Spring Roll Bowl

This spring roll bowl turns the flavors of fresh Vietnamese-style spring rolls into an easy noodle bowl: thin rice vermicelli, cooked shrimp, crisp vegetables, mint and cilantro, roasted peanuts, and a creamy homemade peanut sauce. You get the same bright, herby contrast without rolling individual rice-paper wrappers.

It serves 4. With already-cooked shrimp, active prep is about 25 minutes and the noodles take about 5 minutes, for roughly 30 minutes total.

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Spring Roll Bowl vs Wrapped Spring Rolls

Traditional fresh spring rolls wrap shrimp, noodles, herbs, and vegetables in softened rice paper. This bowl keeps the same idea — cool noodles, cooked shrimp, crunchy produce, herbs, and peanut sauce — but serves everything in a bowl. It is faster for weeknights, easier to scale, and friendlier for meal prep. It is not a stir-fry: our Singapore noodles with shrimp are a hot curry vermicelli dish with a different method and flavor. Keep this page for the fresh, composed spring-roll-style bowl.

Why Rice Vermicelli Works

Thin rice vermicelli (sometimes labeled rice sticks) softens quickly, stays tender when rinsed in cold water, and stays neutral under peanut sauce and lime. Eight ounces dry is about 2 ounces per bowl — a solid base once the shrimp, vegetables, and sauce are added. Follow the package, but most thin vermicelli is ready in about 3 to 5 minutes. Rinse under cold water and drain thoroughly so strands do not glue together or water down the dressing.

Cooked Shrimp (Primary Version)

The primary recipe uses already-cooked, peeled large shrimp. Pat them dry if they are wet from packaging and arrange them on the bowls — do not cook them again. One pound yields about 4 ounces of shrimp per serving.

If you start with raw shrimp, cook them separately until opaque and the thickest piece reaches 145°F, then cool before assembling. That extra protein cooking is separate from the 5-minute noodle cook time on the card. For a non-shellfish option, use about 1 pound cooked chicken (grilled or pan-cooked to 165°F), sliced, in place of the shrimp.

Crisp Vegetables and Herbs

Wash and dry the lettuce, carrot, cucumber, cabbage, mint, and cilantro well. Excess water wilts the salad and thins the sauce. Keep cuts irregular and homemade: julienned or shredded carrot, cucumber matchsticks, shredded red cabbage, and loosely packed herb leaves. The vegetables stay raw and crisp — do not cook them for this bowl.

Mint and cilantro (½ cup leaves each) give the classic spring-roll aroma. Scatter them so they stay recognizable rather than chopping them into paste.

Mango vs Avocado

Ripe mango adds sweet-tart contrast against the salty-sweet peanut sauce and is the fruit used throughout the photographs. Avocado is a fine swap when you want creaminess instead of sweetness, but it browns in storage — slice it close to serving and add a little lime juice if needed. Do not mix mango and avocado across the photo set; the published images show mango.

Roasted Peanuts and Peanut Sauce

Chopped roasted peanuts add crunch at the end. Keep them dry until serving so they stay crisp. The sauce is a quick whisk of creamy peanut butter, soy sauce, warm water, rice vinegar, honey, lime juice, grated garlic, and optional sriracha. It should look light tan and pourable — thicker than salad dressing, thinner than peanut butter from the jar.

As written, the batch makes a modest drizzle for four bowls (roughly a couple of tablespoons each). If the sauce is too thick, thin with warm water 1 teaspoon at a time. For saucier bowls, double the sauce ingredients. Soy sauce and peanuts bring sodium, so taste before adding salt. For another peanut-sauce reference on the site, see our spicy peanut sauce (sauce-only page — different from this composed bowl).

Ingredient Notes

Rice vermicelli: Thin rice noodles, 8 ounces dry. Do not substitute thick wheat lo mein noodles if you want the spring-roll texture.

Cooked shrimp: 1 pound large, peeled. Primary path assumes they are already cooked.

Lettuce: Shredded romaine or butter lettuce for a cool base under the noodles.

Produce: One large carrot, one English cucumber, 1 cup shredded red cabbage, plus mango (or avocado).

Herbs and garnish: Fresh mint, cilantro, roasted peanuts, lime wedges.

Sauce pantry: Creamy peanut butter, soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey, lime, garlic, optional sriracha, warm water to loosen.

Making the Bowls

Cook and drain the noodles

Cook the rice vermicelli according to package directions (about 3 to 5 minutes for most thin brands). Immediately rinse under cold running water until the strands are cool and no longer steaming. Drain thoroughly in a colander, shaking off excess water. Set aside. If you need to hold them more than a few minutes, a light toss with about 1 teaspoon neutral oil helps limit sticking.

Whisk the peanut sauce

In a small bowl, whisk the peanut butter, soy sauce, warm water, rice vinegar, honey, lime juice, grated garlic, and optional sriracha until smooth and pourable. Add warm water 1 teaspoon at a time if it is still stiff. The sauce should ribbon from the whisk, not sit in a paste.

Assemble the bowls

Divide the drained noodles and shredded lettuce among four serving bowls. Arrange the cooked shrimp, carrot, cucumber, red cabbage, and sliced mango in loose sections so colors stay distinct. Scatter mint, cilantro, and chopped roasted peanuts. Drizzle with peanut sauce and serve with lime wedges. Squeeze lime at the table.

How to Keep Noodles from Sticking

Rinse thoroughly in cold water, drain well, and avoid leaving a pool of water in the bowl. Do not sauce the noodles far ahead — dress at serving. A tiny bit of oil on holding noodles is optional; too much oil makes the peanut sauce slide off.

Optional Grilled Chicken

Replace the shrimp with about 1 pound cooked chicken breast or thighs, cooked to 165°F, rested, and sliced. Assemble the same way. Chicken cook time is extra and is not included in the 5-minute cook time on the card.

Meal Prep and Food Safety

• Components: Store rinsed noodles, cooked shrimp, cut vegetables, sauce, and peanuts in separate containers in the refrigerator up to about 2 days.
• Assemble later: Keep sauce and peanuts off the bowls until eating so herbs stay perky and peanuts stay crunchy.
• Cold chain: Refrigerate cooked noodles and cooked shrimp promptly. Do not leave them at room temperature for extended periods.
• Avocado: If using avocado instead of mango, slice at serving time.
• Allergens: This recipe contains peanuts, soy, and shellfish (shrimp). The chicken variation still contains peanuts and soy.

Troubleshooting

• Sticky noodles: Rinse longer in cold water, drain harder, and do not sauce early.
• Thick peanut sauce: Whisk in warm water 1 teaspoon at a time until pourable.
• Watery bowls: Vegetables or noodles were not dried well — pat produce dry and drain noodles fully.
• Bland sauce: Add a squeeze of lime or a pinch more soy; optional sriracha for heat.
• Wilted herbs: Dress only what you will eat; store undressed leftovers.

More Bowls and Noodles

For a chili-lime shrimp bowl on quinoa, see chili-lime shrimp quinoa bowls. For a hot curry vermicelli stir-fry, try Singapore noodles with shrimp. For a Vietnamese-inspired chicken noodle soup, see pho ga. Browse more in our dinner category.

Spring Roll Bowl Questions

Do I cook the shrimp again? No — if they are already cooked, just dry and arrange them. Reheating cooked shrimp for this cold-style bowl makes them rubbery.

Is the five-minute cook time only the noodles? Yes, for the primary cooked-shrimp version. Raw shrimp or chicken adds separate cooking time.

Can I make it gluten-free? Rice noodles are typically gluten-free, but standard soy sauce is not. Use a labeled gluten-free tamari or soy sauce if you need that swap — verify every label; this recipe is not automatically gluten-free.

Mango or avocado? Mango is the default and matches the photos. Avocado works as a creamy substitute; slice it late.

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