Tutorial: How to Roll a Spring Roll

A tutorial showing how to roll a spring roll (also called a fresh roll or summer roll).

Making spring rolls at home is not as difficult as it seems.  Don't be afraid to give it a try.  Even if your first few don't come out great with a little practice it becomes easier.  Here is how I roll spring rolls.

Dip the rice paper in warm water (do not let it soak).  Fully submerge the rice wrapper in the water and quickly remove it.  I'm using a 12 inch wrapper (they come in many sizes I find it easier to use the bigger size)

Spread the wet wrapper on your work surface (it will still be stiff, but will soften as it sits).

Make a small pile of your ingredients in the center of the wrapper.  Ingredients can include carrots, cucumber, lettuce, meat, tofu, sprouts, herbs, and rice noodles.  You could even try fruit.  The possibilities are endless.  I made these without rice noodles (because I was serving them with sticky rice).

Peel one side of the spring roll wrapper up off your surface and fold partly over the ingredients.

Repeat with the opposite side.

Then fold the front side over the ingredients and, gently pressing the air out, roll tightly.

Leave spring roll seam side down and cover with plastic wrap until ready to eat.  Spring rolls are best the same day they are made but they are still edible the next day just a little tough.  By the third day they are very tough and dry.

The hardest part of making spring rolls, for me, is to get them wrapped tight enough.  Just know that the wrappers are pretty tough and can take a lot of pressure.  I served these spring rolls with 3 kinds of dipping sauce.

From left to right:  Nuoc Cham, Peanut sauce, and Mango puree.  Enjoy.