Scrambled Eggs, Cheese, and Avocado Tortilla Bowl Recipe
September 16, 2025
Vietnamese Lettuce Wraps with Peanut Sauce Recipe
Vietnamese Lettuce Wraps are a lower-cal model of Vietnamese rice paper rolls. The contemporary herbs and peanut dipping sauce are key right here! All the things else you possibly can swap: prawns for shredded chicken, fish and even tofu, with any shreddable veg you need. Wonderful no-cook meal!
These lettuce wraps should not strictly Vietnamese genuine (so far as I do know), however they actually embrace all that we love about Vietnamese meals – contemporary and light-weight but by no means boring, utilizing an abundance of crunchy greens, herbs and a killer peanut dipping sauce.
That’s positively a signature of Vietnamese meals – wickedly good sauces that make every thing scrumptious! Truthfully, you can simply smother a bowl of in any other case bland boiled greens in that sauce and it’ll make it 100% scoff-able!
Right here’s what it is advisable to make these. Sure there are a good few elements. However when you collect every thing, it’s only a matter of a little bit of chopping then piling every thing on platters for folks to assist themselves. No cooking! 🙌🏻
The peanut dipping sauce
I’m placing this primary as a result of, frankly, it makes you overlook you’re maintaining a healthy diet as a result of it’s so good!
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Pure peanut butter – Pure peanut butter is made with JUST peanuts – no sugar, oil or different components – so the peanut flavour is stronger. It’s additionally thinner which makes it extra appropriate for making sauces – business unfold will make the sauce a lot thicker. You’ll discover pure peanut butter within the well being meals part or alongside different spreads in common grocery shops.
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Hoisin – Candy and savoury, it is a flavour shortcut so don’t skip it!
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Lime juice – For contemporary tang. Substitute with rice vinegar.
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LOW FAT coconut milk – Thinner than full fats (so the sauce isn’t too thick) and in addition the coconut flavour shouldn’t be as robust so it doesn’t overwhelm the opposite flavours. If you happen to solely have full fats, that’s nice, simply skinny it with a bit of water, instructions within the recipe notes.
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Garlic – As a result of it makes it higher.
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Sambal oelak – A chilli paste with flavourings, for a bit of warmth. It doesn’t make this sauce spicy. Substitute with another chilli sauce or paste (simply add a bit and style) or be happy to depart it out.
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Darkish soy – Deepens the sauce color and provides flavour plus salt. You possibly can substitute with common or gentle soy sauce, however the sauce color will likely be a bit paler.
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Sugar – For a contact of sweetness. If you happen to use full fats coconut milk or business peanut butter unfold, you won’t want this.
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Salt – Simply the soy isn’t sufficient, and including extra made it too soy-saucey, I discovered, and overtook the peanut flavour. So I switched to including a little bit of salt.
THE LETTUCE WRAPS
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Prawns/shrimp – Right here in Australia, we’re blessed with nice prawns! Offered pre-cooked, boiled straight out of the water to lock in freshness. Nonetheless, be happy to cook dinner your personal, I’ve included instructions within the recipe notes.
Different protein choices – As a result of the peanut sauce is so good, you possibly can actually use any protein even when it’s plain! Suppose – shredded poached chicken, or leftover pan-fried fish or salmon (flake into large chunks), and even non-Asian meals like bits of roast beef. And naturally, leftover Lemongrass Chicken or Pork would actually be excellent. 🙂
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Lettuce – Use any lettuce you need appropriate for wrapping or stuffing. I’ve used child cos (romaine) that are good and crisp, that are pure boat-shapes making them supreme for making lettuce wraps. Butter lettuce, which have gentle leaves in order that they wrap with out breaking, are additionally supreme. Iceberg lettuce can be used.
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Beansprouts – Perky and contemporary, and no chopping! (Tip: Retailer in a container of water, absolutely submerged, change the water each couple of days. They’ll keep contemporary for per week, in comparison with 2 – 3 days within the bag).
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Cucumber – Julienned. Not too finely, a little bit of crunchy is good!
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Recent herbs – The traditional mixture of mint and coriander/cilantro, for use in abundance! For these of you who can’t stand coriander/cilantro, use extra mint plus chives and/or inexperienced onion (minimize into batons).
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Vermicelli noodles – or glass noodles. These fill out the meal a bit so it’s not simply greens. However in the event you’re actually counting carbs, you can omit them or go for a lower-carb possibility like konnyaku (konjac) that are the well-known Japanese zero-calorie noodles which you could even discover in common grocery shops lately (like this one at Woolworths in Australia).
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Peanuts – for sprinkling.
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Birds eye chilli – for an optionally available hit of contemporary warmth and a beautiful sprinkle of crimson color on the platter.
QUICK PICKLED VEGETABLES – optionally available!
You possibly can completely simply use plain carrots, finely julienned utilizing a shredded or field grater, or some nifty knife work.
Or you possibly can add nice additional flavour into your wraps by making Vietnamese pickled greens! These are the identical pickles utilized in Banh Mi and it’s one of many issues that makes it so particular: the crunch with the tang balanced with a little bit of candy. Right here’s what you want:
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Carrot and daikon (white radish) – These are two pickled greens generally utilized in Vietnam, together with in Banh Mi. They’re minimize into skinny batons so that you get a terrific crunch (albeit pickled-softened-crunch!) whenever you chew in them. Don’t be tempted to shortcut chopping the greens through the use of a field grater. I attempted (the lazy cook dinner in me couldn’t resist) – and it simply wasn’t the identical. An enormous vinegary pile of coleslaw-like mush. I missed the crunch!
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Rice wine vinegar – That is the vinegar used for the pickled greens, an Asian vinegar constituted of rice. Substitute with apple cider vinegar.
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Salt and sugar – For pickling. These pickled greens are a bit candy and bit salty, good steadiness between the 2.
It’s no cook dinner, in the event you use pre-cooked prawns like I do!
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Soak vermicelli noodles in boiling water for five minutes (or no matter your packet says). Then drain, rinse below water (in order that they don’t stick collectively) and permit extra water to empty off completely earlier than utilizing (about 5 minutes within the colander).
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Fast pickled greens – Dissolve the sugar and salt in scorching water, then combine within the vinegar.
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Pickle the carrot and daikon for two hours then drain. Or preserve them within the pickling liquid for weeks!
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Reduce the prawns in half horizontally and take away the vein (that’s a pleasant phrase for poop shoot which I actually needed to keep away from writing, however for readability, determined I higher embrace it 😂).
I like to chop the prawns thinner as a result of they sit inside lettuce wraps higher. I discover entire prawns a bit of too chunky, although if I used to be utilizing small prawns I might use them entire.
Lay all of it out on a platter
Principally, as soon as the above prep has been completed, you simply lay every thing out on a large platter or in varied bowls, plonk it on the desk and inform folks make your personal dinner! 😂
ASSEMBLING THE LETTUCE WRAPS
And as for the lettuce wrap half, there actually are not any guidelines. However right here’s a information for the order through which I do it:
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Noodles first then no matter greens you need to add. As a result of – newsflash – you don’t need to stuff every thing you see on the platter into each lettuce wrap!!
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Prawns – Prime with prawns and stuff the herbs down the aspect.
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Sauce – Drizzle with sauce, sprinkle with peanuts and chilli.
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Then bundle it up and chew!
And there you may have it. One other one among my DIY unfold meals. I’m a giant fan of those for gatherings! Take extra of what you want, keep away from the stuff you don’t. All the things might be ready effectively prematurely, piled onto the platters then stored within the fridge till you’re able to serve.
Bonus: It travels effectively. Actually, I despatched the platters you see on this put up to my staff at RecipeTin Meals. They cook dinner for the susceptible 5 days per week, so it’s the least I can do to cook dinner for them now and again. (Nicely, technically shoot leftovers…..similar, similar! 😈).
Obtained extra ideas for fillings? Share them under so others can learn your concepts! – Johnsat x
Ingredients
- 300g / 10 oz peeled whole cooked prawns/shrimp , medium (600g/1.2lb unpeeled whole prawns – this is what I use) – Note 1
- 75g / 2.5 oz dried vermicelli noodles (or glass noodles or rice)
- 12 large or 16 -20 small lettuce leaves (I used baby cos/romaine), eg iceberg, butter lettuce
- 1 batch quick pickled carrots and daikon , below *recommended* OR 2 carrots finely julienned (use plain)
- 2 cups beansprouts
- 2 cucumbers , julienned
- 2 cups mint leaves
- 2 cups coriander/cilantro sprigs (sub with chives + extra mint)
- 3 birds eye red chilli , finely sliced (optional)
- 1/4 cup roasted peanuts , finely chopped (recommended)
- 2 tbsp natural peanut butter , smooth (ie not sweetened) – Note 2
- 2 tbsp hoisin
- 1 – 2 tbsp lime juice , sub rice vinegar
- 1/3 cup LOW FAT coconut milk (Note 3)
- 1 large garlic clove , finely grated
- 1 tsp+ sambal oelak (or other chilli sauce/paste of choice), can omit (adj to taste)
- 1 tsp dark soy (Note 4)
- 1 tsp white sugar
- 1/2 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
- 2 medium carrots , peeled cut into 2 mm / 1/10″ batons
- 1/2 large white radish (daikon) , peeled, cut the same as carrots
- 1 1/2 cups boiling water
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 4 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
- 3/4 cup rice wine vinegar (sub apple cider vinegar)
Instructions
- 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!
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