Vietnamese Rice Paper Rolls

Vietnamese rice paper rolls are perhaps my favourite meal of all time and I love introducing people to them. When I first discovered them a few years ago at our local Vietnamese restaurant, it was love at first sight, taste and smell. All of the fresh, crispy fillings and the smell of the mint and basil along with the steam from the hot water... it was a sensory overload for not just my taste buds, but my other senses as well. We quickly realised that it was very easy (& cheaper) to make at home and much of the joy for me in this meal is that all of the prep work can be done in advance. Come dinnertime, all that needs to be done is boil some water! This is not necessarily the best meal to prepare on the boat while we are in open water as tossing and turning and boiling water don’t mix so well but as we are currently safely out of the water, this was the perfect meal to enjoy last night at the end of a miserable rainy day.

Vietnamese Rice Paper Rolls

Rice paper

Rice noodles – prepared as per directions and chopped (generally soak in boiling water for 3-5 min and then drain)

Bean Sprouts (Mung)

Carrot - shredded or finely sliced

Cucumber - finely sliced

Capsicum/Pepper - finely sliced  (I prefer red as it adds some colour)

Avocado – sliced

Baked Tofu – sliced (~1cm wide, homemade or store bought)

Crushed peanuts

Green onions – chopped

Chili – finely chopped

Basil

Mint

Sweet Chili Sauce

Peanut Sauce

Once all of the ingredients are prepped, all that remains is to assemble the roll. I just put out the ingredients, along with one or two bowls of hot/warm water and let everyone assemble their own, though if you are feeling kind it can be done in advance.

1. With a bowl/pot of (not too) hot water, making sure you keep hold of the rice paper, dip it in and slowly feed it around through your fingers so that the paper wets evenly. You will know it is done when it loses its rigidity and looks pliable in the water. Just keep in mind that you don't want it to get too soft. Spread the paper out on your plate.

   

2. Fill. Place which ever of the ingredients you prefer in the middle of the paper and leave space on either side so that it can be tucked in later.

3. Roll. If you have ever rolled a burrito, this is very similar. Pull one long edge over the fillings and tuck it on the other side, fold in the two short sides and roll it the rest of the way. 

 

4. Eat & Repeat! We enjoy sweet chili sauce and spicy peanut sauce with our rolls. You can either put the sauce on the inside before you roll (as Bryce does) or on the outside as you eat (as I do).

Working with the rice paper is the hardest part about this but the more you work with it, the easier it will become! The paper doesn't have to be perfect and don't worry about messing up. Generally packets of rice paper have tons in there so there are plenty for practicing and making mistakes! There are certainly other fillings you could add (meat or seafood included), this just how I do it. There are no quantities listed for the ingredients as it truly is up to each person what they put in their roll. The amounts that I do generally prepare last for 2-3 more meals of rice paper rolls depending on the number of people present and you can always use the exact same ingredients to make a stir fry or salad. 

Fresh Vietnamese rice noodle salad

Enjoy!