Shrimp Summer Rolls with Sesame Soy Dipping Sauce – a super refreshing, cool, crisp and great dinner to have this summer.  Works as an appetizer or a meal.

Do you know the different between a spring roll and a summer roll?  I didn’t, so I looked it up.  A summer roll is a Vietnamese dish that is wrapped in rice paper.  A spring roll has a wider definition of and it can be served fresh or fried.

So technically I think these are considered a shrimp spring roll and a summer roll. But let’s not get tied up in the name, because they are super fresh, easy, and so good!  They require no cooking, so you can make them on the hottest day of the year and not worry about making your house even hotter.

I love fresh spring rolls that are filled with just about anything. You can use veggies, noodles, chicken, avocado, shrimp…you name it!  Copycat Tokyo Joes Spring Rolls are one of my go-tos in the summer. They are so light and fresh and just easy to make.

This spring roll recipe uses napa cabbage, herbs, rice noodles, and pre-cooked shrimp. Then it is all rolled into spring roll wrappers.  Spring Roll Wrappers are just dried rice paper. My local grocery store sells the rice paper wrappers, but you can also get it at an Asian market if your store doesn’t carry it.  It seems intimidating to work with, but is so easy!

How to Make Spring Rolls

The rice paper is dried, so you just need to re-hydrate it to make it easy to work with.  I fill a 13×9 inch pan with about an inch of water.  Then working 1 wrapper at a time, just put in the water for about 30 seconds.  You take it out and it will be see through and totally pliable.

Starting in the center just layer your ingredients. The rolls are see through, so you want to try to arrange it nicely, so they are pretty once you fold them.  Then just roll it up like a burrito and you are done!

Vietnamese Egg Rolls are one of our favorite dishes that a friend introduced us to. And I think he might be proud of these Vietnamese summer rolls.  The mint and rice noodles on the inside definitely give it a Vietnamese influence.

And you need a dipping sauce for your summer rolls, right?!  This is a tangy soy sauce version that has lime juice, fish sauce, mirin and sesame oil. It is perfect with the fresh veggies and shrimp. I like that you can make this spring roll recipe ahead of time, and just have it in the fridge waiting. I like to cover with a wet paper towel, just so things don’t dry out.

Yield: 4

Shrimp Summer Rolls

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Shrimp Summer Rolls with Sesame Soy Dipping Sauce - a super refreshing, cool, crisp and great dinner to have this summer. Works as an appetizer or a meal.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 oz uncooked rice vermicelli noodles
• 12 medium cooked shrimp, , tails removed
• 4 (8-inch) round rice paper sheets
• 1/2 cup very thinly sliced napa, (Chinese) cabbage
• 6 mint leaves, , finely chopped
• 2 Tbls dry-roasted peanuts, , chopped
• 1 Tbls jalapeno, , seeded and finely chopped

Sauce

• 2 Tbls green onions, , finely chopped
• 1 Tbls mirin, (sweet rice wine)
• 1 Tbls lime juice
• 1 Tbls sesame oil
• 2 1/2 tsp low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/4 tsp fish sauce

Instructions

1. Bring a medium sauce pan to boil. Cook noodles for 2-3 minutes, according to the package directions. Drain and cool.
2. Fill a shallow dish with warm water. Place 1 rice paper sheet in the dish, and let stand for a few seconds until soft. Place on a dry paper towel.
3. Put 3 shrimp across the bottom third of the sheet, leaving a 2 inch board. Top with 2 Tbls of cabbage, 1/4 of the mint leaves, 1 tsp peanuts, 1/4 of the jalapeno, and 1/4 cup of the cooked noodles.
4. Fold the bottom of the sheet over the filling. Fold in the sides, and roll to seal. Place seam side down on a plate. Cover with a damp paper towel so it does not dry out until you are ready to serve.
5. Repeat with remaining ingredients.
6. To prepare the sauce, combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until combined.
7. Serve immediately or place in fridge until ready to serve.

Notes

Recipe adapted from Cooking Light