Gỏi Cuốn Chay (Vegetarian Rice Paper Rolls)

5 from 1 vote

Mum's Gỏi Cuốn Chay are 100% meat-free and packed with Vietnamese herbs. Also learn how to make a vegan Hoisin Peanut Sauce dip!

Prep Time30

Cook Time1

Wrapping Time45

Total Time1 16

Course: Appetizer, Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine: Asian, Vietnamese

Servings:

Calories: 837kcal

Bring a pot of water to a boil and blanch the vegan shrimp for 30 seconds or until hot.
Pro Tip: Avoid overcooking them as they will come apart.

Set up your wrapping station. We like to have 2 plates closest to us, the proteins just past that and the noodles and herbs the furthest away.
Note: Using 2 plates means you can wet one rice paper and let it soften while you work on the other. As soon as you finish rolling a Vegetarian Gỏi Cuốn, wet another rice paper and put it on the empty plate as you swap plates.
Dip the Bánh Tráng into the hot water and rotate the circle until the entire surface is wet. Lay it on a plate and place the herbs on top towards the bottom of the circle.
Put some noodles on top to hold the herbs down.
Put the vegan shrimp just above the herbs but slide them underneath any greens so you can see them from the outside when rolled. We usually put 2 per roll.
Slide 2 slices of vegetarian ham partially under the shrimp.
Take the bottom of the Bánh Tráng and pull it over the ingredients so it covers all the filling.
Fold the left and right sides of the Bánh Tráng in to meet the end of each filling's side. Press down tightly and roll up using both hands.
When a roll is complete, let it sit on a plate and wet a new rice paper. Place it on the empty plate and start making a new roll from the other plate.

In a pot, heat up the oil on medium heat and add the peanut butter, soybean sauce and sugar. Mix them until combined.
Stir the water through and mix in the lemon juice along with the sesame oil.
Transfer into a serving bowl, top with crushed peanuts and enjoy fresh with your Vegetarian Gỏi Cuốn!

Use fresh herbs. This will give you the most aromatic flavors with every bite.
Avoid over wetting the rice paper. Dip each one into the water until the surface is just wet. Letting it rest on the plate will help it to soften until workable. Too much water will make it soggy.
Try not to overstuff. Doing so makes it harder to wrap and increases your chances of the rolls bursting apart.
Roll tightly. Press down firmly to keep all the filling in place and wrap as tightly as you can so the Gỏi Cuốn Chay doesn't end up loose and floppy.
Every family makes their Gỏi Cuốn Chay differently. You can wrap them with vegetarian shrimp and ham like we did or pan fry tofu and julienned vegetables using the marinate in Mum's Bún Chay (Vegetarian Noodle Salad).
You can get all of the ingredients from Asian vegetarian grocery shops. If you can't find the vegan shrimp or ham, just use fried tofu and your favorite vegetables.
The non-vegetarian dipping sauce is typically made using hoisin (Cantonese for 'seafood') sauce. As a meatless substitute, Mum uses sweetened soy bean paste.
The amount of each ingredient you use will depend on what your preferences are. If there are any leftovers, you can add them to a soup or or congee.