Fresh spring rolls (gỏi cuốn)

Name: Fresh spring rolls (gỏi cuốn)
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Vietnam
Ingredients: 12 rice paper sheets, 22 cm; 100 g rice vermicelli; 200 g firm tofu, cut into batons; 1 carrot, in fine julienne; ½ cucumber, in batons; 6 lettuce leaves, halved; 1 bunch of mint; 1 bunch of coriander; 2 tbsp oil; 3 tbsp peanut butter; 2 tbsp hoisin sauce (check it is gluten-free if needed); 1 tbsp soy sauce or tamari; Juice of half a lime; Crushed peanuts

Local name: Gỏi cuốn

Translucent rice-paper rolls filled with vermicelli, tofu, lettuce and mint, dipped in a creamy peanut sauce.

Published on 14 November 2025·Updated on 12 September 2026

Vegan#rice paper#tofu#mint#peanut#fresh

Photo: N509FZ , CC BY-SA 4.0

Prep: 30 min
Cook: 10 min
Total: 40 min
Serves: 4
Difficulty: Easy

Method

Fry the tofu in the oil until golden on all sides, then salt it. Cook the vermicelli according to the packet, rinse under cold water and drain.
Make the sauce by loosening the peanut butter with the hoisin, soy sauce, lime juice and 4 tbsp hot water. Top with peanuts.
Fill a wide shallow dish with warm water. Dip a rice paper sheet for 5 seconds, then lay it on a damp tea towel.
On the lower third, place a lettuce leaf, a pinch of vermicelli, tofu, carrot, cucumber and a few mint and coriander leaves.
Fold the bottom edge over the filling, fold in the sides, then roll up tightly.
Repeat with the rest and serve straight away with the sauce.

Do not soak the rice paper too long: it keeps softening on the worktop. The rolls keep for an hour under a damp tea towel.

The techniques this recipe uses

Drain and rinse
Canning liquid clouds a sauce and salts it blind: rinse until the water runs clear.

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Nutrition per serving

Calories: 459 kcal
Protein: 16.7 g
Fat: 18.4 g
Carbohydrate: 59.2 g
Fibre: 4.9 g

An estimate computed from the recipe quantities and the USDA food composition database. Real values vary with the products used.

Frequently asked questions

My rice paper tears or turns gluey. What am I doing wrong?

Five seconds in warm water is enough, because it keeps softening on the work surface. Soaked longer it goes fragile and sticky. Work on a damp cloth rather than a dry board, where it would grab.

The rolls dry out before serving. How do I hold them?

Cover them with a damp cloth and serve within the hour. Do not stack them or push them together, as the wrappers fuse and tear when you pull them apart.

My peanut sauce is too thick. How much water should it take?

Loosen the peanut butter, hoisin and soy with hot water, starting with four tablespoons. Add more until it coats the back of a spoon without running, then adjust with the lime.

How to cook tofu so it is never bland
Why tofu is not a meat substitute but a carrier of flavour, and traditional Asian techniques to give it real depth and texture.
Umami without meat in China, Japan and Korea
Fermented pastes, kombu and dried shiitake, tofu and high heat — four sources of flavour that stand in for meat in Chinese, Japanese and Korean cooking.
Japanese vegetarian cooking, beyond sushi
Learn to make dashi without bonito, tell the forms of tofu apart, and build a Japanese vegetarian meal from small plates.

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