Pork Vietnamese spring rolls, also known as "Gỏi Cuốn" in Vietnamese, are a delightful and refreshing dish that showcases the vibrant flavors of Southeast Asia.
These spring rolls are a delicious blend of savory pork, earthy mushrooms, crunchy vegetables, and other flavors, all wrapped in delicate rice paper.
Jump to:
- What are Vietnamese spring rolls?
- What is rice paper?
- Ways to serve these pork Vietnamese Spring Rolls
- Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Cost To Make
- Ingredients
- Instructions
- Tips for Success
- Substitutions / Variations
- Serving Suggestions
- Storage
- FAQ
- What rice is used for what?
- Helpful Rice Cooking Tips
- More Mains Recipes
- Recipe
- Comments
Filled with succulent pork, cabbage, and other delicious ingredients, these pork Vietnamese spring rolls are a delicious treat.
Wrapped in translucent rice paper, and when served either on their own or with a side of savory dipping sauce, they offer a harmonious blend of sweet, salty, and umami notes.
Pork Vietnamese spring rolls are best enjoyed fresh, either as a light appetizer or as part of a larger meal.
They are particularly delicious during warm weather, as their refreshing nature provides a welcome reprieve from the heat.
Serve them alongside a dipping sauce made with ingredients like hoisin sauce, peanut butter, lime juice, and chili for an extra burst of flavor.
Whether enjoyed as a snack, appetizer, or main course, they never fail to impress with their exquisite flavors and elegant presentation.
So the next time you're craving something light, flavorful, and utterly delicious, look no further than pork Vietnamese spring rolls.
What are Vietnamese spring rolls?
Vietnamese spring rolls, also known as summer rolls, are a popular dish made with rice paper wrappers filled with fresh vegetables, herbs like mint and cilantro, rice vermicelli noodles, and often shrimp, pork, or tofu.
They're typically served cold or at room temperature, accompanied by a dipping sauce like nuoc cham, peanut sauce, or hoisin sauce.
Unlike fried spring rolls, summer rolls are not cooked; instead, they showcase vibrant colors and flavors, making them a refreshing appetizer or snack option.
What is rice paper?
Rice paper is a thin, translucent sheet made from rice flour, water, and salt.
It's a staple in Vietnamese cuisine, used to wrap spring rolls or summer rolls.
Its neutral flavor and flexibility make it ideal for holding various fillings, from vegetables to meats.
Ways to serve these pork Vietnamese Spring Rolls
Dipping sauces like nuoc cham, peanut dipping sauce, and hoisin sauce are a great way to add even more flavor to fresh Vietnamese spring rolls.
Nuoc cham, with its sweet, sour, salty, and spicy notes, perfectly complements the fresh ingredients of the rolls.
Peanut sauce offers a rich, creamy texture and nutty sweetness, while hoisin sauce provides a savory umami depth.
Besides sauces, serving Vietnamese spring rolls with pickled vegetables, fresh herbs, and alternative protein options enhances their appeal.
Pairing them with lettuce leaves and garnishing with cilantro, mint, and Thai basil creates a visually appealing presentation.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- This recipe for pork Vietnamese rice paper rolls is budget friendly.
- Pork summer rolls are easy to make.
- Perfect to enjoy for appetizers for parties, or a light lunch or dinner.
- Enjoy these Pork Vietnamese spring rolls on their own, or with a dipping sauce.
Cost To Make
Estimated cost = $11.20, or $0.93 a roll
Ingredients
Please note that below is a guide for some of the ingredients we used in the recipe. The printable recipe further down the page has the complete list of ingredients, including quantities and step-by-step instructions.
- Vegetable Oil
- Pork Mince
- Minced Ginger
- Minced Garlic
- Mushrooms: We used button mushrooms. Cut your mushrooms into pieces.
- Carrots: Grated
- Green Onions (Spring Onions): Finely chopped.
- Green Cabbage: Shredded.
- Soy Sauce
- Sesame Oil
- Fish Sauce
- Sugar
- Salt and Pepper
- Rice Paper: Round or square.
Instructions
This recipe for pork Vietnamese spring rolls makes 12 rolls. The ingredient quantities can easily be adjusted to suit how many serves you need to make.
For the Filling
Step One: Heat oil over medium to high heat in a medium sized saucepan. Add the pork mince and break it into small pieces. Cook until the pork has turned white and is cooked.
Step Two: Next, add the minced ginger and garlic and saute for 1 minute.
Step Three: Then add the chopped mushrooms to the pan and cook until the mushrooms have reduced in size and have become a darker brown.
Step Four: Mix through the grated carrot, finely chopped green onions, and shredded green cabbage. Cook for a further 2 to 3 minutes.
Step Five: Add the soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, fish sauce, sugar and mix through the ingredients until well combined.
Turn off the heat and taste for seasoning.
Add salt and pepper to your liking. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature.
Making the Rolls
Step One: Fill a shallow tray with water. This tray should be wide enough to fit one rice paper sheet.
Dip a rice paper sheet in the water for a few seconds, or until it starts to become slightly soft. Remove from water and place on a damp surface. You want to work on a work surface that has been dampened with some water.
This will prevent the rice paper from sticking to the surface.
Step Two: Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of filling to the center of the rice paper sheet.
Step Three: Fold the bottom of the rice paper sheet over the filling.
Then fold the left outside edge to the centre of the rice paper.
Do the same with the right outside edge of the rice paper sheet.
Then roll the rice paper roll up until the filling meets the top of the rice paper sheet and is covered completely by the rice paper.
Step Four: Repeat steps 1 to 3 of making the rolls until all the filling is used up.
Tips for Success
- Soak rice paper sheets briefly in warm water until pliable but not too soft to handle easily.
- Use a clean, damp work surface to work on to prevent sticking and tearing of rice paper.
- Arrange fillings thinly and evenly across the center of the rice paper to ensure even rolling.
- Fold in the sides of the rice paper before rolling tightly to encase the fillings securely and prevent leakage.
Substitutions / Variations
- Instead of grating your carrots, you could cut them into tiny strips.
- Add some fresh cucumber to your rice paper rolls when you are making them.
- Add fresh herbs like cilantro, mint, or Thai basil.
Serving Suggestions
- Serve with a traditional Vietnamese dipping sauce like nuoc cham or peanut sauce for an authentic flavor experience.
- Arrange on a platter with a variety of dipping sauces for guests to try, including sweet chili sauce, hoisin sauce, and soy sauce with lime and chili.
- Pair with a side of Vietnamese pickled vegetables, such as carrots and daikon, to add tanginess and crunch to the meal.
- Serve alongside a light and refreshing Vietnamese salad, such as green papaya salad or lotus root salad, to create a balanced and satisfying meal.
- Accompany with steamed jasmine rice or vermicelli noodles to make a more substantial dish, perfect for a complete and filling meal.
Storage
These pork Vietnamese spring rolls are best eaten on the day they are made.
If you have any leftovers, store them in an air tight container or plastic wrap, in the fridge for up to 1 day.
FAQ
Vietnamese spring rolls typically consist of rice paper wrappers filled with a variety of ingredients such as vermicelli noodles, fresh vegetables like lettuce and herbs, and protein options like shrimp, pork, or tofu.
Vietnamese spring rolls are often wrapped in rice paper and served fresh or cold, while other types like Chinese spring rolls are typically deep-fried and have a thicker, wheat-based wrapper.
Vietnamese spring rolls also emphasize fresh herbs and vegetables.
Vietnamese rice paper spring roll wrappers are thin, translucent sheets made from rice flour, water, and salt.
They are used to wrap various fillings to create fresh spring rolls, known as "goi cuon" or summer rolls, in Vietnamese cuisine.
What rice is used for what?
Ever wondered which might be the best rice to use for a dish you're about to make.
Or maybe you're just curious and want to know more about rice in general.
Why not check out our pages on what is basmati rice and what is jasmine rice.
Helpful Rice Cooking Tips
Want to know how to cook rice or just need a little refresher?
Check out how to easily cook basmati rice, sushi rice, and jasmine rice on the stovetop.
Or, why not check out our recipes on how to make basmati rice, jasmine rice, and sushi rice in the Instant Pot.
Made this recipe? Let us know how it went in the comments below! We'd love to hear how it turned out.
Recipe
Pork Vietnamese Spring Rolls
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 200 grams (7.05 ounces) pork mince
- ½ teaspoon minced ginger
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 200 grams (7.05 ounces) button mushrooms chopped
- 120 grams (4.23 ounces) carrots grated
- 30 grams (1.06 ounces) spring (green) onions finely chopped
- 55 grams (1.94 ounces) green cabbage shredded
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce
- ⅓ teaspoon sugar
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 12 sheets of rice paper round or square
Instructions
For the Filling
- Heat oil over medium to high heat in a medium sized saucepan. Add the pork mince and break it into small pieces. Cook until the pork has turned white and is cooked.
- Next, add the minced ginger and garlic and saute for 1 minute.
- Then add the chopped mushrooms to the pan and cook until the mushrooms have reduced in size and have become a darker brown.
- Mix through the grated carrot, finely chopped green onions, and shredded green cabbage. Cook for a further 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, fish sauce, sugar and mix through the ingredients until well combined. Turn off the heat and taste for seasoning. Add salt and pepper to your liking. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature.
Making the Rolls
- Fill a shallow tray with water. This tray should be wide enough to fit one rice paper sheet. Dip a rice paper sheet in the water for a few seconds, or until it starts to become slightly soft. Remove from water and place on a damp surface. See note 1.
- Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of filling to the center of the rice paper sheet.
- Fold the bottom of the rice paper sheet over the filling. Then fold the left outside edge to the centre of the rice paper.
- Do the same with the right outside edge of the rice paper sheet. Then roll the rice paper roll up until the filling meets the top of the rice paper sheet and is covered completely by the rice paper.
- Repeat steps 1 to 3 of making the rolls until all the filling is used up.
Notes
- You want to work on a work surface that has been dampened with some water. This will prevent the rice paper from sticking to the surface.
Jules says
So light and full of flavor. Made these for a small gathering I had the other day and they were a bit!