Step 1

To poach shrimp, bring a medium pot of water to boil. Add the shrimp and give it a stir to submerge the shrimp under the hot boiling water. Turn off the stove and immediately cover the pot. Let the shrimp soak in hot water for 5 minutes. After soaking, test with one piece to see if the shrimp is cooked through. It should turn pale white color in the center and taste snappy and juicy. If not, cover the pot for 2 more minutes. Drain and set the shrimp aside to cool.

Step 2

Once they are cool to touch, use a small paring knife to halve the shrimp (flatten it) so they turn into thin and flat pieces.

Step 3

Rice vermicelli noodles: Follow the package instructions to cook the noodles. Some require boiling and others only need hot water soaking. Drain the noodles and rinse under cold water to remove excess starch. Shake well to remove the water and spread them out over a large bowl. You can drizzle a small amount of avocado oil and toss the noodles to prevent them from sticking. Set aside ready to use.

Step 4

Cucumber and carrots: Trim both tip ends and julienne the cucumber using a julienne peeler. If you don’t have one, thinly slice it into matchsticks. Measure out the carrot and cut away the thinner end to match the length of the cucumber, about 4.5-inch in length. Julienne it as well. Set them aside over a small sheet pan. You can line the sheet pan with paper towels to help absorb excess moisture from the cucumber.

Step 5

Garlic chive: Rinse and pat dry the garlic chive. Trim away both tip ends and dice it to equal length sections to the cucumbers and the carrots, about 4.5-inch sections.

Step 6

Butter lettuce, mint, basil, and cilantro: Snap away the lettuce stems, leaving only the tender leaves. Snap away the stems of mint, basil, and cilantro, using only the tender leafy parts.

Step 7

Set up your workstation with rice paper sheets, a big dipping bowl with room temperature water, shrimp, vegetable and herb trays, an empty large plate to hold the rolls, and finally a silicon baking mat as your work surface. Also prepare a few clean paper towels.

Step 8

Moistening: Take one piece of rice paper and slide it into the water bowl and quickly rotate the rice paper for about 5-6 seconds only. The entire sheet should be moistened and should still feel quite firm after dipping.

Step 9

Assemble: Immediately transfer the sheet to your work surface - place smooth side down and rough side facing you. To start building the roll, place a single layer of butter lettuce at the bottom corner of the rice paper, place a small amount of vermicelli noodles on top, followed by a small amount of carrots and cucumber, making sure the ingredients are aligned and not poking out.

Step 10

Take 2-3 slices of garlic chives and place them right next to (above) the vegetables, then add a few leaves of basil, mint, and cilantro. Finally, place 3 pieces of sliced shrimp (pink color side down) right above the herbs.

Step 11

To wrap: carefully and gently bring the bottom side up and away from you and roll over to cover the noodles and the herbs. Fold the left and right sides then keep rolling away from you to seal the roll. Repeat the steps until you finish all the ingredients.

Step 12

As you work through the ingredients, rest the rolls on a large plate with some space between them. Lightly moisten the paper towel to cover the rolls. This prevents the rice paper from getting dry and maintains the perfect moisture level.

Step 13

Soft summer rolls taste best when they are freshly made. I recommend serving them immediately after rolling with either Vietnamese peanut sauce (creamy, nutty) or Nuoc cham sauce (salty, sweet, funky) on the side. You can also slice it into half for easy serving.