Crisp, fresh, and light shrimp spring rolls make for the perfect summer lunch, appetizer, or snack idea. Packed with veggies, this low-carb spring roll is one of the easiest takes on a Vietnamese spring roll recipe. Impress your friends and family with these vibrant and healthy spring rolls.

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This post is all about how to make veggie based shrimp spring rolls with different dipping sauce options. This recipe is perfect for all ages to make and enjoy!

What Are Vietnamese Spring Rolls?

This dish is thought to have originated in China and received their name from being filled with lots of fresh seasonal vegetables from the spring harvest. With the warm climate, locals would seek out foods to help them stay cold. Later on the spring roll was brought from China to Vietnam during the first migrations where it was modified to capture the true taste of Vietnamese cuisine.

In this case, spring rolls were filled with plenty of fresh vegetables and served cold. To this day, we continue to use seasonal produce to keep us cool during the warmer months of the year. From fresh veggies to fruit, we have found a way to enjoy our seasonal offerings in the form of a roll.

Like most ethnic food in the United States, we have put our own take on the classic dish and Americanized it to fit our tastes.

Ingredient Recommendations

With lots of fresh vegetables packed into these spring rolls, most of the ingredients can be found in the produce section. For the other ingredients, here’s what I recommend:

Spring Roll Wrappers – These Blue Dragon Spring Roll Wraps from Walmart are like magic and they are less than $3 for a pack of 14-16 sheets. No need to break the bank for this dish, yippee!
Fully Cooked Frozen Shrimp – These frozen shrimp are a lifesaver when in a pinch! They come fully cooked, peeled and with the tails off, and can easily be thawed under cool water.

Peanut Sauce – This House of Tsang Peanut dipping sauce is a great go-to sauce option when in a pinch! Homemade peanut sauce is always a hit but sometimes it’s nice to take the easy route with a store-bought option that is just as tasty!

Using Rice Paper

If you’ve never used rice paper before here are the essentials to start with.

Grab a large bowl (or pie dish) and fill it with cool water. The dish needs to be big enough to fit one sheet of rice paper without it folding. Rice paper sheets are usually around 9 inches in diameter for reference. Oh, and make sure your water is cool and not warm!

Lay out a clean damp towel on your table or counter to use for rolling. This will help prevent the rice paper from sticking to your rolling surface.
Set a timer to keep track of how long to soak the rice paper
When you remove the rice paper from the water, it will still feel slightly stiff. As you add your fillings the paper will become more pliable allowing you to roll it properly.

Rice paper is a very thin, dry and translucent circular sheet made from rice. It can be used with just about any filling of your choice once it has become pliable. To activate the rice paper, it needs to be submerged in cool water for about 15 to 20 seconds. Once it’s wet, it will shortly become sticky and flexible to fold and roll.

Here is the process of using rice paper to fold spring rolls.

In a large bowl of water, submerge one sheet of rice paper for 15 to 20 seconds.

Gently pull out of the water, shake off the excess water, and lay it flat on a damp towel.
Working quickly, add your fillings starting with the lettuce then veggies.
Without adding the shrimp yet, fold the end that’s closest to you over the top of the fillings. Then fold the sides inwards, pressing down firmly enough for it to stick but not too firm that the rice paper tears.

Add your shrimp in a single layer in front of your other fillings, right by the crease of where the filling ends. Then continue to roll over the shrimp until the rice paper is sealed around your roll.

Pro-Tip: If your rice paper becomes too sticky to work with, dip your fingers in cool water and wet the areas that are too sticky. This should bring the rice paper to a less sticky consistency making it easier to work with.

Assembling Your Shrimp Spring Rolls

Although this dish may appear simple, these rolls were a profound example of culinary technique while combining textures and flavors that has made them one of the most recognized dishes from Vietnam. These rolls have become a popular appetizer in Vietnamese restaurants around the world.

With that said, don’t be intimidated by the “skill” of rolling these! There is a method to the madness that makes it possible for anyone to achieve a nicely rolled spring roll, I swear.

To assemble your spring rolls, start by chopping up all of your produce into thin slices. The slimmer your produce is, the easier it will be to roll them.

Tips For Beginners

There’s no better time than now to try your hand at rolling these bad boys. If you haven’t yet, make a party out of it by having family members, friends, or even your kiddos join in on the spring rolling fun. They truly are fun to make and even if the first few don’t look the most Instagram-worthy, they will still be worth it! I am 100% confident that they will still taste amazing. That’s what really counts!

Here’s a few tips and tricks for making spring rolls:

Don’t over soak the rice paper. They tear really easily if they are immersed too long and will also become extremely sticky. It’ like working with clear cling wrap when it all starts to stick together and you desperately try to pull it apart and yet only manage to make it worse. That’s always a fun one, isn’t it?
Keep the shrimp in a single layer, doubling them up will make it difficult to get an even roll. Sticking to one layer of shrimp will not only make it easier to roll, but will also look better if you’re going for presentation.

Do one at a time. It would be nice to get all of the rice wrappers soaked at once and then focus on filling and rolling them after. Unfortunately, we need to work with the science of the rice paper which makes it so we can only do one roll at a time. Each wrapper needs our full attention one at a time so we can work with them as soon as they become pliable.
Don’t overfill them. The smaller the filling portion, the easier it will be to roll. Overfilling the wrappers could cause the rice paper to tear. A ripped spring roll is so. dang. frustrating. Even if your rolls end up tearing, I can promise you they will still taste amazing. Presentation is great, but taste is where it’s at!
Thinly slice your veggies lengthwise. Chopping your vegetables into thin slices will help with the rolling process.

Let’s Talk Sauce

I served these super simple shrimp spring rolls with two dipping sauces. One was homemade and the other was store-bought. Spring rolls are commonly served with peanut sauce so that option was a must! The peanut sauce I used (from Amazon) was this House of Tsang Bangkok Peanut Sauce. It is delicious and tastes like restaurant quality.

Another sauce that goes well with these shrimp spring rolls is this mayo sriracha sauce. This creamy sauce really complements the crunchy vegetables in the filling. If you like a little spice and kick, this sriracha mayo is a must! Here’s what you need to make it:

1/4 cup mayo

1 tablespoon sriracha
Juice from 1/2 lime

How Long Do Spring Rolls Typically Last?

Spring rolls are best consumed within an hour of assembling them. Since these rolls are filled with fresh ingredients, it is best to enjoy them immediately after making. Although they can be stored in the fridge for up to 24 hours if you have any leftovers, it is not recommended. Since the rice paper can become rigid after it loses moisture, they likely won’t taste as good the longer they dry out.

The Best Time To Make Veggie Spring Rolls

It might not be spring quite yet but spring rolls are for ANY season. They’re most popular in the warmer months but no matter what, they always make for a great snack, appetizer or even a main dish any time of the year. For a summer dinner, they are light and refreshing.

These can be served at small parties as a healthy and refreshing appetizer option. These can be cut in half and served on a platter with dips. Guests will be so drawn to the vibrant look of these!

Customizing Your Spring Rolls

There’s lots of ways to change up a spring roll and really make it your own! If you’re looking for other filling ideas, you can try some of the below.

Proteins: Chicken, Tofu

Vegetables: Red or green cabbage, bell peppers, cucumbers, bean sprouts

Others: Rice noodles, fruit such as pineapple and strawberries, fresh mint or cilantro

If you tried this simple spring roll recipe, let me know how it turned out in the comments below!