Shrimp Summer Rolls with Sesame-Soy Sauce

Shrimp summer rolls are the cold, crunchy little rolls that make hot day food feel easy again.

You get soft rice paper wrapped around shrimp, cabbage, mint, peanuts, jalapeno, and rice noodles.

Then the dipping sauce comes in with soy sauce, sesame oil, mirin, lime, fish sauce, sugar, and onion.

These are made for Easter appetizer trays, summer parties, lunch boxes, or those evenings where turning on the oven sounds rude.

If you want more light seafood ideas, keep Mixed Veggie Tuna Salad Sandwich and Lemon Garlic Butter Shrimp With Zucchini Noodles close too.

The rolling part looks a little dramatic at first, but once the first one is done, your hands remember the assignment.

What Is Rice Paper?

Rice paper is a thin dry wrapper that turns soft and bendy after a quick soak in water.

It can feel sticky at first, but it rolls neatly once the fillings are stacked in the center.

How To Make Shrimp Summer Rolls with Sesame-Soy Dipping Sauce

1. Pour water onto a plate

Add water to a wide plate so each rice paper sheet has room to soften.

2. Soften the rice paper

Dip one rice paper sheet into the water and let it soften until it feels flexible.

3. Move the sheet to a towel

Lay the softened sheet on a clean towel so it is ready for the fillings.

4. Add the shrimp and vegetables

Place shrimp, shredded cabbage, mint, peanuts, jalapeno, and rice noodles in the center.

5. Fold the bottom over

Fold the bottom edge over the filling so everything starts to tuck in.

6. Tuck in the sides

Fold in the sides so the roll stays snug and the filling does not wander off.

7. Roll it tight

Roll forward until the rice paper seals itself into a neat little bundle.

8. Start the dipping sauce

Add sugar and chopped onion to a small bowl.

9. Add the liquids

Stir in mirin, lime juice, soy sauce, sesame oil, and fish sauce.

10. Stir and serve

Mix the sauce well, then serve it beside the summer rolls.

Tiny Roll Notes

Do one sheet at a time because softened rice paper likes to stick to everything.

Keep the fillings in a small pile so the roll closes without a wrestling match.

Sauce Stuff That Helps

The sauce is salty, nutty, and just a little sweet.

Stir it before dipping because the onion and sesame oil like to settle.

How To Serve These

Serve the rolls cold or room temp with the sauce right next to them.

They are great as appetizers, snacks, or a lighter lunch when you want crunch without heaviness.

Keeping Them Fresh

These rolls are best the day they are made because rice paper gets firmer in the fridge.

If you do store them, wrap them loosely and keep the sauce in a separate container.