Summer Roll
Ingredients
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- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup fish sauce
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup lime juice – freshly squeezed
- 1 clove garlic – finely minced
- 1 Thai chile – thinly sliced
- 1/2 pound boneless pork loin
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 3/4 pound large shrimp – peeled and deveined (~38 medium shrimps)
- 3 ounces rice vermicelli
- 8 leaves green leaf lettuce leaves
- 1/2 medium cucumber – cut into matchsticks
- 1 small carrot – peeled and cut into matchsticks
- 1 cup fresh mint leaves
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
- 8 wrappers rice paper wrappers – 8.5-inch
Instructions
1. Make the dipping sauce: In a small bowl, stir the granulated sugar and water until dissolved. Add the fish sauce, lime juice, garlic, and Thai chile; stir and let stand 10 minutes to meld.
2. Cook the pork: Place the boneless pork loin in a small pot, cover with cold water by 1 inch, and add 1 tsp kosher salt. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat and cook until just cooked through (145°F/63°C), 15–20 minutes. Transfer to a plate to cool, then slice thinly across the grain.
3. Cook the shrimp: In a clean pot, bring 2 inches of water and the remaining 1 tsp kosher salt to a gentle simmer. Add the large shrimp and poach until pink and opaque, 2–3 minutes. Transfer to cold water to stop cooking, drain well, pat dry, and halve each shrimp lengthwise.
4. Cook the rice vermicelli: Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add the rice vermicelli and cook until tender with a slight bite, 3–4 minutes. Drain, rinse under cold water, and drain very well.
5. Prep the vegetables and herbs: Rinse and dry the green leaf lettuce leaves. Prepare the cucumber and carrot matchsticks. Pick the fresh mint leaves and fresh cilantro leaves from their stems.
6. Set up to roll: Fill a wide shallow dish (pie plate) with warm tap water and lay a clean, damp kitchen towel on your work surface. Arrange the pork slices, shrimp halves, rice vermicelli, lettuce, cucumber, carrot, mint, and cilantro within reach.
7. Soften a wrapper: Dip 1 rice paper wrapper into the warm water for 2–3 seconds, then lay it flat on the damp towel. Let it sit 15–30 seconds until pliable but not fully soft; it will continue to hydrate.
8. Fill: On the lower third of the wrapper, place 1 lettuce leaf, a small bundle of rice vermicelli (about 1/4 cup), a few cucumber and carrot matchsticks, and several mint and cilantro leaves.
9. Add proteins: Lay 2–3 slices of pork just above the pile. Arrange 3 shrimp halves, cut side down and orange side up, in a row near the top edge so they show through once rolled.
10. Roll: Fold the bottom of the wrapper over the filling, tucking firmly to compact. Fold in the sides, then roll up tightly to enclose the shrimp and seal.
11. Repeat: Continue softening wrappers and rolling to make 8 summer rolls. Keep finished rolls covered with a barely damp towel to prevent drying while you work.
12. Serve: Transfer the summer rolls to a platter and serve at once with the dipping sauce.
Summer roll, known in Vietnam as gỏi cuốn, is a fresh, light rice-paper roll packed with herbs, lettuce, rice noodles, pork, and shrimp. The contrast is the appeal: crisp greens and cool herbs against bouncy shrimp and tender pork, all wrapped in a delicate, slightly chewy rice paper. Dunked in bright, sweet-sour-salty nước chấm, each bite is clean, aromatic, and refreshing—ideal in warm weather or whenever you want something lively but satisfying.
Gỏi cuốn likely developed as a practical way to bundle cooked meats with herbs and noodles, reflecting the Vietnamese love of fresh textures and balanced flavors. Over time it became a beloved snack, street food, and home staple served year-round, especially in the south. Abroad it picked up the name “summer roll” or “fresh spring roll,” spreading through Vietnamese communities and restaurants while keeping its core pairing of shrimp, pork, rice noodles, and fragrant herbs.