Spring Roll Salad Recipe
Spring Roll Salad Recipe
If you’re looking for a fresh, delicious and easy meal idea or salad idea, this Spring Roll Salad Recipe is it! Dinner bowls like these are a perfect summer dish. These salad bowls are basically deconstructed salad rolls or summer rolls.
A simple way to enjoy salad rolls without all the fuss of making them!
I love salad rolls, but what I don’t love, is making them. It can feel tedious to roll everything in rice paper wrappers, which requires time and patience, which I don’t always have around the dinner hour when everyone is hungry. So instead, I decided to create a make-your-own Spring Roll Salad bar! Simply put, these are deconstructed salad rolls. So easy, so yummy.
Making Spring Roll Salad Bowls:
I love salad bars. Actually, any buffet style serving is the best, there’s just nothing like loading your plate or bowl up with food in a way that you like. Make-your-own dinners are such a fun way for everyone to create a meal in a way that they love, with toppings that they like. With this Spring Roll Salad Bar, everyone gets to make a bowl that suits their own tastebuds!
Set out and serve! Make it interactive with a Spring Roll Salad Bar!
Just set out all of the ingredients for salad rolls/spring rolls, then let everyone make their own spring roll bowl. Then have everyone add their own delicious peanut dressing and ginger vinaigrette to suit their tastebuds! This is a perfect summer salad, and is great for small parties too.
Or, make one big salad.
If you don’t want to set out a salad bar type meal, feel free to make ONE BIG SALAD! Just make the dressing and vinaigrette as listed in the recipe card. Then add all of the salad ingredients and noodles to a large bowl, and mix everything together with the peanut dressing (don’t add the ginger vinaigrette though, offer it on the side to let people add it if they wish).
Spring Roll Salad Recipe Tips:
- CHICKEN: You can roast 2 – 3 chicken breasts to shred for these bowls. OR, another simple and delicious option is to buy a rotisserie chicken and shred the meat, this is what I usually do, it’s easy and the meat is flavourful.
- PEANUT SAUCE: You can make this dipping sauce ahead of time (1 – 2 days).
- GINGER VINAIGRETTE: This dressing can also be made a few days ahead of time. Note: If you don’t have rice vinegar you can substitute apple cider vinegar.
- RICE NOODLES: We prefer to use a medium width rice noodle, but feel free to use thin rice noodles too. Right before you are ready to eat, cook the noodles according to package directions. I always cook my noodles last because rice noodles get really sticky if they sit too long. You can let them sit in a large bowl of cold water while you wait.
- ADD INS:
- purple cabbage
- red bell pepper (or any colour)
- carrots
- cucumbers
- bean sprouts
- chopped butter lettuce
- fresh herbs: cilantro, mint or Thai basil
- lime wedges
- fresh mango
- roasted peanuts
- sesame seeds
- Sriracha
- hoisin sauce
- fish sauce (we like to drizzle this on our finished salads)
- Vietnamese chicken meatball bites: I like to make a batch of these to add to the bowls. They’re so flavourful and are a perfect addition.
- Optional: make it a shrimp spring roll salad by adding some cooked shrimp
- LEFTOVERS: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. You can store ingredients individually or mix a salad and store it that way.
Menu idea!
Serve with these Vietnamese Chicken Meatballs
These Vietnamese Chicken Meatballs are so flavourful and a fantastic addition to this Spring Roll Salad!
Salad Prep Order:
Spring Roll Salad Recipe
Ingredients
Peanut Sauce:
- 1 small onion or shallot minced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 tsp dried hot red pepper flakes (more if you like it spicier)
- 2 tsp vegetable oil or canola oil
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 1/2 tsp sugar
Ginger Vinaigrette:
- 1 – 2 tbsp freshly grated ginger including the juice
- 1 tbsp honey
- 6 tbsp soy sauce
- 1/3 cup rice vinegar
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
Spring Roll Salad Fixings:
- 2 – 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts see tips (plus salt + pepper)
- 1/2 head of small purple cabbage sliced thinly
- 4 carrots sliced into matchsticks about 2 inches long
- 1 cucumber sliced into thin sticks about 2 inches long
- 4 green onions sliced thinly
- 1 small bunch fresh cilantro chopped
- 1 small bunch fresh mint leaves
- 1 small bunch fresh basil
- limes cut into small wedges for a garnish
- 1/2 cup dry roasted peanuts
- hoisin sauce for additional dressing
- Sriracha sauce
- 8 oz of rice vermicelli noodles cooked
Instructions
Peanut Sauce:
- In a small saucepan sauté the onion, garlic, and red pepper flakes in oil until soft, about 4 minutes.
- Then whisk in the remaining ingredients and mix until smooth. Simmer while stirring, about 2 minutes.
- Once it's done, I like to transfer the mixture to a wide mouth jar and use my hand blender to make the dressing smooth (you can also use a small food processor).
- Set aside until right before serving.
Ginger Vinaigrette:
- In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, honey, rice wine vinegar, ginger and red pepper flakes. Set aside until right before serving.
Spring Roll Salad:
- First roast the chicken. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Place the chicken on a sheet of aluminum foil large enough to wrap around the chicken. Season generously with salt and fresh ground black pepper, bake until the chicken is fully cooked, about 15-20 minutes. Then using your hands, shred it. Put it into a serving dish. TIP! If you want to make things really simple, use a grocery store rotisserie chicken (this is what I usually do).
- Put the remaining salad ingredients into separate serving bowls and lay them out on your serving table.
- Right before you are ready to eat, cook the noodles according to package directions. I always cook my noodles last because rice noodles get really sticky if they sit too long.
- Now it's just up to you and your eaters how to make their own salads! I like to start with the noodles first, then add a little ginger vinaigrette, then the salad fixings of your choice, topped off with fresh mint, cilantro, basil, peanuts, a dollop of peanut sauce and a squeeze of fresh lime juice!
- Enjoy!
More Delicious Dinner Bowl Recipes to try:
I hope you enjoy this healthy spring roll salad! Have a delicious day!
Please note: This post was originally published in 2013 but I have since updated it with new images and more useful recipe tips!
This is a super great idea and it looks delicious. We kind of do the same thing except we call ours lettuce wraps and instead of using noodles we wash leaves of iceberg lettuce, roll up all of our desired fixings inside the lettuce leaf, and dip the whole thing into the sauces that we like. It resembles a lettuce enchilada.
Thanks for sharing – I really like the salad idea too that you have shared.
Best to you,
Paula – Michigan
Thank you Paula! Mmm I love lettuce wraps too! So yummy!
Ahh, this looks AMAZING!! What a smart idea to turn your favorite rolls into a salad! I am totally trying this — thanks for sharing!! Om nom nom! 🙂
Thanks Casey! This is my new favourite way to enjoy this dish – super easy and delish!!
The Ginger Vinaigrette sounds delicious. I am glad that it is finally salad season.
It really is a great vinaigrette – just simple & light! And me too, I’m with you on being so relieved that it’s finally salad season!
Yum! I’m pinning. I love the rolls, but this is soo much easier. Another great idea. Thanks for sharing. : )
What a great idea!
These sauces are delicious. The mint and Thai basil put it over the top. I made mine with roasted tofu instead of chicken. It was soooooooo good.
I’m so happy you enjoyed this!