Crispy spring roll in a bowl recipe

A large bowl filled with a vibrant spring roll in a bowl —featuring shrimp, chopped vegetables, greens, fresh herbs, and green onions, crispy rice paper puffs, with a wooden spoon resting inside.

5 from 1 vote

Crispy spring roll in a bowl recipe

This spring roll in a bowl is light, fresh, and full of herbs, crisp vegetables, and springy noodles. Crispy rice paper adds the crunch of real spring rolls.

Prep Time20

Cook Time10

Total Time30

Course: Main Course, Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine: American Chinese

Keyword: Spring roll in a bowl, spring roll salad

Servings: servings

Author: ChihYu Smith

Ingredients

Shrimp, Shiitake, and Glass Noodles:

3.5 oz fresh shiitake mushrooms sliced
2.5 tbsp avocado oil or more, divided
0.5 lb shrimp 26-30 count per pound, peeled and deveined
A Small touch soy sauce to saute the mushrooms
2.75 oz Cellophane noodles 2 small bundles

Rice paper crunch:

3-4 sheet rice paper or more if desired
A touch of salt to season the fried rice paper

Salad and herbs:

5 oz. finely shredded coleslaw mix green cabbage, red cabbage, and carrots (from Trader Joe’s)
5 oz. finely shredded kale brussels sprouts, broccoli (from Trader Joe’s)
2, spring onion dice to small rounds
¼ cup chopped Cilantro
10-15 sprig Mint leaves sliced
Handful Roasted peanuts

Thai sweet chili lime dressing (Makes 1 cup)

4 tbsp rice vinegar
3 tbsp soy sauce
1.5 tbsp fish sauce or more to taste
2 tbsp lime juice
2 tbsp coconut brown sugar
0.35 oz. garlic cloves grated (3 medium)
4 tbsp roasted peanut oil
1 whole red fresno chili pepper (or 1 small Thai red chili) seeds removed

US - Metric

Instructions

Dressing:

In a measuring cup, add ingredients from vinegar to garlic. Stir until the sugar is dissolved then slowly drizzle in the peanut oil while whisking to emulsify the dressing. Remove the chili pepper seeds and dice to small bits and add them to the dressing. Set the dressing aside ready to use.

Saute shiitake

Add ½ tbsp oil to a small sauté pan. Add the sliced shiitake and sauté over medium heat with a small splash of soy sauce until the mushrooms release some moisture and turn tender, about 2–3 minutes. Transfer out and set aside.

Poach the shrimp

Gather the shrimp in a large heatproof bowl and soak with hot boiling water about 1 inch above the shrimp. Cover the bowl and let the shrimp poach for 5 minutes. Check and if not done, cover and soak for another 2 minutes extra. Drain, once cool to touch, roughly chop it.

Cellophane noodles

Soak in a heatproof bowl with hot boiling water about 0.5 inch above the noodles. Cover and soak for 4–5 minutes until softened (but not mushy). Drain, then cut the noodles 2–3 times with kitchen shears to shorten the strands.

Fry rice paper

Add 2 tbsp oil in a deep sauce pan with a high wall (or a heavy bottom soup pot), heat up the oil until it simmers over medium heat. You can test the oil by inserting a dry and clean chopstick into the oil. If small bubbles form around it, the oil is hot enough.
Add a single piece of dry rice paper into the oil. It’ll bubble and puff up right away. Once all sides are puffed and crisp up, transfer out to a paper towel to soak away excess oil. Season with a touch of salt. Repeat the process and add more oil if needed.

Assemble the spring roll bowl

On a large serving platter, add the shredded vegetable mixes, spring onions, cilantro, mint, shiitake mushrooms, shrimp, glass noodles, and peanuts.
Only toss the salad with the dressing when ready to serve. Start with about ½ cup dressing and add more if needed.

How to serve (You can serve the bowl two ways):

Use the crispy rice paper as a wrap to hold the spring roll mixture OR
Crush the rice paper over the salad for a crispy topping
Serve right away while the rice paper is still crisp. The dish can be enjoyed at room temperature or slightly chilled.

Notes

Rice paper texture: The rice paper will soften once it comes into contact with moisture, so serve the dish right away while it’s still crispy.
Make-ahead: This dish works well for make-ahead because the components are prepared separately.
- Salad dressing: Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. I recommend adding the fresh chili on the day of serving.
- Shiitake and shrimp: These can be cooked in advance. Store them separately in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Glass noodles: You can soak, drain, and cut the noodles up to 2–3 days in advance. They may firm up slightly in the refrigerator. A quick soak in hot water for about 1 minute will soften them again.
Rice paper: Fry the rice paper on the day of serving. Rice paper does not store well once opened and exposed to moisture in the air, so it’s best enjoyed fresh.

Nutrition