Lettuce wraps are an innovative dish – meat, veggies, noodles, and sauce all wrapped in one! They’re so much easier to eat and feel like an absolute treat. Also, you can adjust the fillings according to your preference. You can have them as a side, main course, or appetizer.
Moreover, lettuce wraps go well with various side dishes, like salads and noodles. But, as a dish popularized by an Asian fusion restaurant, it’s hardly a surprise that they taste and feel best when paired with Asian-flavored dishes. Thus, if you don’t know what to serve with lettuce wraps, read this article which compiles the best Asian recipes you can make with your lettuce wraps!
1. Edamame Fried Brown Rice
Fried rice is a classic Asian recipe used to reinvent day-old white rice. However, this recipe incorporates two unique twists: the use of brown rice, which tastes nutty and much healthier than white, and the addition of edamame, an immature soybean popular in Japan. Beyond that, traditional ingredients and umami flavors are retained as you’ll use fish sauce, eggs, onions, carrots, black pepper, and more.
2. Veggie Lo Mein
Although classic lettuce wrap recipes include noodles, some variants don’t. If you’re following such a recipe or want to separate the noodles from the wraps, you might prefer having this veggie lo mein as a side dish. Lo mein is stir-fried noodles from China, best known for its savory and layered flavors. It looks intimidating to make, but with this recipe, it’s a breeze!
3. Thai Peanut Noodles
Are you making Thai-inspired lettuce wraps? You can stick to the theme by serving them with these Thai peanut noodles. The blend of flavors is unlike anything you’ve had before – nutty, spicy, savory, and tangy in one plate. That’s made possible by this combination of ingredients: peanut butter, soy sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar, chili paste, vinegar, garlic, ginger, water, and noodles.
4. Asian Vegetable Stir Fry
Veggies can appear unappetizing because they’re often cooked so plain. But not Asian stir-fry, as cooking in a wok incorporates a unique, smoky flavor to the vegetable medley consisting of broccoli, bell peppers, spices, carrots, mushrooms, cashews, and bok choy. The savory sauce is also simple, so it doesn’t hide the veggie’s natural flavors but delicious enough to elevate the whole affair.
5. Asian Quinoa Sala
Lettuce wraps are excellent with various salads, including this Asian quinoa salad. You can make this salad as a healthy and protein-rich alternative to rice. It combines quinoa, kale, mandarin oranges, dried cranberries, green onions, parsley, Asian salad dressing, toasted sesame seeds, and cashew nuts. Thus, the resulting salad is bright, fresh, vegan, and gluten-free – perfect for those who want to be as inclusive as possible.
6. Asian Marinated Cucumber Salad with Rice Vinegar
Speaking of bright and fresh flavors, try this Asian marinated cucumber salad. It’s light and healthy, and since the cucumbers are marinated in rice vinegar, they taste tangier than any other salad. There are hints of spiciness, sweetness, and different flavors because the recipe also calls for sweet onions, sesame seeds, dill, salt, sugar, and pepper flakes. However, you must prepare this in advance to give it time to marinate.
7. Asian Cabbage Mango Slaw
The usual coleslaw is classic, but you’ll prefer this Asian cabbage mango slaw with your lettuce wraps. The flavors are more complex, as the mango provides sweet to sour tastes, depending on the ripeness. Also, the dressing isn’t mayo-based, as it’s made from rice vinegar, soy sauce, lime juice, and sesame oil. Thus, expect the overall taste and texture profile to differ from the slaw you’re familiar with.
8. Thai Peanut Salad
The Thai love their peanuts because they’ve also made a salad with them! This Thai peanut salad is packed with crunch, freshness, nutrition, and flavor. It has cabbages, onions, carrots, jicama, mangoes, chickpeas, almonds, cilantro, and mint – an interesting yet harmonious medley. All those are tossed in a homemade peanut dressing made from peanut butter, lime, soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, and chili garlic sauce.
9. Crispy Asian-Glazed Tofu
Tofu makes a fun and healthy tandem to lettuce wraps, but don’t have it plain! Instead, make this crispy Asian-glazed tofu recipe, so you get savoriness and umami from every bite. This recipe is also perfect for those in a rush – prep time is only 5 minutes, and cooking is 15 minutes only. Ingredients are also few: extra-firm tofu, hoisin, soy sauce, chili garlic, rice vinegar, and oil.
10. Korean Pickled Onions
If you want a novel side dish, eat your lettuce wraps with these Korean pickled onions. Aside from the novelty, you’re introducing deep, acidic flavors, which make the wraps feel and taste brighter. However, you must make these at least 4 hours in advance to give the onions time to pickle in the kalbi marinade, rice vinegar, soy sauce, mirin, brown sugar, and water.
11. Homemade Wonton Soup
Whether as a main meal or appetizer, one surefire way to make your lettuce wraps feel more satisfying and heartwarming is to pair them with wonton soup. Wonton soup is a Chinese dish consisting of meat-filled dumplings cooked in a delicious, savory chicken-flavored broth. Both wontons and broth are made from scratch. This soup is best served steaming hot; thus, you can reserve this recipe for cold, rainy days.
12. Potstickers
If you want the dumplings without the soup, pair your lettuce wraps with potstickers instead! Like wontons, they are a type of meat-filled Chinese dumpling. Unlike wontons, though, they aren’t moist, tender, or soft, as they have a crispy texture resulting from pan-searing.
Making them perfectly pleated may take practice, but they’re worth the effort. The article also includes a recipe for yangnyeom ganjang, which is a savory, spicy sauce.
