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Fresh Vietnamese Spring Roll Salad with Peanut Dressing

This Spring Roll Salad combines chilled noodles, crisp vegetables, sweet mango, fragrant herbs, and a creamy peanut dressing for a bright, satisfying dish.

Spring Roll Salad in a bowl topped with chopped peanuts, ready to eat.
chelsea

Author’s Notes

From a Substack idea to a full-on obsession

I first mentioned this salad as a quick deconstructed spring roll idea on Substack, meant as an easy meal to bring to a new parent or friend. While testing, I quickly realized I couldn’t stop making it — the combination of textures and flavors became a daily craving. After sharing it with a few people and getting glowing feedback, I decided it deserved a permanent place here.

This recipe is fresh, light, and full of crunchy vegetables and aromatic herbs. It’s easy to assemble, holds up well for meal prep when stored properly, and tastes like a treat every time.

All the ingredients in this recipe prepped out for easy assembly including the peppers, cabbage, carrots, pasta, peanuts, dressing, herbs, and cucumbers.

Chelsea’s Notes

Inspired by Vietnamese Fresh Spring Rolls

This salad borrows the bright flavors of Vietnamese fresh spring rolls but is not a traditional recipe. Fresh spring rolls typically use rice paper and rice noodles; here I use thin spaghetti because it’s affordable, easy to find, and keeps its texture for make-ahead meals. Rice noodles are a fine substitute if you prefer a more traditional approach.

If you haven’t tried authentic fresh spring rolls from a Vietnamese restaurant, they’re worth seeking out — light, refreshing, and delicious in their classic form.

Adding all the ingredients for this spring roll salad into a large bowl to dress and toss together.

Spring Roll Salad Ingredients

Ingredient Notes
Thin spaghetti Cook, rinse briefly under cold water, toss with olive oil spray, let rest a few minutes, then add 1 tablespoon olive oil and toss again to prevent clumping.
Red cabbage, bell peppers, cucumbers & carrots Slice thin and evenly so the salad is easy to toss and bite into.
Fresh mango Choose a ripe but firm mango so the pieces hold up rather than becoming mushy.
Cilantro, mint & honey-roasted peanuts Be generous with fresh herbs; add the peanuts just before serving to keep them crunchy.
Peanut dressing ingredients Blend until completely smooth, adding a splash of water to achieve a pourable consistency if needed.

Storage

For best results, store salad components separately. Keep the salad, peanut dressing, fresh herbs, and chopped peanuts in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator. Toss everything just before serving so vegetables stay crisp and peanuts remain crunchy.

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Spring Roll Salad

By Chelsea Lords
Fresh, crunchy, and loaded with noodles, crisp vegetables, sweet mango, herbs, and a creamy peanut dressing that ties everything together.
Prep Time: 30
Total Time: 30
Servings: 8 servings, as a side

Equipment

  • Large bowl
  • Small blender or blender jar

Ingredients

Salad:
  • 16 ounces thin spaghetti plus 1 tbsp olive oil and cooking spray
  • 3 cups shredded red cabbage
  • 2 cups julienned red bell peppers (julienne = cut into long thin strips)
  • 2 cups julienned cucumbers
  • 2 cups shredded carrots
  • 1 cup julienned mango
  • 1 bunch fresh cilantro coarsely chopped
  • 1 bunch fresh mint optional, coarsely chopped
  • 1/2 cup honey roasted chopped peanuts coarsely chopped
Peanut Dressing:
  • 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 6 tablespoons honey
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper optional — reduce honey if you omit the cayenne

Instructions

  • Pasta: Bring 12 cups of water to a boil. Add 1 tablespoon salt and cook the spaghetti according to the package directions. Drain, then rinse under cold water for about 30 seconds. Shake off excess water, spray lightly with olive oil cooking spray, and toss. Let rest for a few minutes, then drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and toss again so the noodles do not clump.
  • While the pasta cooks, wash and prepare the vegetables and herbs: shred the cabbage, julienne the bell peppers and cucumbers, shred the carrots, and julienne the mango. Coarsely chop cilantro and mint.
  • Dressing: Place all dressing ingredients in a small blender or blender jar and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust, adding a splash of water if you prefer a thinner consistency.
  • In a large serving bowl, combine the cooled pasta, cabbage, bell peppers, cucumbers, carrots, mango, cilantro, and mint.
  • If serving immediately, pour the dressing over the salad and toss until evenly coated. If saving for later, dress only the portion you plan to eat and keep the rest separated (see storage note). Sprinkle with chopped peanuts and serve.

Recipe Notes

Storage: Store the salad, peanut dressing, fresh herbs, and chopped peanuts in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator. Combine just before serving so the vegetables stay crisp and the peanuts remain crunchy.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 serving | Calories: 532 kcal | Carbohydrates: 71 g | Protein: 15 g | Fat: 22 g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used only as an approximation.

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