This is the perfect light dinner that’s easy to make way more filling with a few little twists. Plus they’re full of way more vegetables than you’d normally get in a larb salad so that’s a win too. It’s sort of like san choi bao but with larb flavours.

The flavours here are spot on and super delicious. You can use ground turkey or chicken mince or even mix the two together… or use pork. Whatever you like. It’s super simple to make , you just get everything prepped before you turn the pan on and you can have dinner ready ten minutes later.

If you want to make it a little more filling you can add vermicelli noodles or some brown rice to the lettuce cups along with the cabbage. It really just depends how hungry you are. I’ve also made this as part of a share banquet kind of style meal with lots of other dishes to go with it such as these yummy chicken pieces (I used pork mince for the lettuce cups that time) and these green beans.

However you decide to have them the flavours in these lettuce cups are fresh and light and the colours look ridiculously pretty on your plate so they’re definitely a winner to share with friends on a hot summer’s night. If you’re doing the low carb thing then they’re also entirely appropriate. However, you all know by now that I’m not and I’m also super not into dieting so I’ll be over here eating ice cream sandwiches after my light and delicious lettuce cup dinner.

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 Tbs freshly grated ginger

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 stalk lemongrass, outer leaves removed and centre finely chopped

2 tbs coriander root and stem, finely chopped

1 shallot brown, finely diced

200g brown mushrooms, finely diced

500g chicken or turkey mince

1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil

3 tsps fish sauce

2 tsps soy sauce

2 Tbs lime juice

1 tsp coconut sugar or honey

To serve

1 baby cos lettuce, leaves separated and rinsed

2 cups shredded red cabbage

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

1 tsp soy sauce

1 cup diced cucumber

1/4 cup coriander leaves

1 finely sliced birdseye chilli

1/4 cup spring onion

2 Tbs sesame seeds

Directions

Place the red cabbage, vinegar and soy in a bowl and toss to combine.

Put a wok on high heat and add the olive oil. Once hot add the garlic, lemongrass, ginger, shallot, coriander root/stem and mushrooms. Cook for a few minutes or until the shallot has softened. Add the chicken mince and cook until just starting to colour. Add the fish sauce, soy sauce and honey and stir to coat. Cook for a couple of minute sor until the kiquid has almost evaporated. Add the lime juice and cook for a further minute.

To serve, fill the lettuce leaves with the cabbage, top with some mince then a scattering of the cucumber, coriander, chilli, spring onion and sesame seeds. You can also just assemble as you go.

HH. x