Spring Roll Salad is a fresh salad packed with leafy greens, chopped veggies, rice noodles and shrimp, and then it's topped with a tangy peanut dressing. It's a deconstructed spring roll, so it captures all the best flavors of a spring roll without the wrapper. This satisfying spring roll salad is light yet refreshing, the perfect entree for when you don't want a heavy meal.
Who doesn't love a good fresh spring roll? They usually contain shrimp, chopped veggies like cucumbers and carrots, rice noodles and herbs and...are sooooo delicious! I always eat too many, yet I still always want more. So let's get rid of the worst part of the spring roll, the wrapper, and add a lot more of the other ingredients. Think of a spring roll salad as a deconstructed fresh spring roll without the wrapper. And you still get the yummy spring roll sauce as a dressing too.
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Ingredients for spring roll salad
- Mixed leafy greens
- Carrots
- Cucumbers
- Shrimp
- Rice noodles
- Cilantro
- Limes
- Optional veggies: red cabbage, avocado, bean spouts or green onions
See recipe card for quantities.
Ingredients for peanut dressing
- Peanut butter
- Hot water
- Tamari sauce (or soy sauce)
- Rice Vinegar
- Lime juice
- Honey or agave nectar
See recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions
- Peanut butter - you can substitute almond butter for the peanut butter.
- Rice vinegar - if you don't have rive vinegar, you can use white wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar or more lime juice. Rice vinegar is mild and slightly sweet with a lower acidity, so regular white vinegar is not a good substitute.
- Herbs - if you're not a fan of cilantro (some people think it tastes like soap), you can substitute Thai basil or mint in this deconstructed spring roll salad as they are sometimes found in spring rolls as well.
- Gochujang - if you don't have Gochujang (spicy Korean chili paste), you can substitute Sriracha.
- Other veggies - spring rolls almost always contain carrots, cucumbers and leafy greens. They used to contain bean sprouts, but bean sprouts aren't as common anymore. You can change up the veggies to add red cabbage (I'm adding cabbage to everything these days), avocado, green onions or other veggies.
Variations
- Vegan - substitute pan fried tofu for the shrimp or just omit the shrimp.
- Gluten Free - make sure to use Tamari instead and not soy sauce and a gluten free brand of Gochuchang. Gochuchang is not always gluten free as some brands sneak in wheat products.
Storage
Store any leftover spring roll salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator until the following day. Leafy greens with dressing do not last long. Any unused peanut dressing can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 5-7 days.
Next Level Tips
- Gochujang is an amazing way to give dishes some spice, but different brands have different spice levels. They can range from spicy to super spicy, so always be cautious when trying a new brand. If you don't like spicy foods at all, you can omit the Gochujang.
- This is a great salad to use as an entree salad. It includes a protein, fresh veggies, leafy greens and noodles in larger portions that makes this chopped spring roll salad quite filling. For an even heartier salad, you can add more shrimp.
- I also recommend buying raw shrimp and cooking it at home. Most cold, cooked shrimp from the grocery store is flavorless and rubbery. Shrimp cooks very quickly and is often overcooked. Watch your shrimp carefully when cooking!
FAQ
Gochujang is a Korean red chili paste that has a unique, spicy yet slightly sweet flavor. It's usually made from red chilis, fermented soybean, glutinous rice, salt and other flavorings. However, check the label if you're gluten free as some brands use wheat products as well. Different brands have different spice levels. They can range from spicy to very spicy. Always be cautious when using a new brand.
Gochujang is becoming more common. Now, you can buy it on Amazon, Whole Foods or even many local grocery stores. I was surprised to see it at my local grocery store in the section with other Asian foods. Walmart online even currently carries it.
Yes, spring rolls are typically made with rice stick noodles (also called rice vermicelli) but you can use another noodle of your choice.
Related
Looking for other recipes for dinner? Try these:
Spring Roll Salad
Ingredients
Peanut Dressing
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter
- ¼ cup hot water
- 2 tablespoons tamari sauce (or soy sauce)
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons lime juice fresh squeezed
- 1 tablespoon honey or agave nectar
- ½ tablespoon Gochujang sauce* optional
Spring Roll Salad for Two
- 4 ounces thin rice stick noodles cooked
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or sesame oil
- ½ pound shrimp cooked
- 4 cups mixed leafy greens
- 2 medium carrots peels or matchsticks
- 1 large cucumber large half slices
- ½ cup cilantro
- 1 lime quartered for garnish
- 1 cup red cabbage optional
- Other optional veggies: avocados bean sprouts, green onions
Instructions
Making the dressing
- Add the peanut butter and hot water to a small bowl and whisk until fully combined. Or use a salad shaker and agitate until fully combined.
- Add the remaining ingredients and whisk until fully combined.
- Taste. Add more Gochujang for a spicier dressing.
Making the Salad for two
- Chop the cilantro, limes, carrots, cucumbers and any optional veggies. Set aside.
- Cook the rice noodles according to the package instructions. Usually, they are cooked by adding the rice noodles to boiling water, turning off the heat and letting them sit for 10 minutes until soft. Drain completely and set aside.
- Cook the shrimp. Use paper towels to pat the thawed shrimp completely dry. Heat a skillet to medium high heat. Add a tablespoon of olive oil or sesame oil. Add shrimp in a single layer to the heated skillet. Cook 2 minutes on the first side. Flip and cook 1 to 3 minutes on the second side. Cook just until the shrimp turn opaque and pink. Remove the shrimp from the pan immediately and set aside. Squeeze a quarter of a lime over the shrimp.
- Add two cups of the leafy greens to each salad plate. Top with the rice noodles, shrimp, veggies and herbs in sections over the leafy greens.
- Drizzle the peanut dressing over the salads.
Notes
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Elva says
Can’t wait to make this!