Vietnamese Lettuce Wraps are a lower-cal version of Vietnamese rice paper rolls. The fresh herbs and peanut dipping sauce are key here! Everything else you can switch: prawns for shredded chicken, fish or even tofu, with any shreddable veg you want. Excellent no-cook meal!
Vietnamese lettuce wraps
These lettuce wraps are not strictly Vietnamese authentic (as far as I know), but they certainly embrace all that we love about Vietnamese food – fresh and light yet never boring, using an abundance of crunchy vegetables, herbs and a killer peanut dipping sauce.
That’s definitely a signature of Vietnamese food – wickedly good sauces that make everything delicious! Honestly, you could just smother a bowl of otherwise bland boiled vegetables in that sauce and it will make it 100% scoff-able!
Ingredients in Vietnamese lettuce wraps
Here’s what you need to make these. Yes there are a fair few components. But once you gather everything, it’s just a matter of a bit of chopping then piling everything on platters for people to help themselves. No cooking! 🙌🏻
The peanut dipping sauce
I’m putting this first because, frankly, it makes you forget you’re eating healthy because it’s so good!
Natural peanut butter – Pure peanut butter is made with JUST peanuts – no sugar, oil or other additives – so the peanut flavour is stronger. It’s also thinner which makes it more suitable for making sauces – commercial spread will make the sauce much thicker. You’ll find natural peanut butter in the health food section or alongside other spreads in regular grocery stores.
Hoisin – Sweet and savoury, this is a flavour shortcut so don’t skip it!
Lime juice – For fresh tang. Substitute with rice vinegar.
LOW FAT coconut milk – Thinner than full fat (so the sauce isn’t too thick) and also the coconut flavour is not as strong so it doesn’t overwhelm the other flavours. If you only have full fat, that’s fine, just thin it with a little water, directions in the recipe notes.
Garlic – Because it makes it better.
Sambal oelak – A chilli paste with flavourings, for a bit of heat. It doesn’t make this sauce spicy. Substitute with any other chilli sauce or paste (just add a bit and taste) or feel free to leave it out.
Dark soy – Deepens the sauce colour and adds flavour plus salt. You can substitute with regular or light soy sauce, but the sauce colour will be a bit paler.
Sugar – For a touch of sweetness. If you use full fat coconut milk or commercial peanut butter spread, you might not need this.
Salt – Just the soy isn’t enough, and adding more made it too soy-saucey, I found, and overtook the peanut flavour. So I switched to adding a bit of salt.
THE LETTUCE WRAPS
Prawns/shrimp – Here in Australia, we are blessed with great prawns! Sold pre-cooked, boiled straight out of the water to lock in freshness. However, feel free to cook your own, I’ve included directions in the recipe notes.
Other protein options – Because the peanut sauce is so good, you can literally use any protein even if it’s plain! Think – shredded poached chicken, or leftover pan-fried fish or salmon (flake into big chunks), and even non-Asian foods like bits of roast beef. And of course, leftover Lemongrass Chicken or Pork would literally be perfect. 🙂
Lettuce – Use any lettuce you want suitable for wrapping or stuffing. I’ve used baby cos (romaine) which are nice and crisp, which are natural boat-shapes making them ideal for making lettuce wraps. Butter lettuce, which have soft leaves so they wrap without breaking, are also ideal. Iceberg lettuce can also be used.
Beansprouts – Perky and fresh, and no chopping! (Tip: Store in a container of water, fully submerged, change the water every couple of days. They will stay fresh for a week, compared to 2 – 3 days in the bag).
Cucumber – Julienned. Not too finely, a bit of crunchy is nice!
Fresh herbs – The classic combination of mint and coriander/cilantro, to be used in abundance! For those of you who can’t stand coriander/cilantro, use more mint plus chives and/or green onion (cut into batons).
Vermicelli noodles – or glass noodles. These fill out the meal a bit so it’s not just vegetables. But if you’re really counting carbs, you could omit them or opt for a lower-carb option like konnyaku (konjac) which are the famous Japanese zero-calorie noodles that you can even find in regular grocery stores these days (like this one at Woolworths in Australia).
Peanuts – for sprinkling.
Birds eye chilli – for an optional hit of fresh heat and a lovely sprinkle of red colour on the platter.
QUICK PICKLED VEGETABLES – optional!
You can totally just use plain carrots, finely julienned using a shredded or box grater, or some nifty knife work.
Or you can add great extra flavour into your wraps by making Vietnamese pickled vegetables! These are the same pickles used in Banh Mi and it’s one of the things that makes it so special: the crunch with the tang balanced with a bit of sweet. Here’s what you need:
Carrot and daikon (white radish) – These are two pickled vegetables commonly used in Vietnam, including in Banh Mi. They are cut into thin batons so you get a terrific crunch (albeit pickled-softened-crunch!) when you bite in them. Don’t be tempted to shortcut cutting the vegetables by using a box grater. I tried (the lazy cook in me couldn’t resist) – and it just wasn’t the same. A big vinegary pile of coleslaw-like mush. I missed the crunch!
Rice wine vinegar – This is the vinegar used for the pickled vegetables, an Asian vinegar made from rice. Substitute with apple cider vinegar.
Salt and sugar – For pickling. These pickled vegetables are a bit sweet and bit salty, nice balance between the two.
How to make Vietnamese Lettuce Wraps
It’s no cook, if you use pre-cooked prawns like I do!
Soak vermicelli noodles in boiling water for 5 minutes (or whatever your packet says). Then drain, rinse under water (so they don’t stick together) and allow excess water to drain off thoroughly before using (about 5 minutes in the colander).
Quick pickled vegetables – Dissolve the sugar and salt in hot water, then mix in the vinegar.
Pickle the carrot and daikon for 2 hours then drain. Or keep them in the pickling liquid for weeks!
Cut the prawns in half horizontally and remove the vein (that’s a nice word for poop shoot which I really wanted to avoid writing, but for clarity, decided I better include it 😂).
I like to cut the prawns thinner because they sit inside lettuce wraps better. I find whole prawns a little too chunky, though if I was using small prawns I would use them whole.
Lay it all out on a platter
Basically, once the above prep has been done, you just lay everything out on a giant platter or in various bowls, plonk it on the table and tell people make your own dinner! 😂
ASSEMBLING THE LETTUCE WRAPS
And as for the lettuce wrap part, there really are no rules. But here’s a guide for the order in which I do it:
Noodles first then whatever vegetables you want to add. Because – newsflash – you don’t have to stuff everything you see on the platter into every lettuce wrap!!
Prawns – Top with prawns and stuff the herbs down the side.
Sauce – Drizzle with sauce, sprinkle with peanuts and chilli.
Then bundle it up and bite!
And there you have it. Another one of my DIY spread meals. I’m a big fan of these for gatherings! Take more of what you like, avoid the things you don’t. Everything can be prepared well in advance, piled onto the platters then kept in the fridge until you’re ready to serve.
Bonus: It travels well. In fact, I sent the platters you see in this post to my team at RecipeTin Meals. They cook for the vulnerable 5 days a week, so it’s the least I can do to cook for them every now and then. (Well, technically shoot leftovers…..same, same! 😈).
Got more suggestions for fillings? Share them below so others can read your ideas! – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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Vietnamese Peanut Sauce Lettuce Wraps
Ingredients
The lettuce cups:
- 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
Veg and herbs:
- 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)
Vietnamese Peanut Sauce:
- 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
Quick pickled vegetables
- 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!
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Life of Dozer
This is how he kicked off the new year – begging for the very croissant we just gave to Jeff*. Shame on you Dozer. Shame on you! 😂
* Jeff is a local who lives at Bayview dog park in the northern beaches of Sydney where I lived for 10 years until 10 months ago. I still take Dozer for a romp at the beach regularly! Jeff is a big reason why people travel from all over Sydney to visit Bayview dog park – because he is the reason why the park is so pristine.
Thanks Nagi, just what I felt like! I made it tonight for dinner. I didn’t do the pickled veges nor the vermicelli, but added avocado and had 2 with lettuce and 2 with rice paper. And it is a great sauce! Yum!!
You might want to invest in floor runners that are clear or light-colored and are made of a rubbery material. I sat in on a webinar where the Vet specializes in all types of mobility issues for senior pets. Floor mats, rubber runners, rugs with thick rubber backings were her go tos- along with ramps and such for when their hips get even worse. Mary Gardner DVM was the vet who gave the presentation and she has a large assortment of tips and hacks for older pets. DrMaryGardener.com is her website where you can look up the various things to help. Toe Grips is another one that might work. Any paw pad is not going to stay on at the beach. You might as well take them off before you go down there. Maybe you can reuse them, but the adhesive won’t be as strong.
There are also some socks like the ones you get at a hospital called Expawlorer socks which are coated with a rubbery substance. Not all dogs will wear socks nicely though, and you don’t want him eating one!! Ruffwear and Ortho pets are other places to look online for socks and booties.
I hope that helps some Nagi. He’s a senior boy now, and he is not alone in having issues with walking on slick floors or even getting up from the floor. Let me know what works best for him so I can tell my Vet Tech students!! Hugs and kisses to Dozer. <3
https://www.drmarygardner.com/ is the vets website.
Loving the low-cal vibes Nagi! I’m finding my waistline is increasingly intolerant of yummy-but-naughty food as I get older 🙁
Always a lovely result – even when you mix up the veg (yes, less ‘authentic’ however waste not want not and all that!). I also buy large Aussie raw king prawns and fry up the shells, crush and sprinkle in the rolls!
excellent recipe – so fresh & tasty. Re Dozer – google Dr Buzby’s Toe Nail Grips – from US but available locally
Hi Nagi, Happy New Year to you and your team.
I love everything about the presentation of your recipes especially the videos previously if a recipe had to many steps i would turn the page…BUT not anymore I can’t wait to try this recipe thank you and Dozer what a honey
nothing about all the fab recipes that I try, thank you, you are our go to far any advice. I want to say I love getting your newsletters but am so happy you are backing off on them if this means you get some extra time for you. You do so much for so many and I’m glad you can free up some time and we still get you, your recipes and dozer to look forward to. Bonus all round
Thank you Nagi, you’ve reinspired me to make these wraps. Re the problem with nuts, I use sunflower seeds toasted very carefully in a dry pan. You need to watch them like a hawk cos they burn quickly. When they start to brown, turn off the heat and add soy sauce, stirring as the seeds absorb it. Crunchy, salty, delicious topping!
That’s the perfect recipe to make after a month’s long glutton of rich food most of which goes straight to the hips!
Happy New Year Nagi and crew.
Hi Nagi,
Happy New Year to you Happy 2024!
Can’t wait to try this lecture wraps.
Dozer looks happy with the paw pads!
You’ve earned your break.
THANK YOU for all your hard work!!!
I love your blog and all your recipes.
I’ve never actually made a lettuce wrap with fixings from scratch before. Definitely trying this next summer. I hope the paw pads work for Dozer!
They’re so good Gail!! You know I’m fussy about “healthy” food 😈
Happy 2024 Nagi,Dozer & all
Thanks for the update on Jeff! I’ve thought of him often, and am happy to see him looking fit. (Bet he misses being a “tester” when you & Dozer used to head off to see his reaction to your newest recipe
That’s so lovely that you think of him Mary! It is a bit sad that I don’t get to do end of day taste testing deliveries to Jeff but I still take him breakfast most weekends 🙂 N x
Cause I love the taste of red or green bell peppers. More red than green. I added them in. This gave also added crunch & a nice crispness to the dish.
YUM yes!! And colour too! N x
Happy New Year to you too Nagi!
Love your DIY spreads and that you’re going weekly… Perfect.
Coriander? Now that’s an entirely different matter!
S 😊
I hear you Sandy! I feel the same about bananas, so I have total sympathy for coriander haters 😇
I know this is all about the peanut sauce, yum, but what’s a good substitute for a wife with a nut allergy? Will tahini work?
Hi Andrew! Tahini OR Cashew would work well I think. I haven’t tried with them but the flavours will totally work, and I’ve used tahini regularly when making peanut sauce recipes nut free plenty of times 🙂 N x
Oh my goodness, Andrew… when I first read your comment, it totally came across that you were looking for a good substitute for your wife, not for the peanuts! 🤣 Silly me! Have a happy, nut free new year!
BA HA HA!!! That is too funny Pat!! N x
This is one of my fav sauces thank you for sharing. Would you know how to make the sugarcane prawn wraps ? I am Muslim and cannot eat pork and I cannot eat these anymore now that I know restaurants mix prawn and pork together for this dish. Please help !
Hi Natasha! It’s so funny you mention this, I was literally at a Vietnamese restaurant last night and had them! Here’s a recipe that has ingredients I’d look for when searching for a recipe, and it’s rated well -> https://www.wokandkin.com/chao-tom/#recipe
Happy New Year Nagi and Dozer!
Just a tip from my dogs physio regarding the slipping on floors. She said long nails are like asking him to walk in stiletto heels! And long hair in and around the paw pads are like wearing thick fluffy bedsocks! That helped our boy, might help dozer too 😊
These Vietnamese wraps look amazing, can’t wait to try.
Many thanks 😊
P.S Christmas dinner was saved again with your Christmas Baked Salmon 😋
Thank you Anna! Keeping his nails short has been a battle for life, he HATES the clippers even though I have never ever drawn blood, not once 🙁 And I am trimming his paw fur regularly, I just can’t believe how fast it grows back 🤯 Thank you for caring! N x
I will be interested regarding your experience with the paw pads for Dozer. I have a senior dog with same issues. Ive been researching toe grips for the dogs nails, maybe an alternative for Dozer if pads don’t work? Really enjoy your blog and recipes!
Oh! I haven’t seen toe grips for the nails, I will look into them! The pads do work great – when they stay on. Problem is, they come off pretty much every time I take him to the beach! I will report in with results – there’s no doubt he’s happier when they are on, getting up off the floors is so much easier for him…. Thank you for caring! N x
Hi Nagi – We will add some sliced capsicum to ours tomorrow night – capsicum makes the world go round! Enjoy some downtime with your boy Dozer x
Yes! Now I wish I had added it too…. N x
Many thanks Nagi. Going to make the sauce when we are holidaying at the beach x
How long does peanut sauce and keep?
Enjoy your recipes. Thanks .
😍
Hi Maryann! Easily 4 days in the fridge, if not longer. I’ve kept it for a week. Or freezer for 3 months! N x