After a week of dining out or just trying to kick off the week on a good note – let’s lighten up! However, just because the recipe is lighter is calories doesn’t mean it has to skimp on flavor. Lettuce cups are an easy veggie vehicle to eat healthier and add more produce to your diet. I love this recipe for Thai Shrimp Lettuce Cups because it’s easy to prepare and really packs a punch on flavor.
The onions, bell peppers and chilies are cooked until crisp tender and the shrimp are tossed in at the end to keep them juicy and sweet. All the cooking is done in just a few minutes and spooned into crunchy lettuce cups.
The sauce is an easy preparation of mostly pantry ingredients – half is added to the shrimp and vegetables during cooking and the rest is for spooning over the top of the lettuce cups. These Thai Shrimp Lettuce Cups are so simple and you can switch the protein from shrimp to chicken or salmon to change it up occasionally.
Ingredients
10 Bibb Lettuce Leaves
20 shrimp, washed & deveined
1 small white onion
1 red bell pepper
1/2 jalapeno
1/2 lime
1 sprig fresh mint
1 sprig fresh basil
vegetable oil
Thai Sauce
1/3 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoon chili oil
1 teaspoon Oelek Sambal or other chili sauce
juice of 1/2 lime
(Serves 4-5)
1. Dice the onion and slice the red bell pepper and jalapeno pepper into thin slices.
2. Wash and dry the lettuce leaves and place on a serving board or platter.
3. Wash and dry the shrimp. Remove the tails and cut the shrimp in half.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together all the Thai Sauce ingredients, set aside.
5. In a skillet over medium heat, add 2 tablespoon of vegetable oil. Add the onions and jalapeno pepper and saute for 3 minutes. Then, add the red bell pepper and saute for 2 minutes.
6. Next, add the shrimp to the skillet and stir to combine. Continue to saute for 2 minutes and pour half the sauce over the shrimp and vegetables, reserving the other half to serve with the lettuce cups.
7. Squeeze the juice of 1/2 lime over the shrimp and vegetables and allow the sauce to reduce, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
8. Rough chop the mint and basil leaves. Spoon the shrimp and vegetables into the lettuce cups and sprinkle with the fresh herbs.
9. Serve the remaining sauce with the Thai Shrimp Lettuce Cups. Enjoy!
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