Caprese Summer Rolls

The classic caprese salad with tomato, basil, and mozzarella, served in a rice paper summer roll with rice vermicelli and buttery garlic breadcrumbs. A more direct translation for these type of Vietnamese rolls (Gỏi Cuốn) is actually salad rolls instead of what we more commonly call them in America – summer rolls, and caprese is the perfect salad to go inside!

The inspiration for this recipe

I originally made these in 2011 and this is the updated version, 15 years later, in 2026. I have actually been wanting to revisit them the whole time but finally got around to it! I originally put salami in, and they were fairly loose and didn’t photograph great. I also had made them in April in Boston, which is not a good time and place to be eating tomatoes! This time I got fresh local summer heirloom tomatoes at a Georgia farmers market and they were so tasty!

Slice and Salt the Tomatoes Early

The enemy of this summer roll is water, and these tomatoes have a lot of it. Slice them thin at least a half hour early, if not an hour. Salt on both sides, and leave them out on a rack or paper towel to dry. Flip as needed, and pat fully dry before you are ready to roll.

Build and roll the caprese summer roll

Basil down first. It protects the summer roll wrapper from the excess moisture in the caprese salad, and also makes it look cool on the outside. Then some tomatoes, the mozzarella, and vermicelli noodles. I like to go light, especially on my first one, to really make sure I am not overstuffing them. I have a tendency to overstuff things.

Now roll it tight. As tight as you can, being careful not to rip the paper.

Make the creamy dip

When I first made these I did a dip that was basically a balsamic vinaigrette. This time around I went with more of a creamy Italian/Caesar dressing hybrid. I have been doing a lot of tomato mayo sandwiches, so I wanted some mayo in the mix. Slice the caprese summer rolls in half and line them up on the plate with the dip. You could shortcut the dip if you want and just use a powdered dressing mix with some mayo, olive oil, and vinegar.

Buttery garlic breadcrumbs

I toasted up some panko breadcrumbs with butter, garlic, oregano, and chili flakes and they were a great topping for these rolls. They were good without them, but the crunch and added butter and garlic flavors brought the whole thing to the next level.

Serve the caprese summer rolls

Sliced in half, lines up on the plate, dip ready to go, and breadcrumbs on top! So good!

These caprese summer rolls with absolutely packed with flavor! Salting the tomatoes early and removing the excess water really helps concentrate the tomato flavor! The buttery breadcrumbs added some texture and a bit of depth of flavor as well.

Twists on caprese summer rolls

For more info on rolling these properly, check out this guide on Hungry Huy.

I mentioned I had salami in them the first time I made them. They were good but they made them harder to eat, the salami was slipping out! I have an Italian sandwich summer roll recipe, but since that one is all meat, there is less slippage for some reason. You could add some meat but just be aware of that issue. Maybe cut it up a bit and add it to the middle instead of doing big slices on the ouside.

I love making summer rolls and have also done one with shrimp scampi, egg salad, and even hot dogs!