Rice Paper Roll Bowl (Printable)

Fresh, deconstructed Vietnamese-style bowl with crisp vegetables, protein, and rich peanut sauce over delicate rice paper pieces.

# What You Need:

→ Rice Paper & Base

01 - 8 sheets rice paper
02 - 2 cups cooked jasmine rice or vermicelli noodles, optional

→ Protein

03 - 14 oz grilled chicken breast, sliced, or 14 oz firm tofu pressed and cubed, or 14 oz cooked shrimp peeled and deveined

→ Vegetables

04 - 1 large carrot, julienned
05 - 1 cucumber, deseeded and julienned
06 - 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
07 - 1 cup shredded red cabbage
08 - 2 cups mixed salad greens
09 - 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves
10 - 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves

→ Peanut Sauce

11 - 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
12 - 2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari for gluten-free
13 - 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
14 - 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
15 - 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
16 - 1 to 2 teaspoons sriracha, optional to taste
17 - 2 to 4 tablespoons warm water

→ Toppings

18 - 1/4 cup roasted peanuts, chopped
19 - 2 tablespoons fried shallots, optional
20 - Lime wedges for serving

# How to Make:

01 - Fill a large shallow dish with warm water. Submerge each rice paper sheet for 5 to 10 seconds until just softened, then place on a clean towel. Stack 2 to 3 sheets and cut into rough strips or squares. Set aside.
02 - Grill, pan-fry, or bake your chosen protein until fully cooked. Slice or cube as appropriate and set aside.
03 - Wash, peel, and slice all vegetables according to specifications. Keep separate for assembly.
04 - In a bowl, whisk together peanut butter, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, lime juice, and sriracha if using. Gradually add warm water until the sauce reaches a smooth, pourable consistency.
05 - Divide rice or noodles among four bowls. Top with rice paper pieces, vegetables, salad greens, fresh herbs, and chosen protein.
06 - Drizzle generously with peanut sauce. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts and fried shallots. Serve with lime wedges.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It's fast enough for a weeknight but impressive enough to serve to people you want to impress.
  • Everything gets chopped ahead of time, so assembly feels like play rather than work.
  • The crunch of rice paper mixed with soft noodles creates this texture contrast that keeps you coming back for another bite.
02 -
  • Don't oversoak the rice paper or it becomes gluey and falls apart. A five to ten second dunk is genuinely enough.
  • Make the sauce before you assemble the bowls, and taste it as you go. Peanut butters vary in saltiness, so you might need more lime juice or less soy sauce than you expect.
03 -
  • Prepare all your vegetables and protein ahead of time, then assembly becomes a five-minute game rather than a cooking project.
  • Toast your peanuts right before serving if you have time. It only takes three minutes in a dry pan and deepens their flavor significantly.
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