Fresh Summer Spring Rolls are a spring roll recipe packed with veggies, chicken, and rolled in lettuce leaves and rice paper for a lite bite.

Summer Spring Rolls

If you’re looking for a Thai spring rolls recipe, or a light and refreshing snack, these Summer Spring Rolls are packed with fresh flavor and lots of veggies! They are tasty and so good served with a chili sauce. To make the recipe vegetarian, it’s optional to add chicken. If you love salmon, then use up your leftovers for these Salmon Spring Rolls!
We like to call this recipe “summer spring rolls,” because it’s an easy recipe to make during the summer months. Make them ahead and store in the fridge for lunch or a light snack! This summer rolls recipe is inspired from a Vietnamese spring rolls recipe, but also restaurants that we’ve loved to visit over the years. Made with fresh ingredients, they are not cooked or fried (except the chicken, if you choose to add protein). We like to call these tasty bites our summer “Snack Dinner.”

a plate of summer spring rolls

Why we love this recipe

  • It’s so easy to make, and doesn’t take much time.
  • These lettuce spring rolls are rolled in both lettuce and the rice paper sheets!
  • You can add your favorite protein (or make vegetarian).
  • They are devoured by all!

dipping a Summer Spring Roll

Spring rolls vs summer rolls?

What is the difference between spring rolls vs summer rolls? Summer rolls are wrapped (rolled) in a translucent rice-wrapper and served cold. Rice paper is made of white rice flour, tapioca flour, salt, and water. 
Spring rolls are are wrapped in a dough made of flour and water, and then fried. Our friend, Vicki, used to make the best fried spring rolls and they’d be devoured quickly. She’d serve them nice and hot with a homemade sweet chili sauce for our soccer teams. They were amazing!
julianned cucumber in a bowl

Gather these ingredients:

  • Chicken breasts: protein is optional as you can make this recipe with veggies only
  • Shredded carrots
  • Cucumber
  • Romaine lettuce
  • Rice noodles
  • Rice paper sheets
  • Cilantro
  • Rice vinegar
  • Sugar
  • Favorite dipping sauces: we like sweet chili sauce or a peanut sauce
sliced chicken on a wood cutting board

How do you make summer spring rolls?

  1. Fully cook the chicken breasts, and cut into 16 strips. (Or use rotisserie chicken.)
  2. Cut and wash full leaves of romaine; remove the leaves.
  3. Peel cucumber and slice into strips lengthwise.
  4. Shred the carrots.
  5. Combine rice vinegar with the sugar.
  6. Divide sweetened rice vinegar in half, adding half to cucumber and half to shredded carrot; set aside.
  7. Cook the rice noodles in boiling salted water; drain. Immediately rinse with cold water and drain again.
  8. Fill a flat dish with warm (coolish) water and place rice sheet in water. Lay on dry towel to remove excess water. [never use hot water.]
  9. On flat plate or cutting board, place wet rice paper flat (this part is tricky). Without over stuffing—(to avoid ripping the rice sheet)—place romaine leaf, chicken, cucumber, rice noodle, cilantro, and carrots side by side on sheet.
  10. Carefully roll ingredients into the paper, making sure to tuck in the sides.

making a spring roll with lettuce leaves

Tip on using rice paper sheets

Use cool water to soak the rice paper sheets, to prevent them from becoming too sticky. They are fragile, and if the water is to warm (or hot), it becomes quite hard to roll. It only takes a few extra minutes for them to soak in cooler water. (It’s true, hot water softens them right away:)

If you use too hot of water, the rice papers stick to everything!

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Tips and substitutions

  • This recipe makes the perfect light appetizer or lunch!
  • Easy to substitute the chicken for shrimp, slices of cooked pork, salmon, or make them vegetarian. Add your favorite protein.
  • Optional to leave out the protein and make this recipe vegetarian.
  • Replace the cilantro with mint or basil, and you can even change out the rice paper sheets for just lettuce leaves!
  • Or replace the romaine lettuce leaves for butter crunch leaves.

a chicken summer roll

How do you serve Fresh Spring Rolls?

Serve with peanut or sweet chile sauce.

How do you store summer rolls?

  • Wrap the rolls tightly in plastic wrap (individually), and store in an airtight container in the fridge.
  • You can also make the rolls ahead and they will keep up to 2 days.
  • Remove the rolls from the fridge at least 20 minutes before serving. If the rice paper is a bit dry, you can lightly mist the rolls with water (or I use a damp paper towel).
a plate of Summer Spring Rolls with dipping sauce

More Spring Rolls recipes to try:

If you’re new to making spring rolls, here’s a photo tutorial how to roll spring rolls from White on Rice Couple!

Also here’s a delicious recipe:  Grilled Shrimp Vietnamese Spring Rolls recipe from Foodie Crush.

Don’t forget my delicious Salmon Spring Rolls (fresh, not fried).

The more summer rolls you make and eat, the better you’ll get at making and eating them!

Enjoy!

Summer Spring Rolls
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Summer Spring Rolls

Makes 8-10 rolls
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Yield: 4
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Ingredients
 

  • 3 chicken breasts, sliced in half seasoned to personal preference (teriyaki) or rotisserie chicken
  • 4 shredded carrots
  • 1 cucumber, julienned
  • 1 head of romaine
  • ⅓ package rice noodles
  • 10 rice paper sheets
  • 1 bunch cilantro, chopped
  • 2 tbsp rice vinegar, to add to carrot and cucumber
  • 1 tsp. sugar

Instructions
 

  • Fully cook the chicken breasts, and cut into 16 strips. (Or use rotisserie chicken.)
  • Cut and wash full leaves of romaine; remove the leaves.
  • Peel cucumber and slice into strips lengthwise.
  • Shred the carrots.
  • Combine 2 tbsp rice vinegar with 2 tbsp sugar.
  • Divide sweetened rice vinegar in half, adding half to cucumber and half to shredded carrot; set aside.
  • Cook the rice noodles in boiling salted water for 3-4 minutes; drain. Immediately rinse with cold water and drain again.
  • Fill a flat dish with warm (coolish) water and place rice sheet in water for 15-30 seconds. Lay on dry towel to remove excess water. [never use hot water.]
  • On flat plate or cutting board, place wet rice paper flat (this part is tricky). Without over stuffing—(to avoid ripping the rice sheet)—place romaine leaf, chicken, cucumber, rice noodle, cilantro, and carrots side by side on sheet. Carefully roll ingredients into the paper, making sure to tuck in the sides.
  • Serve with peanut or sweet chile sauce.

Notes

Originally posted on RE July 2016.
Cuisine: Thai
Course: Appetizer
Author: Sandy / Reluctant Entertainer
Calories: 373kcal, Carbohydrates: 37g, Protein: 42g, Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Trans Fat: 0.02g, Cholesterol: 113mg, Sodium: 513mg, Potassium: 983mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 10946IU, Vitamin C: 8mg, Calcium: 65mg, Iron: 3mg
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Summer Spring Rolls with chicken