Fresh, crisp, and deeply aromatic, these lettuce wrap rolls with shrimp, thin slices of pork belly, and rice vermicelli make a fine light lunch or supper. Serve them with a bright sweet-sour-spicy sauce in the style of nuoc cham, and you have a dish in perfect balance.
They come together with little fuss: boil, slice, roll, and serve. The lettuce leaves keep everything airy and lighter than traditional rice-paper rolls, yet the result is still generous and satisfying.
Ingredients
For the rolls
- Lettuce leaves (romaine or iceberg) — 16 leaves
- Cooked shrimp, peeled — 300g (10.5 oz)
- Pork belly, skinless — 300g (10.5 oz)
- Thin rice vermicelli — 150g (5.3 oz)
- Cucumber — 1
- Carrot — 1
- Fresh mint — 20g (0.7 oz)
- Fresh cilantro — 20g (0.7 oz)
- Green onions — 20g (0.7 oz)
- Roasted peanuts, chopped — 50g (1.8 oz)
- Lime — 1
- Salt — 1 tsp (for cooking)
For the sweet-sour-spicy sauce
- Fish sauce — 3 tbsp
- Lime juice — 3 tbsp
- Water — 3 tbsp
- Sugar — 2 tbsp
- Garlic — 2 cloves
- Red chili pepper — 1 (to taste)
- Rice vinegar — 1 tbsp (optional)
Step-by-step recipe
- Pour boiling water over the rice vermicelli and leave for 3–5 minutes, until tender. Rinse under cold water, then drain and pat dry.
- Cook the pork belly in salted water for 25–30 minutes, until tender. Let cool, then slice into thin pieces.
- Lower the shrimp into boiling salted water and cook for 2–3 minutes, until pink. Cool quickly and pat dry.
- Cut the cucumber and carrot into fine matchsticks. Roughly chop the herbs and green onions. Wash and dry the lettuce leaves.
- For the sauce, stir together the fish sauce, water, lime juice, and sugar until dissolved. Add the finely chopped garlic and chili; finish with rice vinegar, if using.
- To assemble, lay a little vermicelli on a wide lettuce leaf, add a few slices of pork belly, 2–3 shrimp, some vegetable matchsticks, and herbs. Scatter with chopped peanuts.
- Roll up tightly, folding in the sides as you go. Use a second lettuce leaf if needed for extra strength. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
- Serve at once with the sauce and lime wedges.
Nutritional value
| Indicator | Per serving |
|---|---|
| Calories | 690 kcal |
| Protein | 29 g |
| Fat | 47 g |
| Carbohydrates | 42 g |
| Fiber | 5 g |
| Sugar | 9 g |
| Sodium | 1200 mg |
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Tips and variations
- Less rich: replace some of the pork belly with boiled chicken breast or turkey.
- No peanuts: use cashews or toasted sesame seeds instead.
- Heat: adjust the amount of chili; remove the seeds for a gentler finish.
- Texture: a double layer of lettuce makes the roll sturdier and easier to dip.
- Make ahead: cook the pork belly and shrimp the day before and keep them separate in the refrigerator. Assemble the rolls just before serving.
- Alternative: you can wrap the filling in rice paper, softened in water first.
Frequently asked questions
Can I make the sauce less salty?
Add a little more water and lime juice, then adjust the sugar to taste. If needed, reduce the amount of fish sauce.
How should I store the rolls?
They are best assembled and eaten right away. If you need to keep them for up to 4 hours, wrap each roll in parchment and refrigerate. Store the sauce separately.
What can I use instead of fish sauce?
Mix soy sauce with lime juice and a little fish or oyster sauce, or use soy sauce and lime alone, with garlic and chili.