• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
A Day in the Kitchen
  • RECIPES
  • ABOUT
  • CONTACT
menu icon
go to homepage
  • RECIPES
  • ABOUT
  • CONTACT
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • Homepage link
    • RECIPES
    • ABOUT
    • CONTACT
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Asian » Fresh Summer Rolls with Peanut Sauce

    Fresh Summer Rolls with Peanut Sauce

    Published: Sep 10, 2018 · Modified: Aug 4, 2020 · This post may contain affiliate links · This blog generates income via ads.

    JUMP TO RECIPE

    Bring a taste of Vietnam to your table with these fresh summer rolls with peanut sauce! These delicious rolls make a great light meal or appetizer.

    A white dish containing fresh summer rolls and a bowl of peanut sauce topped with chopped peanuts

    Back when I was a student at the University of British Columbia, one of my favorite things to buy to eat (and one of the cheapest things I could afford) was summer rolls with peanut sauce. I think they cost a whole $2 CDN each...seriously, what a steal!

    Not only were they tasty, especially with the creamy peanut sauce that came with it, but one roll was all I needed to fill me up for lunch. It was the perfect student meal (for a student who didn't have a whole lot of spending money)!

    Fast forward more than 25 years (yikes) and I'm only now getting into making these at home! I have no idea what took me so long, but am I glad it's on my recipe rotation now...and so is my family!

    A hand holding a dry rice paper wrapper for fresh summer rolls

    There is a bit of magic involved with these wraps because the wrappers, themselves, are dry when you buy them. And in fact, they don't look particularly appetizing, nor do they even look like they'd be edible! But all it takes it a quick dip in some room temperature water and these rice wafers soften up and become perfectly pliable for rolling.

    Keep in mind that making these rolls takes a bit of practice, but I promise, you will get the hang of it!

    A fresh summer roll on a wooden cutting board

    UBC's summer rolls were filled with shrimp, rice noodles, lettuce, and a turkey slice, and that's what I've reproduced in this recipe. The great thing is that you can fill these rolls with what ever you like!

    Don't like shrimp? Don't use it.

    Want to use fresh herbs? Go for it!

    Do you like the crunch and color from bell peppers? That would look and taste great!

    Want to make it noodle-less? Why not? (Being a noodle lover, myself, I would never ever make these without the noodles because they just wouldn't seem complete...but that's me!)

    A round dish of peanut sauce, topped with chopped peanuts

    Oh and don't forget the peanut sauce for dipping...THE PEANUT SAUCE!  While my boys actually prefer the rolls totally plain with no dipping (insert eye roll here), I find it's the sauce that really makes it!

    And all it is is a blend of peanut butter, soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, a garlic clove, and water. So simple!

    A fresh summer roll resting on cucumber strips on a black plate

    Perhaps it was a couple of trips to Vietnam in recent years that inspired me to dive into attempting to make these summer rolls. Maybe it was my growing love for Vietnamese food in general that got me exploring the cuisine more as with my other recipe, Savory Vietnamese Beef Vermicelli. Or maybe it was remembering the UBC summer rolls I used to eat and thinking that I really needed to figure out how to make them!

    Whatever the reason, I'm super excited to share this recipe with you now. Better late than never, right??

    ~ Lisa.

    Fresh Summer Rolls with Peanut Sauce

    These refreshing and tasty summer rolls are easier to make than you think! Noodles, shrimp, turkey, and lettuce, all rolled up in a rice wrapper and ready for dipping into a tasty peanut sauce!
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Asian, Vietnamese
    Keyword: summer rolls
    Prep Time: 45 minutes
    Total Time: 45 minutes
    Makes: 12 rolls
    Calories: 110kcal
    Author: Lisa from A Day in the Kitchen

    Ingredients

    Peanut Sauce

    • 3 tbs peanut butter
    • 2 tbs unsweetened rice vinegar
    • 2 tbs soy sauce (tamari or liquid aminos for GF)
    • 1 tbs honey
    • 1 garlic clove, grated or finely minced
    • 1-2 tbs water

    Rolls

    • 12 Dry rice paper wrappers 8-9" in diameter
    • 24 Medium sized shrimp, cooked and chilled
    • Leaf lettuce
    • Small cucumber
    • 200 g Rice vermicelli noodles
    • 12 Deli turkey slices

    Instructions

    Prepare all these ingredients and set aside until ready to make the rolls

    • Slice shrimp in half.
    • Slice cucumber into long strips.
    • Wash and dry lettuce leaves, making sure to remove mid-section core running up the middle so that you are just left with the soft leaves.
    • Cook the dry rice noodles according to package directions. Rinse with cold water and drain well.

    Peanut Sauce

    • Combine all the peanut sauce ingredients and whisk together until well blended.

    Making the rolls

    • Fill a skillet or pie plate or dish with about ½" of room temperature water.
    • Submerge a dry rice wrapper into the water for about 20-30 seconds.
    • Gently place the rice sheet on a slightly wet working surface.
    • Place a slice of turkey on the edge closest to you, and 4 shrimp halves about ¾ of the way up, making sure the cut-side of the shrimp is facing up.
    • Lay a lettuce leaf on top of the shrimp, tearing the leaf as necessary to make it fit. Using wet hands, arrange some noodles on the turkey slice. Place cucumber strips next to the noodles.
    • Starting from the edge closest to you, gently start to roll the wrapper over the noodles and cucumber, tucking in the edge as you roll.
    • Fold the side edges of the wrapper over the filling.
    • Continue rolling from the bottom up, tucking the shrimp and lettuce in snuggly as you finish rolling completely to the top edge.

    Notes

    • Rice wrappers for these summer rolls can be found in your local Asian supermarket or Asian food aisle. They are dry, translucent, round wafers, about 8-9" in diameter.
    • The noodles are dry vermicelli noodles. I like to use a medium noodle (about spaghetti thickness), but the thinner rice vermicelli noodles will also work.
    • Do not worry if the cooked noodles start sticking together and are hard to separate when you're handling them. Just make sure your fingers are wet and the noodles should separate easily. If necessary, give the noodles a quick rinse under cold water again to loosen. Just be sure they are not sopping wet when you add them to the roll.
    • Feel free to play with the fillings for these summer rolls. They can easily be made vegetarian by omitting the shrimp and turkey and can be subbed with julienned carrots, bell peppers, etc.
    • If you like fresh herbs, add those in before rolling them up.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 110kcal
    Have you tried this recipe?Mention @dayinthekitchen or tag #adayinthekitchen!

    If you make this dish, share your photo on Facebook or Instagram and tag me @dayinthekitchen!


    You might also like:

    Garlic Shrimp Tacos with Avocado Crema
    Garlic Shrimp Tacos with Avocado Crema
    Shrimp Avocado Tzatziki Pockets
    Shrimp Avocado Tzatziki Pockets
    Korean Steak Lettuce Wraps
    Korean Steak Lettuce Wraps

    A closeup of fresh summer rolls next to a bowl of peanut sauce

    « Soft and Chewy Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
    ADITL #8: A Day Out Meeting Food Bloggers »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Leanne | Crumb Top Baking

      September 20, 2018 at 8:10 am

      5 stars
      The peanut sauce looks delicious! I've never made summer rolls, but I think I could tackle it now thanks to your step by step photos!

      Reply
      • Lisa

        September 21, 2018 at 6:27 am

        Thanks, Leanne! It can be a bit intimidating at first (like many things), but once you get the hang of it, you'll be glad you tried it!

        Reply

    Leave a Comment Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube

    I cook up big ideas in my small kitchen in Hong Kong! My recipes are big on healthy eating, real food, and international flavors that you can create in any size kitchen. I also specialize in gluten-free cooking and baking, demystifying gluten-free and showing you how easy and delicious it can be!

    Read more...


    Quote for the Day

    "Cooking is like painting or writing a song. Just as there are only so many notes or colors, there are only so many flavors -- it's how you combine them that sets you apart." ~ Wolfgang Puck.


    Never Miss A Recipe!


    Reader Favorites

    • How To Peel and Cut A Mango
    • How To Cook Eggs In A Rice Cooker
    • Easy Homemade Sandwich Deli Meat
    • Japanese Butadon Pork Bowls
    • Yummy Cuppa English Tea Latte
    • Rice Cooker Chinese Sticky Rice
    • Easy Iced Milk Tea
    • Korean Kalbi Short Ribs

    Latest and Greatest

    • Fruit Ice Cubes
    • Rice Crust Pizza
    • Crazy-Good Gluten-Free Banana Bread
    • Asian Chicken Salad

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About Us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact Us

    Related

    • A Day Out
    • A Day in the Life

    Never Miss A Recipe!

    A Day in the Kitchen participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. If you purchase any item from Amazon by clicking to their site via the affiliate link, it will cost the same to you, but I will receive a small commission.

    Copyright © 2021 A Day in the Kitchen.

    We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.Ok