Goi Cuon – Fresh Spring Rolls (Vietnam)
Chef Devan Rajkumar rolls up light, vibrant Goi Cuon—Vietnamese Fresh Spring Rolls packed with shrimp, herbs, and crisp vegetables. Wrapped in delicate rice paper and served with a rich, spicy-sweet peanut sauce, these refreshing bites showcase the bright, balanced flavors that make Vietnamese street food unforgettable.
Makes 12 spring rolls
Ingredients:
For the Peanut Sauce:
- ½ cup (120ml) crunchy peanut butter
- ½ cup (120ml) water
- 1 tbsp (14.8ml) rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp (14.8ml) soy sauce
- ½ tbsp (7.4ml) fish sauce
- 3 tbsp (44.4ml) maple syrup
- 2 red Thai chilies, deseeded and finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
- 1 tsp (4.9ml) toasted sesame oil
For the Spring Rolls:
- ¾ lb peeled and deveined shrimp, 21/25 count
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 tsp (4.9ml) salt
- 1 tsp (4.9ml) ground black pepper
- 3 oz thin rice vermicelli
- 1 carrot, cut into thin matchsticks
- 1 Persian cucumber, cut into thin matchsticks
- 2 scallions, cut into thin matchsticks
- ½ cup (120ml) packed cilantro leaves
- ½ cup (120ml) packed mint leaves
- 1 head butter lettuce, leaves separated
- 12 large round rice paper sheets
Method:
Make the Peanut Sauce:
Add all the peanut sauce ingredients to a small saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring regularly, until the sauce starts to simmer, about 5 minutes. Take the sauce off the heat and set aside to cool.
Make the Spring Rolls:
Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil over high heat. Add the bay leaves, salt, pepper, and shrimp and cook for 2 minutes, or until the shrimp are pink. Transfer the shrimp to an ice bath to cool.
Once the shrimp are cool, slice them in half horizontally.
Fill a bowl with room temperature water and soak the noodles for 15 minutes. Drain the noodles and cut them a couple times to make them shorter and easier to work with.
Fill a cake pan with room temperature water. Lay a damp towel down on your work surface. Spread out the butter lettuce leaves on a large plate. Have the rest of the spring roll ingredients nearby.
Dip a rice paper wrapper in the water and quickly remove, laying it down on the wet towel. Arrange small amounts of cilantro, mint, rice vermicelli, carrot, cucumber, scallion in the center of the rice paper, with the matchsticks horizontal. Arrange a row of 3 or 4 shrimp pieces between the other fillings and the top edge of the rice paper, with the pink side facing down.
Fold the left and right sides of the rice paper wrapper over the filling ingredients so the fillings reach the folded edge. Bring up the bottom edge of the rice paper wrapper and roll up completely to form a fresh spring roll. Place the spring roll on top of a lettuce leaf and repeat with remaining wrappers and filling ingredients.
Serve with the peanut sauce for dipping.