How to Make the Perfect Goi Cuon Vietnamese Salad Rolls
Vietnamese · Easy · 35 min · 4 servings
Elegant and light Vietnamese salad rolls made with rice paper stuffed with a colorful arrangement of poached shrimp, vermicelli, crisp vegetables, and a generous bundle of fragrant herbs. Unlike fried spring rolls, these are served fresh and cool with a bright nuoc cham or peanut sauce.
Why this recipe works
This Goi Cuon Vietnamese Salad Rolls recipe has been crafted to deliver restaurant-quality results in your home kitchen. At just 35 minutes from start to finish, it fits perfectly into a busy schedule without sacrificing flavor. Each serving comes in at 280 calories with 16g of protein, making it a balanced choice for any meal.
What you will need
This recipe uses 6 simple ingredients that you can find at any grocery store:
- 0.5 lb medium shrimp poached and halved
- 3 oz vermicelli noodles cooked
- 12 whole rice paper wrappers 22cm
- 1 cup shredded purple cabbage
- 1 cup fresh mint Thai basil and perilla leaves
- 3 tbsp fish sauce for nuoc cham
Step by step instructions
Step 1: Prepare All Components
Poach shrimp in simmering water with a bay leaf for 2 minutes until just cooked. Cool immediately in ice water and slice in half lengthwise. Cook vermicelli for 3 minutes, rinse under cold water, and portion into small bundles. Shred cabbage finely. Wash all herbs and spin dry. Keeping components separate allows for efficient and neat rolling.
Step 2: Prepare the Nuoc Cham
Mix together fish sauce, fresh lime juice, sugar, water, minced garlic, and thinly sliced chili in a 1 to 1 to 1 to 3 ratio. Stir until the sugar dissolves fully. Taste and adjust with more lime for brightness or more fish sauce for depth. A well-balanced nuoc cham should taste simultaneously salty, sweet, sour, and lightly spicy.
Step 3: Hydrate and Fill the Rice Paper
Dip one rice paper in warm water for 10 seconds and lay flat on a clean damp surface. Place 3 shrimp halves in a row near the bottom, pink side facing down so they show through the wrapper. Add a small bundle of vermicelli, a pinch of cabbage, and several herb leaves directly on top of the noodles.
Step 4: Roll Tightly and Plate
Fold the bottom of the rice paper up over the filling, then fold in both sides snugly. Roll upward with steady firm pressure to create a tight compact cylinder. The shrimp should be visible through the translucent wrapper when done correctly. Arrange on a platter and serve within 30 minutes with nuoc cham alongside.
Easy substitutions
Missing an ingredient? Here are some swaps that work perfectly:
- shrimp → sliced mango and avocado for a sweet vegan version
- fish sauce in nuoc cham → soy sauce and a drop of sesame oil for a vegan dipping sauce
Common mistakes to avoid
Watch out for these pitfalls that can affect your results:
- Leaving assembled rolls sitting too long which causes the rice paper to dry out stick together and crack
- Using cold water to hydrate the rice paper which does not soften it adequately before rolling
Nutrition facts
Per serving: 280 calories, 16g protein, 40g carbs, 5g fat, 3g fiber.
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