Spring Rolls, Vietnamese

Source: Seattle Times Pacific NW Mag May 8, 2015 from Tamarind Tree

Ingredients

• 8 8″ square egg roll sheets (wheat wrappers, often found in the frozen section)
• Vegetable oil, for frying
• 8 22-cm (approximately 8½″) round rice paper sheets
• 8 16-cm (approximately 6½″) round rice paper sheets
• Large bowl of hot water
• 16 medium prawns, cooked, peeled, deveined and cut in half
• 1 pkg dried vermicelli rice noodles, prepared according to package directions
• 32 leaves Thai basil
• 32 leaves mint
• 16 leaves purple shiso
• Vietnamese, Chinese, or garlic chives (available at Asian markets) and cilantro, optional
• 16 large leaves Green leaf lettuce
• Peanut dipping sauce, homemade or store-bought (locally made Four Sisters spring roll sauce recommended)

Method

1. Make the signature crispy egg roll tubes for the spring rolls. If using frozen egg roll sheets, allow them to come to room temperature. Roll each egg roll sheet as tightly as possible and deep fry at 350 degrees (or fry in a skillet on medium-high heat in an inch of vegetable oil) until golden brown. Set aside.

2. Gather all of your ingredients. Wash and dry lettuce and herbs.

3. To make the rolls, layer a small round rice paper sheet on top of a large round rice paper sheet, roughly lining up the circles at the bottom sides (closest to you). This extra sheet makes the large wrapper less likely to tear.

4. Holding the layered sheets together, quickly dip them in a large bowl of hot water to soften all sides, about two to three seconds. Place the rounds, still layered, on a work surface in front of you.

5. Begin to build the roll, placing ingredients on top of each other on the bottom third of the wrapper. First place 4 shrimp halves in a row, cut-side up, spreading them out to the ends of the wrapper. Add about ¼ cup cooked vermicelli on top of the shrimp. On top of the noodles, place 3 or 4 leaves each of basil and mint, 2 shiso leaves and 1 fried egg roll tube. Add chives and cilantro, if using. Top with 2 leaves of lettuce, spreading them out to hang over the sides of the wrapper by an inch or two.

6. Gently pull up the bottom edge of the wrapper and wrap it firmly over the filling. Roll away from you gently to enclose the filling completely. Do not fold in the ends of the wrapper.

7. Repeat with the other 7 rolls.

8. Cut the spring rolls in half and set them on a serving dish cut-side down, with the lettuce sticking up. Serve immediately with your favorite dipping sauce.

Notes

Recipe filled in, 2026-07-26. https://www.seattletimes.com/pacific-nw-magazine/make-tamarind-trees-delicious-spring-rolls-at-home/