My Spring Roll Salad is like a deconstructed Vietnamese fresh spring roll, dressed with a delicious peanut sauce. So refreshing and tasty!
I always order fresh spring rolls when I go to Vietnamese restaurants. I've tried making them at home myself, but they tend to rip, fall apart, and generally take a lot of time to prepare (especially for a family). One day as I was eating the deconstructed pieces of my spring roll off my plate, the idea of a spring roll salad came to mind.
You can think of this spring roll salad as all the delicious innards of a fresh spring roll, tossed in the best tasty peanut sauce. Although I still adore the traditional Vietnamese spring rolls (this recipe is not authentic at all), I love this spring roll salad as an easy, meal prep friendly recipe with the same flavours.
Plus, peanuts and rice noodles are so good together. If you haven't tried them together in my peanut noodle salad jars or spicy peanut noodles, you know!
Why This Recipe Is Dietitian Approved
- Balanced meal. Not all salads were built to be meals, but this one is definitely a good fit if you're craving something light and refreshing. It's got protein, carbs, fibre and healthy fats.
- Colourful. Eating a variety of veggies, especially ones in different colours, is a great way to support gut health.
- Meal prep friendly. Unlike a salad with a lettuce base, this one is much sturdier and good for meal prep.
Ingredients
For the dressing:
Soy sauce. I typically opt for low sodium soy sauce to help reduce the total sodium content for this recipe.
Rice vinegar. This is for a little acidity. I find the vinegar helps break up the creaminess of the peanut butter making this the ultimate fresh salad.
Sesame oil. For subtle toasted flavour. If you are in a pinch you can substitute this with a different neutral tasting oil of choice (ie. olive oil or avocado oil), but sesame is best.
Ginger and garlic. These aromatics are delicious in the peanut dressing. Fresh is best if possible.
Peanut butter. I typically use natural peanut butter if I can. This means looking for a peanut butter that is made with only one ingredient: peanuts (some may have salt added as well and that’s ok too).
Honey. For a touch of natural sweetness! I find the honey pairs perfectly with the salty from the soy sauce and the creaminess of the peanut butter.
Sriracha. Optional, this will add some spice to the dressing.
Lime juice. I always recommend using fresh lime juice vs. pre-squeezed for the ultimate flavour and freshness.
For the salad:
Rice noodles. I look for thinner noodles such as stick rice noodles or vermicelli. Please follow the package instructions for how to cook your rice noodles as every brand is different. Most require adding the noodles to a large bowl and covering with boiling water for about 5 minutes.
Cabbage. This is a budget friendly staple to add fiber, micronutrients and colour.
Romaine lettuce. For freshness and crunch! Endive leaves or green cabbage are also great options, you just want some type of green that is fairly hearty to provide the needed crunch.
Fresh vegetables. I chose cucumber and carrots, which can also be found in regular spring rolls.
Fresh herbs. Cilantro, mint leaves add for freshness and flavour. I highly recommend using both herbs if you have them available.
Bean sprouts. For safety, always wash your bean sprouts before adding them to meals. You can also cook them too in the microwave, as an extra food safety precaution.
Green onions. We use both the whites and greens in this recipe.
Chopped peanuts. I love the nutty crunch!
The complete ingredient list with measurements can be found in the recipe card below.
Instructions
In a large salad bowl, add rice noodles, cabbage and romaine lettuce. Top with cucumber, carrots, cilantro, mint, green onions, bean sprouts and shrimp.
To make your dressing whisk together all ingredients until smooth (tip: if you are using a peanut butter that is on the harder side you can place the peanut butter in a microwave safe dish and microwave for 15-30 seconds to soften it. This makes it easier to whisk into the dressing).
Drizzle the dressing over the salad.
Top with chopped peanuts and toss to combine.
Substitutions and Variations
To make gluten-free: the only ingredient in this salad that contains gluten is the soy sauce. You can substitute with tamari sauce or coconut aminos.
To make vegan: skip the shrimp and replace it with chickpeas or air fryer tofu. For a honey replacement, I recommend using maple syrup.
To make dairy-free: this recipe is naturally dairy-free.
Missing ingredients? Try these:
- Shrimp: tofu, chickpeas, chicken
- Fresh vegetables: can use what you have on hand and substitute or omit any toppings you choose. Some other options include red bell peppers, chopped broccoli or even zucchini.
- Herbs: mint or cilantro can be replaced with fresh basil (I don't recommend replacing with dried herbs, as this will decrease the freshness of this salad)
- Chopped peanuts: crunchy onions, fried wonton pieces, sesame seeds
Equipment
Storage
This spring roll salad is a great option to prep ahead of time. It will stay fresh in an airtight container for up to 3 days. If you are looking for a longer storage option, I recommend substituting the romaine lettuce with chopped endive leaves or green cabbage to increase the life of this salad to 5 days.
As shrimp will only stay fresh for 3-4 days in the fridge, I would advise you to add the shrimp when you are ready to eat the salad. Using frozen cooked shrimp is a great option because you can just defrost it when you are ready to eat.
Top Tips for Success
The key to the most flavourful salad is ensuring all the vegetables and herbs are chopped as small as possible. This helps make sure every spoonful has a taste of everything, creating the perfect bite. For chopped vegetables such as cucumber, I always love using my produce chopper or food processor to make shredding vegetables easier.
If you are looking to store this salad for a longer period of time, I recommend replacing the chopped romaine lettuce with endive or green cabbage. These options won't get as soggy as romaine!
To save time you can replace the cabbage and carrots with bagged coleslaw mix.
Frequently Asked Questions
No! One of the things I love about this salad is you can really customize it. Similar to fresh spring rolls, you can add in anything you enjoy. If there is a particular ingredient in the salad that you don’t have on hand or don’t enjoy, you can easily swap it out or omit it. Some great options include chicken, mango, diced bell pepper or even chopped broccoli!
You do not. I like adding them as they are a classic addition to a fresh spring roll, but you can easily leave them out if you prefer.
I think a sesame dressing would also be delicious, but the peanut dressing is the best in my opinion. It really makes it taste like a deconstructed spring roll.
More Salad Recipes
We don't do boring salads here!
- Crunchy Cabbage and Orange Quinoa Salad
- Bang Bang Roasted Broccoli Salad
- Mason Jar Peanut Noodle Salad
- Thai Chopped Salad
See you in the kitchen!
PS. I love seeing my recipes in action! If you decide to make this spring roll salad, don't forget to snap a photo and tag me on Instagram- @nourishedbynic or leave a comment and rating below letting me know how you liked it!
📖 Recipe
Thai Spring Roll Pasta Salad
Ingredients
Spring roll salad:
- 2 cups cooked rice noodles cooked according to package instructions
- 1 cup purple cabbage shredded
- 1 cup romaine lettuce shredded
- 1 cup cucumber diced
- 1 cup carrots shredded
- ½ cup cilantro leaves chopped
- ½ cup mint leaves chopped
- 3 green onions thinly chopped
- 1 cup cooked bean sprouts optional
- 1 lb cooked shrimp chopped
- ⅓ cup peanuts chopped
Peanut dressing:
- ¼ cup low sodium soy sauce
- 3 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 inch fresh ginger
- ⅓ cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon sriracha optional
- 1 tablespoon Honey
- Juice of 1 lime
- 2 tablespoon water to thin
Instructions
- In a large salad bowl, add rice noodles, cabbage and romaine lettuce. Top with cucumber, carrots, cilantro, mint, green onions, bean sprouts and shrimp.
- To make your dressing whisk together all ingredients until smooth (tip: if you are using a peanut butter that is on the harder side you can place the peanut butter in a microwave safe dish and microwave for 15-30 seconds to soften it. This makes it easier to whisk into the dressing!).
- Drizzle the dressing over the salad, top with chopped peanuts and toss to combine.
Libby Tate says
Absolutely delicious! Couldn't put our forks down it was so good!
Lisa says
We made this last night and it was absolutely delicious and the sauce complemented the mixture perfectly! We used shrimp the first night and chicken the second and both worked really well, plus the salad stayed so fresh! Can’t wait to try more recipes!
Maggie F says
Fav go to lunch! Great way to use leftover veggies and increase volume and nutrients in meals. A little chicken or tofu for added protein - YUM! Originally made it with store bought sauce, but highly recommend taking the extra few minutes with the homemade one. A MUST try recipe.
Nicole Addison says
The perfect make ahead lunch!!! I hope you love this salad!