Hot days call for meals that will fill you up without weighing you down, and lettuce wraps are the perfect solution. Just gather a variety of tasty fillings, wrap them in a lettuce leaf, and you’ve got dinner. You can serve them already assembled or arrange the fillings on a platter and let diners put them together themselves. Just about anything goes with this fun, refreshing meal, so long as you consider both flavor and texture when gathering your fillings. Here are all of the elements you need.
LETTUCE: Boston and butter lettuces have tender ribs and cup-like leaves. Iceberg is a crunchier alternative, or you can try the inner leaves of romaine, red leaf, or green leaf, which have more tender ribs than the outer leaves.
ACID: A squeeze of lemon or lime, or a splash of vinegar will brighten and enhance the other flavors in your lettuce wrap.
HEAT: This is an optional element for a lettuce wrap. Add a dash of your favorite hot sauce (which can double as the acid element) or mix Sriracha or wasabi with mayonnaise for a creamy dollop that will add richness and moisture as well as heat.
PROTEIN: Grilled steak, chicken, shrimp, fish, tofu, cooked ground meat, scrambled eggs, rotisserie chicken, or duck confit—you name it, you can add it to a lettuce wrap.
STARCH: This is the element in a lettuce wrap that fills you up. Rice, rice noodles, tortilla strips, potatoes, quinoa, or even chips are all good. Just make sure the starch is room temp or cooler so that it doesn’t wilt the lettuce.
CRUNCH: Sure lettuce lends crunch, but more is better. Try nuts, a fresh ingredient like cucumber, carrot, or red onion, or a slaw or pickles, which contain acid, too.
FRESH HERBS: Tender herbs like cilantro, basil, mint, tarragon, scallion (okay, technically not an herb, but still a great topping) adds loads of flavor to a lettuce wrap. Sprinkle them on with abandon.
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