Gỏi Cuốn (Vietnamese Fresh Spring Rolls)
Translucent rice-paper rolls packed with pink prawns, thin slices of pork, rice vermicelli, crisp lettuce and handfuls of mint and coriander, served with a tangy nước chấm and a creamy hoisin-peanut dip. Fresh, light and never fried.
Servings
Ingredients
Nutrition
Per serving
Steps
Cook the pork
Put the pork in a small pan with the water and salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, then lower to a gentle simmer and cook for about 20 minutes until cooked through. Let it cool, then slice it very thinly.
- 200g pork belly or loin
- 2L water
- 1 tsp salt
✅ Done when: pork is opaque and firm with no pink inside
Cook the prawns and noodles
Bring the water to a gentle boil and cook the prawns until pink and curled, 2–3 minutes; drain, cool, and cut them in half lengthways. Cook the rice vermicelli according to the package instructions, then rinse under cold water and drain well.
- 16 raw king prawns
- 1L water
- 100g dried rice vermicelli
✅ Done when: prawns are pink and opaque; noodles are tender but not mushy
Make the dips
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Soften the rice paper
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Roll
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Serve
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Cook the pork
Put the pork in a small pan with the water and salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, then lower to a gentle simmer and cook for about 20 minutes until cooked through. Let it cool, then slice it very thinly.
- 200g pork belly or loin
- 2L water
- 1 tsp salt
✅ Done when: pork is opaque and firm with no pink inside
Cook the prawns and noodles
Bring the water to a gentle boil and cook the prawns until pink and curled, 2–3 minutes; drain, cool, and cut them in half lengthways. Cook the rice vermicelli according to the package instructions, then rinse under cold water and drain well.
- 16 raw king prawns
- 1L water
- 100g dried rice vermicelli
✅ Done when: prawns are pink and opaque; noodles are tender but not mushy
Make the dips
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Soften the rice paper
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Roll
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
Serve
This step is part of Foodie Premium. Subscribe to unlock the full method, cooking mode and every recipe in the library.
The Story Behind the Dish
Gỏi cuốn — literally 'salad rolls' — come from the south of Vietnam, where fresh herbs grow all year and meals are built around wrapping, rolling and dipping. The rice paper, bánh tráng, is made by steaming a thin rice batter and drying it on bamboo racks in the sun.
The rolls are a light snack or starter, and every family has its own mix of herbs and its own favourite dipping sauce.
⭐ Why It's Famous
They show off the fresh, herb-driven side of Vietnamese cooking, and they're one of the few spring rolls in the world that is never fried.
💡 Fun Fact
The town of Trảng Bàng in Tây Ninh province is famous for 'dew-dried' rice paper, left out overnight so the morning dew makes it soft and pliable.
Southern Vietnam
10.82°N, 106.63°E
Related recipes
Comments (0)
No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!