noodles
1 cup Lettuce shredded
1 Carrot
½ cup Sprouts
10 Fresh basil leaves
10 Fresh mint leaves

Crispy osyter mushrooms

6 oz Oyster mushrooms
1 tsp Soy sauce or tamari for gluten-free
2 + ½ Tbsp Olive oil
½ Tbsp Lemon juice
1 tsp Thai basil ground, dried (or use Italian basil + mint in combination)
¼ tsp Sweet smoked paprika powder
¼ tsp Hot chili powder or flakes
½ tsp Garlic powder
½ tsp Onion powder
½ tsp Salt
⅛ tsp Black pepper

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Prepare the filling

Wash, peel, and slice carrots thinly. Alternatively, you can shred them with a cheese grater, but they are crunchier if you cut them like matchsticks. If you need help cutting, check out our sauteed julienne carrot posts for more info.
Tear off the lettuce leaves from the stem and wash them. Cut them thinly. If you have iceberg lettuce you can shred it instead of cutting it.
Cook vermicelli noodles according to package instructions.
Wash sprouts if you bought them unwashed.

Baking crispy mushroom

Cut the end of the stem of pearl oyster mushrooms and tear the cap into small shreds with your hands. If the stem is soft enough you can shred them as well.
Take a small bowl and mix the marinade (olive oil, soy sauce (or tamari), freshly squeezed lemon juice, ground Thai basil, garlic powder, onion powder, sweet paprika powder, hot chili powder, salt, and black pepper).
Place parchment paper in a baking tray and spread the marinated oyster mushroom shreds in one layer.
Bake them in a preheated oven at 425 Fahrenheit (ca. 218 °C) for 20-40 minutes or until crispy. Check it after 20 minutes, it may already be done if you shredded them thinner than ours in the picture! Baking time largely depends on the size of the strips.

Rolling summer rolls

Gently submerge the rice paper. (See NOTES on how to know the duration.)
Once submerged, transfer it to a dry and smooth surface.
I place the filling in the middle around the lower third of the rice paper. If you have a standard-size rice paper (approx. 20-22 cm /8-9 inches), you can fit 2-3 Tbsp of filling, which would make an approx. 10 cm (4-inch) long spring roll.
First, fold the sides gently but tight towards the middle.
Take the bottom seam and fold it upwards gently, but tight.
Use your fingers to tuck the filling tight within the rice paper before rolling it all the way up.
Roll it all the way up, but use your fingers to keep the filling tucked tightly.
Place your finished spring roll on a parchment paper with the closing seam on the bottom.

Video

Notes

Use dry hands → Dry your hand before grabbing another wrapper for the package. If you reach inside with wet hands, they will soften and be hard to separate.

Damp towel or submerging in water? → If you see tapioca starch as the only or first ingredient, you should know it is the delicate type. A damp towel is enough to get them soft. If you see rice flour only or as a first ingredient, then you need to submerge it in water to get them soft.

How to test how much time you need to submerge the rice papers? → The rice paper in the video is made of 100% rice flour. I submerge this type for 7-8 seconds. If unsure about yours, start with 3-4 seconds and place it on a dry surface. If it softens after 2-3 seconds, you are good to go.

Nutrition