Published: · Last Modified: by Jeannette ·
Vietnamese Rice Paper Rolls use insanely fresh the herbs and are bound to be the first to disappear off the table. They only needs a handful of ingredients but will be the stars of any party!
For another satisfying roll, try our Bi Cuon (Shredded Pork Rice Paper Roll)!
If you’ve never had Vietnamese food before, you have to try these rice paper rolls. They’re the perfect introduction to a cuisine that EXPLODES with fragrant herbs and flavour! And that’s not even the end of it! Staple Vietnamese sauces (while few) compliment South Asian dishes like two inseparable peas in a pod.
Want to know which pea these rice paper rolls are in a pod with? Check out my ridiculously EASY Peanut Hoisin Sauce for Rice Paper Rolls recipe. It’d be a culinary crime have one without the other!
Vietnamese rice paper (bánh tráng) is a delicately thin rice sheet with a slight resemblance to paper. It’s so thin that it appears almost translucent when you hold it up against a coloured backdrop! Rice paper itself is made with rice and tapioca flour, salt and water.
We get ours from the local Asian supermarket and it stores dry, which is why one packet lasts AGES in our pantry. Many more incentives to make rice paper rolls, I say!
There are many Vietnamese rice paper roll recipes, but you probably guessed from my wooden board up above (yeah, you know which image I’m talking about) that we’re making the prawn and pork version. That means we’ll be stocking up on leafy greens, thin rice noodles and our two meats. Of course, you can substitute the herbs for your favourite ones and the meats for anything you’d prefer but this is what we use:
They’re all purchased from our local Asian supermarket. You can find out more about each herb from the Aromatics & Asian Vegetables page!
Begin by setting up a large pot of boiling water with enough liquid to cover the pork belly.
Wash the pork belly and put it in the boiling water to cook completely. Take it out and slice thinly when ready.
Boil a pot of water and cook the rice noodles. Keep a close eye on them and repeatedly test the noodles to see if they’re ready. Because they’re so thin, they can easily overcook.
Run them under cold water and drain using a colander. You want them to cool completely before rolling.
Separate the leaves from their stems and give them a thorough wash to remove any dirt. As for the lettuce, break each leaf off. This is a great opportunity to get your family involved!
Drain the greens in colanders.
Peel and devein the prawns. Grandma likes to halve them to make them thinner, but if you love fresh prawns like me then just keep them whole.
Make sure you have your ‘success station’ before you even start rolling your rice paper rolls. Rice paper can be a little difficult to work with, so here’s a family tip. It’s uncontested because it works.
I started learning how to do these since I was a child. When Mum made them, she would invite me to take part in this therapeutic experience. I must admit, my rolling has improved but nothing beats the way Mum and Grandma roll it. Here are some tips to achieve what our household masters do:
Wet two rice papers, placing them on a separate plate each.
Lay the lettuce on the part of rice paper closest to you. Place the other herbs on top.
Grab some noodles and place it over the herbs. The weight will help hold the greens down.
Slide a few pieces of pork above the greens. Make sure to leave no gaps because they will show in the final roll.
Place 2-3 prawns above the pork.
Fold the left and right side of the rice paper toward the middle.
Bring the bottom of the rice paper to the middle and begin rolling tightly.
Congratulations, you now have your rolled rice paper roll! Time to dig in with a creamy Peanut Hoisin Sauce or a zesty Vietnamese Dipping Sauce (Nước Mắm)!
SHARE YOUR CREATION!
If you recreated this authentic recipe, I’d love to see it! Tag @wokandkin on Instagram with the hashtag #wokandkin! See you there!
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I’ll be sharing recipes that will give you front row access to authentic Chinese and Vietnamese cuisines. Find out about how I discovered my love for cooking and who inspired it all here!
I love these rolls! I don’t eat pork but I know I know a place that does them with just prawns and they’re amazing
The best part about rice paper rolls is that you can fill it with whatever you like! They’ll be sensation no matter how you decide to fill them!
How cute and vibrant are these rolls! I am craving these right now.
Thanks, Neha! Fresh herbs make these rolls so vibrant and delicious!
Yum! Love how fresh and flavorful this is!
Thanks, Kim! They are super fresh with the aromatics we used!
This is something I’ve never tried! Definitely interested, it looks fantastic!
I hope you love them as much as I do when you try them!
I can’t get enough of rice paper rolls and these look amazing! Can’t wait to try!
Thanks, Tania! I can’t ever get enough of them either!
Hi Jeannette
Why wet x2 rice papers at once?
You didn’t quite explain why…
Do we use x2 rice papers ( double thickness ) to roll 1 roll?
Or is it to use for the next roll?
Because I’m so slow at rolling I’m finding it rips & is too soft.
Totally delicious by the way‼
Hi Lynne, it’s mostly just for convenience. As one rice paper is being wrapped, the other is slowly softening so you can start wrapping the second one straight away. If it’s ripping and too soft, you can certainly just do one at a time! 😀