Vietnamese Fresh Spring Rolls (Goi Cuon)

By Culiora

These classic Vietnamese summer rolls pair crisp herbs, tender pork belly, and sweet poached prawns encased in translucent rice paper. Served with a rich hoisin-peanut dipping sauce, they are light, refreshing, and deeply satisfying.

• Servings: 4
• Prep time: 35 min
• Cook time: 15 min
• Total time: 50 min

Ingredients

• 200 g pork belly or shoulder
• 200 g raw prawns, peeled and deveined (about 12 medium)
• 1/2 tsp salt (for poaching liquid)
• 100 g thin rice vermicelli noodles
• 12 pcs round rice paper wrappers (22 cm)
• 1 pcs small head butterhead or green leaf lettuce, washed and torn
• 1 pcs Lebanese cucumber, cut into thin matchsticks
• 100 g fresh bean sprouts
• 15 g fresh mint leaves
• 15 g fresh Thai basil leaves
• 15 g fresh coriander sprigs
• 12 pcs garlic chives (optional, trimmed to 12 cm lengths)
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 clove garlic, finely minced
• 80 ml hoisin sauce
• 60 g creamy peanut butter
• 100 ml warm water or reserved pork poaching broth
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 20 g roasted peanuts, coarsely crushed (for garnish)
• 1 pcs bird's eye chili, finely sliced (optional)

Instructions

1. Bring a small pot of water to a gentle boil with 1/2 tsp salt. Add the pork belly, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer gently for 15–20 minutes until thoroughly cooked (internal temperature reaches 71°C). Remove the pork and plunge into a bowl of cold water to prevent oxidation, then slice paper-thin across the grain. Reserve the hot cooking liquid.
2. In the same simmering cooking broth, poach the peeled prawns for 2–3 minutes until just opaque and pink. Remove with a slotted spoon, let cool slightly, and slice each prawn horizontally in half along its spine to yield 24 flat pieces. Reserve 100 ml of the warm broth for the dipping sauce.
3. Cook the rice vermicelli in boiling water according to package instructions (about 3–4 minutes) until tender. Drain thoroughly, rinse under cold running water to stop the cooking and remove excess starch, then shake dry in a colander.
4. To make the sauce: heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Sauté the minced garlic for 30–60 seconds until fragrant without browning. Stir in the hoisin sauce, peanut butter, and 100 ml reserved broth or warm water. Whisk continuously over medium-low heat until glossy and smooth, about 2 minutes. Stir in the rice vinegar, remove from heat, let cool to room temperature, then divide into small dipping bowls and top with crushed roasted peanuts and sliced chili.
5. Prepare your rolling station: fill a large shallow bowl with lukewarm water. Lay a clean, lightly damp tea towel or smooth chopping board on your counter. Submerge one rice paper wrapper in the water for 3–5 seconds until just pliable—it should still feel slightly firm as it softens further on the board. Lay it flat on the work surface.
6. On the bottom third of the wrapper, layer a small piece of lettuce, a bundle of vermicelli noodles, cucumber matchsticks, a few bean sprouts, and fresh mint, Thai basil, and coriander leaves.
7. Fold the bottom edge of the rice paper snugly up over the herb and noodle filling. Place 2–3 prawn halves, pink curved side down (cut-side facing up), onto the paper just above the rolled cylinder (so they show attractively through the wrapper when finished). Add a couple of pork slices beside the prawns.
8. Fold in both left and right sides snugly. If using garlic chives, place one stalk against the seam so a couple of centimetres protrude from the open end. Continue rolling upward tightly toward the top edge into a neat, compact cylinder. Repeat with the remaining 11 rolls. Serve immediately with the peanut sauce.