This recipe starts with fresh veggies and lots of fresh herbs. Butter lettuce seems to work the best as the wrap or cup. For each bunch of butter lettuce, plan on 12 good size leaves.
Nuoc Cham, a Vietnamese dressing or condiment is easy to make and requires only a few ingredients. Lime juice, sugar, fish sauce, chili peppers, garlic and water. For those of you wrinkling your nose at fish sauce, know this: When properly balanced, you don’t really taste it. Without it, the dish falls short.
In Vietnam, Nuoc Cham Dressing is a staple, like ketchup is here. Variations of the basic recipe are used to flavor many dishes, and we most commonly know it as- the sauce that is served with fresh spring rolls.
The sauce is a delicate balance between sour, sweet, salty and spicy, bringing all the elements together in harmony. If you have an aversion to fish sauce, my guess is …you had something where it was overpowering and not properly balanced. Try giving it another shot. Once you experience Nuoc Cham, in its balanced state, you will fall in love. And fish sauce, believe it or not, is really good for you too.
Vietnamese Shrimp Lettuce Wraps
- Prep Time: 20
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 12 lettuce wraps 1x
- Category: appetizer
- Method: assemble
- Cuisine: Vietnamese
Description
Vietnamese-style Shrimp Lettuce Wraps with Nuoc Cham, a light and refreshing appetizer, perfect for hot summer days. Flavorful, healthy and low in carbs and calories.
Ingredients
- 1 Head Butter Lettuce
- 1 large avocado, sliced (optional)
- 12 large prawns – cooked, peeled with tails off ( if they are very small, double the amout and do two prawns per wrap)
- 3 cups shredded or sliced veggies: carrots, radishes, daikon, cabbage, cucumber etc.
- 1/2 cup chopped mixed herbs ( mint, basil, cilantro)
- 2 scallions diced
- kosher salt
Nuoc Cham Dressing ( make one batch)
Instructions
Assemble wraps. Arrange butter lettuce leaves on a platter. Distribute prawns on each leaf. Add a slice of avocado and divide the veggies among each leaf. Sprinkle liberally with fresh herbs and scallions and a light sprinkling of kosher salt.
Serve immediately with Nuoc Cham.
Nutrition
- Calories: 95
Another home run! I steamed shrimp in the pressure cooker – who knew they would be so tasty?! – and the dish came together in no time. First time we’ve tried Nuoc Cham and it made all the difference. I didn’t have fresh chiles so used red pepper flakes and the sauce had a nice heat. Used Red Boat fish sauce. A big plus for this dish is that most of it can be made in advance.
Perfect summer meal. I used Red Boat fish sauce and about 6 thai chiles of different colors. Bet it’ll be even better tomorrow.
Awesome Crystal, glad you enjoyed this! 🙌 Hope you are doing well. xoxo
Was alittle sceptical but these were the hit of the party. So refreshing and light but amzing flaovrs. Will make again.
Made these in 15 mins and guest devoured. Light and flavorful!
Can you suggest a few good brands for fish sauce? Ideally, readily available.
Thanks!
Can you suggest good brands of fish sauce, which are available outside of major cities?
Thanks!
Thai Kitchen has one and is available in most grocery stores.
This looks a truly delicious recipe. I adore Vietnamese food – I was in Vietnam recently so managed to pick up a number of new recipes when I was there (a few are on my blog ;o). Yours looks lovely though so I will definitely make it at home. Great photos by the way! Best Torie
This looks very fresh and wonderful, I do like the sound of the sauce to go with it. A little sweet, hot and sour!