Fresh herbs, pork and shrimp rolled in chewy rice paper wrappers known as goi cuon in Vietnamese is the perfect healthy and refreshing appetizer.
Goi cuon, Vietnamese spring rolls also known as nime chow in Khmer is a delicious and refreshing appetizer composed of fresh vegetables, aromatic herbs, tender pork and bouncy shrimp. This healthy dish pairs beautifully with a creamy peanut sauce or nuoc cham, a dipping fish sauce with lime juice, fresh chilis and garlic. You'll often eat spring rolls either chilled or at room temperature so it makes the perfect healthy beach or picnic snack. This snack is super easy to make and you can fill it with your favorite vegetables and herbs.
Ingredients:
1 lb pork belly or boneless pork shoulder
1 lb shrimp
1 head of green leaf lettuce
1 bunch cilantro
1 bunch chives
1 bunch Thai basil
1 bunch mint leaves
1 package of dried rice vermicelli noodles (banh tuoi)
1 package of spring roll rice paper (banh trang)
Peanut dipping sauce
Nuoc cham dipping sauce
Optional:
Bean sprouts
Perilla leaves
Sorrel
Culantro
Visual Instructions:
Rinse and thoroughly dry vegetables and herbs of choice: green leaf lettuce, cucumbers, chives, Thai basil, mint and cilantro.
Preparing the pork
Cook the pork by boiling pork belly or shoulder in a small pot. Bring the temperature to a steady boil on high heat then lower the heat to simmer for 30 mins or until pork is fully cooked. Remove from pot and allow it to thoroughly cool before cutting thin slices.
Preparing the shrimp
Rinse, split and devein shrimp with a sharp knife if needed. If you have shrimp that has already been deveined, just give it a quick rinse. Bring a small pot of water to a high boil and add the shrimp to cook for about 2 mins then remove from pot. Once the shrimp has cooled, peel off the shells and tail then slice the shrimp in half alongside the body.
Preparing the noodles
Soak the dried vermicelli noodles in warm water for about 15 mins. Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook for about 2 - 3 mins or until noodles are fully cooked then strain. Rinse the noodles with cold water to stop the cooking and to prevent sticking then drain any excess water.
Assembling the spring rolls
Lightly dampen the rice paper in a bowl of water and shake off any excess water. Place the wrapper on a plate then add lettuce on the bottom end.
Next, add all of the vegetables, herbs and noodles excluding the chives onto the lettuce. Roll the lettuce to make a neat little vegetable/noodle roll to help with cleaner assembly.
Place the pork and shrimp accordingly then gently bring the bottom of the wrapper over the lettuce roll and pork, gently folding to form a roll.
Then, fold each of the sides inwards towards just before the shrimp is rolled. Add a piece of chive then continue rolling over the shrimp to form a perfect spring roll.
Spring rolls should be tightly rolled like so. Rice paper wrappers are very fragile so be gentle when assembling and do not over soak the wrappers or else it will be too soggy to roll.
Enjoy spring rolls with either a peanut dipping sauce or nuoc cham - Vietnamese dipping fish sauce. Spring rolls are best eaten fresh so make sure to serve immediately as the texture of the rice paper can get tough if refrigerated for too long.
Directions:
Prepping the ingredients
Rinse and thoroughly dry vegetables and herbs of choice: green leaf lettuce, cucumbers, chives, Thai basil, mint and cilantro.
Cook the pork by boiling pork belly or shoulder in a small pot. Bring the temperature to a steady boil on high heat then lower the heat to simmer for 30 mins or until pork is cooked. Remove from pot and allow it to thoroughly cool before cutting thin slices.
Rinse, split and devein shrimp with a sharp knife if needed. If you have shrimp that has already been deveined, just give it a quick rinse. Bring a small pot of water to a high boil and add the shrimp to cook for about 2 mins then remove from pot.
Once the shrimp has cooled, peel off the shells and tail then slice the shrimp in half alongside the body.
Soak the dried vermicelli noodles in warm water for about 15 mins. Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook for about 2 - 3 mins or until noodles are fully cooked then strain. Rinse the noodles with cold water to stop the cooking and to prevent sticking then drain any excess water.
Assembling spring rolls:
Lightly dampen the rice paper in a bowl of water and shake off any excess water. Place the wrapper on a plate then add lettuce on the bottom end.
Add all of the vegetables, herbs and noodles excluding the chives onto the lettuce. Roll the lettuce to make a neat little vegetable/noodle roll to help with cleaner assembly.
Place the pork and shrimp accordingly then gently bring the bottom of the wrapper over the lettuce roll and pork, gently folding to form a roll.
Fold each of the sides inwards towards just before the shrimp is rolled. Add a piece of chive then continue rolling over the shrimp to form a perfect spring roll.
