Appetizers

Vietnamese Spring Rolls (Chả Giò Chay)

Name: Vietnamese Spring Rolls (Chả Giò Chay)
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 12 rolls
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Ingredients: 12 spring roll wrappers; 10 g dried wood ear mushroom, soaked in hot water until soft, finely chopped; 30 g dried glass noodles, soaked until soft, cut into short lengths; 1 cup carrot, finely shredded; 1 cup jicama or taro, finely shredded; 3 shiitake mushrooms, finely diced; 1 shallot, minced; 1 tsp sugar; 1 tbsp soy sauce; black pepper to taste; oil for frying; 3 tbsp soy sauce, in place of fish sauce; 2 tbsp lime juice; 2 tbsp sugar; 3 tbsp warm water; 1 small red chili, minced; 1 clove garlic, minced; lettuce leaves and fresh herbs (mint, perilla), for wrapping

Crisp fried rolls packed with wood ear mushroom, glass noodles, and vegetables.

Vegetarian Vegan Dairy-Free

Fried Vietnamese spring rolls served with lettuce, herbs, and dipping sauce — Wrap each roll in lettuce and herbs before dipping -- that's how it's meant to be eaten.

Prep40 min

Cook15 min

Total55 min

Servings 6 servings

DifficultyMedium

The vegetarian version of Vietnam's fried spring roll -- wood ear mushroom, glass noodles, and shredded vegetables rolled tight and fried until crackling, meant to be wrapped in lettuce and herbs and dipped in a tangy nuoc cham.

Ingredients

For the filling

12 spring roll wrappers
10 g dried wood ear mushroom, soaked in hot water until soft, finely chopped
30 g dried glass noodles, soaked until soft, cut into short lengths
1 cup carrot, finely shredded
1 cup jicama or taro, finely shredded
3 shiitake mushrooms, finely diced
1 shallot, minced
1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp soy sauce
black pepper to taste
oil for frying

For the nuoc cham chay (vegetarian dipping sauce)

3 tbsp soy sauce, in place of fish sauce
2 tbsp lime juice
2 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp warm water
1 small red chili, minced
1 clove garlic, minced

To serve

lettuce leaves and fresh herbs (mint, perilla), for wrapping

Instructions

Combine the wood ear mushroom, glass noodles, carrot, jicama or taro, shiitake, and shallot in a bowl, and mix in the sugar, soy sauce, and black pepper.
The filling should be finely chopped and well-drained of excess water -- a wet filling steams the wrapper from the inside and stops it from crisping.
Spoon filling onto a wrapper, fold the bottom corner over, tuck in the sides, and roll tightly, sealing the edge with a little water.
Whisk together the soy sauce, lime juice, sugar, and warm water for the nuoc cham until the sugar dissolves, then stir in the chili and garlic.
Heat oil to 175C (350F) and fry the rolls in batches until golden and crisp. 5 min
Frying at a steady 175C, not hotter, is what crisps the wrapper all the way through before the outside over-browns.
Drain on paper towels and serve hot, wrapped in lettuce and herbs and dipped in the nuoc cham.

Notes

Traditional chả giò is often made with pork and shrimp -- this vegetarian version (chả giò chay) is a genuine, common variant, not an invented substitute, and is widely eaten at Buddhist vegetarian meals in Vietnam.
Rolls can be assembled ahead and refrigerated -- fry just before serving for maximum crunch.
Baking at 200C (400F) for 20 minutes, turning once, works as a lighter alternative to frying.

Nutrition Facts

Per serving (2 rolls) -- estimated, not lab-tested.
Nutrient	Amount
Calories	210 kcal
Total Fat	10 g
Saturated Fat	1 g
Carbohydrates	26 g
Fiber	2 g
Sugar	3 g
Protein	4 g
Sodium	340 mg
Cholesterol	0 mg
Values are estimates based on standard ingredient data, not laboratory analysis.

Photo: Satdeep Gill, CC BY-SA 4.0. Cropped to 3:2 and re-encoded as WebP/JPEG for web delivery.