Easy Shrimp Spring Rolls with Quinoa

Healthy and fresh, these Shrimp Spring Rolls with quinoa are the perfect appetizer. Colorful and full of flavor, they’re ready in just 20 minutes and served with a creamy peanut butter dipping sauce. Perfect for company or as a snack!

Looking for more healthy appetizer ideas? Try my Copycat PF Chang’s Lettuce Wraps or my Air Fryer Buffalo Cauliflower Bites!

Shrimp Quinoa Vegetable Spring Rolls

I absolutely love spring rolls. Especially during this time of year. They are so light, crisp, and healthy. I stuff my spring roll wrappers with all of the veggies and herbs I can find.

This recipe makes about 6 rolls depending on how much you stuff in them. It’s the perfect amount for two people.

These 20-minute spring rolls are loaded with shrimp, quinoa, fresh cilantro, and colorful veggies. There is a ton of flavor and nutrition packed into every single bite!

Spring Rolls are perfect for a light lunch or dinner. They would also be perfect to bring to a party or picnic because they are so portable. They make a wonderful lunch on the go.

While your quinoa and shrimp are cooking chop up all of your vegetables. Feel free to sub in any veggies you have on hand. I used a mixture of fresh cumber, carrots, and red bell peppers. You can even use fresh mint in the spring rolls instead of cilantro if you have it on hand.

If you’re worried about the rice paper wrappers, they are actually easy to work with! All you need to do is place the wrapper in a bowl of warm water for 5-10 seconds until it softens up a bit. Place it on your work surface and add the filling in the top center. Fold the edge closest to you over the toppings and tuck the sides in and over the portion you just rolled. Roll forward making sure to keep the spring roll tight. Easy!

What’s in this recipe?

Shrimp spring rolls

• Spring roll wrappers: No cook, gluten-free, and naturally vegan. You can find these rice paper wrappers at specialty Asian stores or online here.
• Quinoa: Typically rice noodles are added to spring rolls. I decided to substitute them with protein-packed Quinoa. They are filling and satisfying!
• Shrimp: Light and healthy, shrimp is a great protein option for spring rolls. I buy them raw and peeled, often in the frozen section. Jumbo prawns are also perfect if you can’t find shrimp. If they’re raw, sauté them for about 5 minutes before adding them to the spring rolls.
• Veggies: I recommend sticking to vegetables that can be cut into strips or sticks. I chose carrot, bell pepper, and cucumber, however, cabbage and avocado are also fantastic additions.
• Cilantro: My favorite part of shrimp spring rolls is how fresh they taste. To emphasize this I added fresh cilantro. Other fresh herbs to add are mint and basil.

Peanut Dipping Sauce

• Peanut butter: Opt for creamy peanut butter instead of crunchy for a smooth peanut dipping sauce.
• Garlic: Raw garlic provides a ton of flavor to the peanut sauce, and it tastes AMAZING!
• Soy Sauce: Soy sauce adds seasoning and umami. You can use a gluten-free option like tamari or coconut aminos to keep this gluten-free if needed.
• Water: Just to thin the peanut sauce out a little, I added some water. Add it until the sauce is your preferred consistency.

How do you make Vietnamese Spring Rolls

1. Place 1 spring roll wrapper at a time in a bowl of warm water for 5-10 seconds until it softens up a bit. I find that a large pasta bowl or even a large plate works well.
2. Sprinkle a little water on your work surface and then place the wrapper on it. I use a damp chopping board.
3. Add a handful of each veggie, quinoa, and 2 shrimp each in the top center of the wrapper leaving enough space at the top to roll. Do not overstuff as the wrapper can tear!
4. Fold the edge closest to you over the toppings and tuck the sides in and over the portion you just rolled. Roll away from you making sure to keep the spring roll tight.
5. Repeat until you have used up all of the fillings. Should make about 6 rolls.
6. Serve immediately with the peanut dipping sauce. Cover with a damp cloth so they do not stick together if you won’t be serving them right away.

How to Make a Peanut Dipping Sauce

The peanut butter dipping sauce is slightly adapted from my Spicy Peanut Dressing. All you have to do is mix the peanut butter, soy sauce, water, and garlic together until they are smooth and creamy. For a little kick add a bit of Sriracha to taste. The crispy veggies in the shrimp spring rolls and the creamy sauce make the perfect dipping combination.

Tips for Success

• Don’t overstuff the rice wrappers. They can tear pretty easily if there is too much filling in them. Less is sometimes more!
• If the wrapper does tear you can wrap it in a second spring roll wrapper instead of discarding it.
• If you’re not serving the shrimp spring rolls immediately, place a wet towel over them to prevent them from sticking (and possibly tearing!).
• For meal prep, you can make these a day ahead. Store them with a damp cloth or sprinkle a little water over them before serving to make them less sticky. You can also slice the vegetables and cook the quinoa and shrimp ahead of time, and wrap them right before you serve!

Is there shrimp in spring rolls?

There can be! Spring rolls usually have vegetables, fresh herbs, rice noodles or quinoa, and a protein like shrimp, pork, or chicken. They can also be completely vegan by skipping the protein altogether.

What kind of shrimp do you use for spring rolls?

I like to use raw peeled jumbo shrimp. All I have to do is cook them for about 5 minutes before adding them to the spring rolls. You can find them easily in the frozen foods section of your grocery store.

Can you eat raw shrimp?

Eating raw shrimp can cause food poisoning so it’s not recommended to consume them raw. They take just a few minutes to cook, are just the right size for shrimp spring rolls, and are light and packed full of protein!

Love this recipe? Here are more appetizer recipes to make!

• Air Fryer Chicken Wings
• Easy 7 Layer Dip
• Homemade Pretzel Bites
• Baked BLT Dip
• Hoisin Chicken Lettuce Wraps
• Pico de Gallo

Need more quick & easy recipes in your life? Subscribe to my weekly newsletter or follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest for all the daily updates.

Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to leave a review! This helps other readers and my website! I love to hear your feedback!