Vietnamese Spring Rolls

This is a recipe that my friends Nicole and Krystal taught me. I only learned it just over a month ago and I've already made it several different times now! It's one of my favorite things to make because it is so fresh tasting and healthy! Most of the ingredients can only be found at an Asian grocery store but once you've tracked one down, you'll see that all the ingredients are very cheap. 

Ingredients

1 lb small shrimp

2 lb thinly sliced beef

salt

pepper

1 package vermicelli

3 Tbsp hoisin sauce

1 Tbsp peanut butter

1 tsp water

1 head of green leaf lettuce
5 cups warm-hot water

1/2 cucumber, julienned

1 bunch of mint leaves, rinsed and de-stemmed

chili paste

Preparation

Shrimp

Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a small pot. Deveine and peel shrimp. Add shrimp to water. Since shrimp does take too long to cook, wait until shrimp turns pink. After it has, drain thoroughly.

Beef

Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a large pot. Season water with salt and pepper. Add beef. Cook until beef is no longer pink. After all the pink is gone, cook for about 1 more minute. Drain thoroughly.

Vermicelli

Heat about 4 cups of water in a large pot until almost simmering. Add Vermicelli. Let sit in hot water about 4 minutes or until soft. Place noodles in a strainer and run cold water through it. Drain thoroughly.

Peanut Sauce

Combine hoisin sauce, peanut butter and water in a small pot. Stir over medium-high heat until boiling. Let boil for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Depending on what kind of peanut butter you are using, you may want to adjust the amount of water you use. Some peanut butter leaves this sauce a little bit salty, so more water is necessary. If you add water, be sure to add a little corn starch while the pot is heated to keep a thick consistency.

Lettuce

Chop off the root of the lettuce. Rinse leaves and pat dry with a paper towel. Slice leaves down the center, trimming away the hard stem. 

Directions

First, fill an extra large bowl with 5 cups of warm-hot water. Dip one spring roll sheet into the water, making sure to cover all areas. It does not need to soak, as it will soften quicker than you think! Place a piece of lettuce on the edge of the sheet that is closest to you. Next, begin stacking the cucumbers, mint, beef and shrimp. Try to add no more than 4 pieces of each vegetable, 3 pieces of beef and 4 pieces of shrimp. Remember, you still need to roll it! Lastly, using a fork, add about a medium bite sized amount of vermicelli. Make sure it is stretching horizontally rather than clumped up on one side of the sheet. Add peanut sauce and chili paste to taste. In general, add all the vegetables to taste. Some people prefer less mint than others! 


To begin rolling, lift the edge of the sheet that is closest to you. You will notice that it is now much more delicate! So, be sure to use light fingers! Fold it over all of the vegetables, tucking the vegetables close towards you. Next, fold the left and right sides of the sheet towards the center. Finish rolling the side closer to you until it is all rolled. Make sure to keep the vegetables tight toward the spring roll so that you don't end up with a floppy mess! 


Some people have different thoughts on rolling, which vegetables to use or whether to keep the peanut sauce and chili sauce out and dip with every bite. For more spice, you can use cilantro. For a vegetarian spring roll, you can use scrambled eggs as a meat substitute. It's really up to you, and this is just how I like to do it. Enjoy!