Goi cuon are Vietnamese fresh spring rolls: rice paper wrapped around shrimp, pork, rice vermicelli, lettuce, and herbs, served cold with a peanut hoisin dipping sauce. You make them by softening rice paper in warm water, layering the filling, and rolling it tight like a burrito.
Unlike the fried spring rolls found across Southeast Asia, goi cuon are never cooked after assembly, a style that developed in southern Vietnam where fresh herbs and rice paper were abundant year round. The name translates roughly to salad roll, which is closer to what they actually are than the word spring roll suggests.
These rolls are meant to be light, herbaceous, and a little messy to eat. A goi cuon packed too tight with rice vermicelli and too little herb misses the point of the dish entirely.
What Actually Matters
The rice paper needs a very brief dip, about 3 to 5 seconds in warm, not hot, water. It will still feel slightly stiff when you lift it out, but it keeps softening as you build the roll on top of it. Oversoak it and it turns gummy and tears the moment you try to roll it.
Vietnamese Goi Cuon, Serves 4
Ingredients
- 12 rice paper wrappers (8.5 inch)
- 12 large shrimp, peeled, deveined, and halved lengthwise
- 8 ounces pork belly, boiled and thinly sliced
- 4 ounces dried rice vermicelli, cooked and drained
- 1 head butter lettuce, leaves separated
- 1 cup fresh mint leaves
- 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
- 1/2 cup garlic chives, cut into 3 inch lengths
- 1/3 cup peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 1 tablespoon warm water
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon crushed roasted peanuts
Method
- Bring a pot of water to a boil, add the shrimp, and cook for 2 minutes until pink and opaque. Drain and let cool, then halve lengthwise.
- Boil the pork belly for 20 minutes until cooked through, cool, and slice thin.
- Cook the rice vermicelli according to the package directions, drain, and rinse with cold water.
- Dip one rice paper wrapper in warm water for 3 to 5 seconds, then lay it flat on a damp cutting board.
- Place a lettuce leaf, a small handful of vermicelli, pork, mint, cilantro, and chives in the lower third of the wrapper. Arrange 3 shrimp halves, cut side up, just above the filling.
- Fold the sides in, then roll tightly from the bottom up, keeping the shrimp visible through the wrapper. Repeat with remaining wrappers.
- Whisk peanut butter, hoisin sauce, warm water, and rice vinegar into a smooth dipping sauce, and top with crushed peanuts.
Prep time: 35 minutes. Cook time: 15 minutes. Total time: 50 minutes.
Nutrition (per serving, estimated)
| Calories | Protein | Fat | Carbohydrates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 380 | 24g | 15g | 38g |
This is a calculated estimate based on standard ingredient values, not a lab verified figure.
Tips, Variations, and Storage
Goi cuon are best eaten within a few hours of rolling. If you must hold them, wrap each roll individually in plastic wrap so the rice paper doesn't dry out or stick together. Grilled tofu or extra vermicelli make a good vegetarian swap for the shrimp and pork. Keep a damp towel over finished rolls while you work through the batch.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my rice paper keep tearing?
It was soaked too long. Pull it from the water while it still feels slightly firm; it finishes softening on the board.
Can I make these ahead for a party?
A few hours ahead, tightly wrapped in plastic, is fine. Made the night before, the rice paper turns tough and chewy.
What's the difference between goi cuon and cha gio?
Goi cuon are fresh and unfried; cha gio are the fried version, wrapped in a different, thinner rice paper and deep fried until crisp.
Can I use a different dipping sauce?
A nuoc cham (fish sauce, lime, sugar, chili) dipping sauce is just as traditional as peanut hoisin and lighter in flavor.
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I'm Chef Alan. I have spent 35 years in professional kitchens, I have formal culinary education in New Hampshire, and I have been honored as a 6-Time 4-Diamond Chef. More about me here.
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