Shrimp Rice Paper Rolls
The Vietnamese favorite is popular as a snack or an appetizer, matching shrimp with the brightness of fresh mint and cilantro.
Shrimp Rice Paper Rolls
Ingredients
- 4 oz vermicelli noodles
- 8 sheets rice paper wrappers (10 inch)
- 1/2 lb cooked shrimp, shelled and deveined (3 per roll)
- 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped roughly
- 1/3 cup cilantro leaves, chopped roughly
- 1/3 cup red cabbage, chopped finely
- 1 carrot, peeled and grated
- 1 small cos lettuce, cored and separated into 8 leaves
- 1/3 cup chili sauce, for serving
- Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
Preparation
- Place vermicelli noodles into a large bowl and soak them in boiling water for 5 minutes. At the same time, take a deep bowl with plenty of room, and soften the rice paper wraps in lukewarm water for 5 minutes.
- If shrimp are too large, cut them in half. Make sure they’re deveined. Ideally, 3-4 whole shrimp can be used to make each rice paper roll.
- Drain the vermicelli thoroughly, and arrange the ingredients to create an assembly line. Take a rice paper wrapper and put it on a plate or chopping board. Make sure it has been soaked enough in the water to be covered all over.
- Layer the roll with ingredients in the following order: lettuce, mint and cilantro, cabbage, carrots, and vermicelli noodles on the closest edge, and shrimp near the top edge about an inch.
- Take the bottom of the rice paper and roll it over the vegetables, then tuck in both sides and continue rolling. The shrimp should be clearly visible on one side through the wrapper.
- Repeat rolling process for each wrapper until all 8 are filled. Serve immediately with a smattering of salt and pepper, chili sauce, or the dipping sauce of your choice.