I go through restaurant appetizer phases, do you? This summer, one of my favorite appetizers to order was lettuce cups. When you think about it, you’re paying a lot for very little product in a lettuce cup. Essentially, you’re paying for the ingredients but as a customer you’re still tasked with building your own lettuce cup at the table! I decided to try making them at home, and it turns out it’s crazy-easy to do. This recipe is a veggie-version, but you can certainly add any ingredients you like to suit your taste.
Why pay for an expensive restaurant appetizer when you can make delicious lettuce cups at home? Bonus, they’re super healthy and the kids love them because of the creamy peanut taste and crunch!
Start by preparing the jasmine rice on the stove, and then prepping all the delicious crisp veggies. My recipe below details what I picked, but you can certainly use your own judgement here and add more of your favorites.
Sauteing the veggies in Thai Kitchen Fish Sauce gives them just a hint of the authentic flavor needed to make this recipe stand out – you really don’t need much!
Thai Kitchen Peanut Satay Sauce is perfect for this recipe, giving the sauteed veggies a creamy, nutty, taste with just a hint of spice. Remove the veggie mixture and set aside, and then once cooled you’re ready to plate the lettuce cups. I love this recipe for guests, as it really does look like you made something quite fancy which really – as you’ll see below – takes no time at all.
- 1.5 cups Thai Kitchen Jasmine Rice
- ½ red pepper, diced
- 4-5 white button mushrooms, diced
- ½ cup snow peas, sliced
- 1 Tbsp Thai Kitchen Premium Fish Sauce
- 2 Tbsp Thai Kitchen Peanut Satay Sauce
- 1 head Butter Lettuce
- 2 Tbsp crushed peanuts
- ½ cup chow mein noodles
- Prepare Thai Kitchen Jasmine Rice according to package directions, set aside to cool.
- Add red pepper, mushrooms and snow peas to hot skillet with 1 Tbsp Thai Kitchen Premium Fish Sauce and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Stir in 2 Tbsp Thai Kitchen Peanut Satay Sauce and continue to simmer for another 2-3 minutes then remove from heat.
- Lay butter lettuce leaves on a plate and fill with a spoonful of rice, veggie mixture, then top with a sprinkle of peanuts and chow mein noodles.
I need these!!!
OK let’s make it happen one weekend! What wine goes with lettuce cups Judy?
My kind of recipe, healthy and beautiful to look at!
So pretty right? But not pretty enough that we didn’t gobble them up after, ha!
yum yum yum these look RIGHT up my alley!
I always love lettuce cups in restaurants too but these seem easy enough for me to make at home!
These look really healthy and light!
Yum this looks like a healthy meal
Yum! These look delicious 🙂 T hank you for sharing
These look delicious and super fresh! Thanks
OMG! This is what is for Lunch tomorrow. Thanks for the inspiration!
Love Peanut Satay sauce I have to make these!
These look delish, thanks.
They have something similar at Original Joe’s restaurants & they are superb, my favorite thing to order! And now I can make them at home for less. And I can eat 10 of them if I want. haha.
I have not heard of these before, but they look good
those look super exoticly tasty
That looks good and perfect as appies for parties too.
Made these and the family loved them, thanks for a great recipe!