Shrimp Spring Rolls with Spicy Garlic Sauce

I don’t know about you, but I LOVE shrimp spring rolls! Seriously, I can’t get enough of these fresh Vietnamese spring rolls with spicy garlic sauce. They’re fun to make, and they’re a great appetizer or a summer lunch. If you are looking for a dipping sauce for spring rolls, this spicy garlic is TASTY. They are bursting with fresh ingredients like shrimp, lettuce, bell pepper, herbs and more. This shrimp spring roll recipe is gluten free and dairy free.

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Looking for a flavorful appetizer that’s both light and satisfying? These shrimp spring rolls, accompanied by a delectable spicy garlic sauce, are an easy-to-make dish that’s perfect for any occasion.

Spring Roll Ingredients

For these Vietnamese spring rolls, you will need head lettuce or butter lettuce, matchstick or shredded carrots, thinly sliced red cabbage, julienned cucumber, thinly sliced yellow bell pepper, bean sprouts or microgreens, fresh basil, and shrimp. Vermicelli rice noodles and rice wrappers are also required for this fresh spring roll recipe. You can add in other vegetables like green onions and other fresh herbs, too.

The dipping sauce ingredients are red chili sauce, garlic, rice wine vinegar, ginger paste, soy sauce and red pepper flakes.

Best Spring Roll Dipping Sauce

Although you can serve shrimp spring rolls with any kind of dip, I especially recommend a spicy garlic sauce. These fresh Vietnamese spring rolls have such a light, delicate flavour that this sauce contrasts beautifully. You will love this tasty shrimp spring roll dipping sauce!

Better yet, it’s super-easy to make. Just throw all the ingredients into a food processor and press the button! This tasty dipping sauce will be every bit as fresh-tasting as the shrimp spring roll recipe itself.

How to Make Shrimp Spring Rolls

After gathering all the ingredients you need for this gluten free and dairy free recipe, you can prepare the veggies. Try to matchstick or thinly slice the filling ingredients for the best result. If everything is finely sliced or chopped, it will combine better in the shrimp spring roll recipe.

Follow the instructions on the package of rice noodles to cook them. I usually blanch them for a minute or two in boiling water, then plunge them into cold water to stop them cooking. Do this just before using them because if they sit in water for a while they can get mushy.

The rice paper wrapper needs to be dipped in water for a few seconds until they are pliable. It’s easy to see when they’re ready to use.

Make the fresh Vietnamese spring rolls by adding the shrimp, basil rice noodles and vegetables to the rice paper sheets. Roll up the rice paper halfway into a cylinder. Fold the sides in an envelope pattern. Keep rolling into a tight roll. Repeat with the remaining ingredients. These shrimp spring rolls are so simple to prepare and just take a little practive!

If you don’t like rice noodles or you want to decrease the carb count, enoki mushrooms will work in their place.

Spring Rolls vs Summer Rolls: What’s the Difference?

You might have heard about another gluten free and dairy free recipe called summer rolls. But are they the same as spring rolls?

Actually, a lot of it is down to where you’re from and the name you use. What people in the UK call spring rolls, for example, Americans tend to call egg rolls. Some people call them vegetable rolls! These tend to include meat and vegetables and they are typically deep-fried.

The term summer rolls is often used for seafood and vegetables wrapped in rice paper and not fried. Some of the ingredients might be cooked (such as the shrimp and rice noodles) but these aren’t deep fried. Some people use the term spring rolls for these Vietnamese snacks.

If you prefer the fried crunchy kind, you can always use spring roll wrappers (they are thicker than the rice paper sheet used here) and deep fry them. I prefer these fresh Vietnamese spring rolls just as they are though. They’re so delicate and light. Because these shrimp spring rolls include so many fresh ingredients they are guaranteed to taste amazing.

Spicy Garlic Sauce Variations

The chili garlic sauce makes the perfect dipping sauce for spring rolls too. The combination of garlic, ginger, soy sauce, chilli sauce, rice vinegar, and red pepper flakes combine to make a wonderful dipping sauce.

It’s already quite spicy as it is although real spice fanatics can always increase the amount of red pepper flakes. If you prefer a milder taste, you can use a mild chilli sauce or else use three parts chilli sauce and one part tomato sauce instead.

There are other dipping sauce options for this shrimp spring roll recipe. Satay sauce, peanut dipping sauce, plain soy sauce or a Vietnamese dipping sauce made of fish sauce, chilli, sugar, and lime juice would work. It’s down to personal preference. You might want to serve a couple of dipping sauces with this fresh shrimp spring rolls recipe.

Homemade Spring Roll FAQs

Shrimp Spring Rolls Recipe

Serve these delicious appetizers whenever you have a craving for Vietnamese food. These shrimp rice paper rolls are great served as part of a buffet with other Asian style dishes, or you can serve them before any kind of main dish.

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