Banh Mi Winter Rolls
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These flavor-packed winter rolls offer a delightful twist on traditional summer rolls, delivering a burst of freshness and crunch tailored for fall and winter. Made with tender lemongrass meatballs, crisp carrots, vibrant red cabbage, chewy vermicelli noodles, savory umami-rich mushrooms, and fresh cilantro, and served alongside a spicy vinegar dipping sauce.
These winter rolls are my cold-weather spin on Vietnamese summer rolls, inspired by the bright flavors of banh mi but made with cozy winter ingredients. Filled with lemongrass meatballs, crunchy vegetables, and rice noodles, they’re fresh and satisfying, yet still feel right at home on a chilly day.
I love the contrast of textures in these rolls. Tender meatballs, chewy rice vermicelli, crisp cabbage and carrots, and earthy mushrooms are all wrapped in delicate rice paper for a bite that’s both hearty and refreshing. Fresh cilantro adds the finishing touch and brings everything to life.
The dipping sauce is what ties it all together. Made with rice vinegar, lime juice, fish sauce, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and a little sriracha, it’s tangy, savory, and just spicy enough to keep you coming back for another roll. Unexpected? Maybe. Delicious? Absolutely.
Tips for handling rice paper wrappers
There’s a fine balance between over-soaked, soggy rice paper that slips and slides everywhere – and under-soaked, sticky rice paper that glues itself to everything. Finding that happy medium usually takes a few tries! Here are some tips:
- Soaking time: Be mindful not to oversoak the rice paper – it continues to absorb water even after you take it out.
- Damp surface: Keep your surface lightly damp to prevent the rice paper from sticking.
- Placement: Place the ingredients in the center of the rice paper, leaving space at the edges to make it easier when you roll.
- Tight roll: Make sure your wrap them tightly to make a more compact and well-structured roll.
- Seam side down: When placing them on the parchment paper, place them seam side down to prevent unraveling.
How to serve winter rolls
These winter rolls are best plated seam-side down (to prevent unraveling) and served alongside a bowl of vinegary dipping sauce. If you’re serving these as an appetizer (maybe a game-day Super Bowl appy?), we recommend cutting them in half so they’re more snack-sized. They are a bit messy to eat, so make sure you have some napkins close by! They’re surprisingly filling, so they can work as a main course, too.
Banh Mi Winter Rolls
Ingredients
- 1 recipe Vietnamese Lemongrass Meatballs (48 meatballs)
- 5 ounces rice vermicelli
- 5 ounces shimeji mushrooms (or substitute a handful of shiitake mushrooms)
- 3 carrots (julienned on a mandolin)
- 2 cups red cabbage (thinly sliced on a mandolin)
- 12 stems cilantro
- 12 small rice paper wrappers
Dipping Sauce
- ¼ cup rice wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon EACH: sriracha and sugar
- ½ teaspoon EACH: fish sauce, soy sauce, grated ginger
- 1 small garlic clove (very finely minced)
- Juice from ½ lime
Instructions
- Make the recipe for the Vietnamese Lemongrass Meatballs. Roll into 48 mini meatballs and pan fry over medium-high heat in a little oil until they are dark brown and have reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit, about 10 minutes.
- Soak the rice vermicelli in boiling water until soft, about 3-4 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water.5 ounces rice vermicelli
- Saute the mushrooms in a little oil until cooked, about 3-4 minutes.5 ounces shimeji mushrooms
- Whisk all the dipping sauce ingredients in a small bowl.¼ cup rice wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon EACH: sriracha and sugar, ½ teaspoon EACH: fish sauce, soy sauce, grated ginger, 1 small garlic clove, Juice from ½ lime
Assemble the winter rolls:
- Fill a large, shallow bowl with hot tap water. Dip one rice paper wrapper in the water and let it soften for about 30 seconds. Lay the wrapper on a flat surface and top with some rice vermicelli, carrots, cabbage, a stem of cilantro, four meatballs, and a few mushrooms.3 carrots, 2 cups red cabbage, 12 small rice paper wrappers, 12 stems cilantro
- Pull one end of the wrapper over the fillings. Fold the sides in then roll up like a burrito. Set aside on parchment paper (they will stick to most other surfaces!) and repeat with the remaining wrappers.
Notes
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
Are meatballs coming out cold?
I serve these rolls at room temperature. 🙂