Recipe video above. Such a great DIY summer spread, a regular all through summer in my circles! It's essentially a lower-cal version of Vietnamese rice paper rolls. The fresh herbs and the peanut sauce are key here! Everything else you can switch: prawns for shredded chicken, pan fried salmon or other fish (flake into big chunks) or even tofu (I pan fry batons). Use whatever shreddable veg you want. Emergency version: store bought roast chicken (shredded) + packet shredded coleslaw veg + peanut sauce + noodles. SO GOOD.
Prep Time20 minutesmins
Course: Light mains, Mains
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Keyword: Lettuce wraps, vietnamese lettuce wraps
Servings: 4as a meal
Calories: 320cal
Author: Nagi
Ingredients
The lettuce cups:
300g / 10 ozpeeled whole cooked prawns/shrimp, medium (600g/1.2lb unpeeled whole prawns - this is what I use) - Note 1
75g / 2.5 ozdried vermicelli noodles(or glass noodles or rice)
12 large or 16 -20 smalllettuce leaves(I used baby cos/romaine), eg iceberg, butter lettuce
Veg and herbs:
1batchquick pickled carrots and daikon, below *recommended* OR 2 carrots finely julienned (use plain)
2cupsbeansprouts
2cucumbers, julienned
2cupsmint leaves
2cupscoriander/cilantro sprigs(sub with chives + extra mint)
Pickle first - Put the boiling water, salt and sugar in a bowl. Mix to to dissolve, then add vinegar. Submerge vegetables and leave for 2 hours. Drain then use per recipe (or store in fridge submerged in liquid).
Peanut sauce - Mix the peanut sauce ingredients and set aside for the flavours to meld while you prepare the platter. Start with 1 tbsp lime juice and add more if you want tarter.
Prawns (shrimp) - Cut the prawns in half horizontally and remove the vein.
Noodles - Soak the noodles in boiling water per packet directions. Rinse under cold water (to prevent stickiness) then drain very well.
Lay it all out - Pile everything onto a giant platter or put things in little bowls, then let everybody help themselves!
Assemble - Here's my order: lettuce leaf, noodles first, then veg* (carrots, bean sprouts etc), prawns, stuff herbs down the side, drizzle with sauce, sprinkle with peanuts and chilli. Bundle and bite!
Notes
* Sometimes I like to be a rebel and not use all the veg in every lettuce wrap, especially if I'm using small lettuce leaves. Just put what you want in your lettuce wrap!1. Or cook your own - just toss 300g/10oz raw peeled prawns with a little salt and pepper. Preheat oil in non stick pan on high and cook each side for 1 1/2 min (medium) to 2 minutes (large ones), then remove.2. Natural peanut butter is just peanuts, no sugar no salt. Flavour is more intense and it is runnier than peanut butter spread which makes it idea for sauces. Mix well before use as it separates if not used regularly. Can sub with peanut butter spread but your sauce will be thicker with slightly less peanut flavour.3. Low fat coconut milk is thinner which makes the sauce not too thick. If you only have full fat, that's fine, use 1/4 cup then top up with water.4. Dark soy is more intense flavoured than regular and light soy, and darkens sauce colour. But you can substitute with light or all-purpose soy (more on difference soy sauces here).Leftovers - The peanut sauce will keep for 4 days in the fridge or freezer for 3 months. Nutrition assumes all the sauce and vermicelli noodles are consumed, and half the pickles. You probably won't use all the pickles but you'll be fine with that because they last for weeks and weeks in the fridge!