If you're wondering what lettuce cups are, they're similar to lettuce wraps.
These are food wrapped in lettuce and served on their own or with other items.
Lettuce cups or wraps are said to have originated in China, but they're popular the world over today.
Hence, you're likely to find them in many places.
When considering what to serve with lettuce cups, dishes like pad thai, pico de gallo, wonton soup and rice noodle salad come to mind.
If you want to know more, check below.
Why Consider Serving Side Dishes with Lettuce Cups?
The quick-bite snacks are terrific and come in several variants, but they pair with many items.
So when something tastes good with others, it would be unfair not to include them.
If you plan to serve lettuce cups at any gathering, side dishes will be necessary because one dish won't be sufficient for everyone that attends the function.
It can get rather dull when you serve only one dish because there is a limit to consuming any specific item.
Else, it will make you overwhelmed and that food may not taste good anymore.
What to Serve with Lettuce Cups? 10 BEST Side Dishes
The ten items below can all work with lettuce cups or wraps.
1 - Garlic Roasted Vegetables
Sometimes, keeping things simple works best, such as roasted vegetables with garlic.
They taste good, complement lettuce wraps and are easy to cook.
The market has plenty of veggies so you have numerous choices.
You could stick with root vegetables such as parsnips, carrots, beets, onions, spuds, sweet potatoes and radishes.
Or you can also use yellow squash, bell pepper, eggplant, zucchini, cauliflower and broccoli.
No matter whichever combo you choose, the veggies will taste great.
You don't have to use many items for seasoning too.
You use the usual salt, pepper and olive oil with garlic and lemon juice.
2 - Grilled Corn On The Cob
If your party has a street food theme, there's nothing like grilled corn on the cob.
It's one of the most flavorsome items and a favorite.
So you can't go wrong when you pair it with lettuce cups.
Making grilled corn on the cob is effortless because you don't have to go through many steps.
Corn has a naturally fantastic taste so there isn't a need to use many ingredients for seasoning.
But nothing tastes better than fresh corn.
You must therefore check each ear thoroughly before buying.
Give a slight squeeze and see that there isn't any soft spot.
There mustn't be any dry or moldy spots on the husk too.
Feel the weight, reject corn that feels too light, and finally, go for pale and silky tassels.
3 - Pico De Gallo
This dish goes by many names but it's only fair because it's exceptionally delicious.
Pico de gallo is a popular salsa used in Mexican cuisine, and it pairs well with lettuce cups.
All the ingredients in the salsa are raw, so you have a fresh, crunchy, slightly tangy, hot dish that makes the lettuce cups even tastier.
The ingredients used in the dish are readily accessible so your salsa will be perfect.
While any tomato can work for the salsa, plum Roma tomatoes are mostly preferred so you should use them only.
You can use grape or beefsteak if you can't get this variety.
4 - Cauliflower Fried Rice
If you don't want to include rice in your menu, cauliflower rice can be a suitable substitute to pair with lettuce cups.
It adds a fresh element, is tasty and is healthy as it contains plenty of nutrients, including vitamins C and K.
Making cauliflower rice is also easy and it doesn't take much time.
But for this list, we're adding the fried version.
It's even tastier than plain variety so get ready.
Cauliflower fried rice also contains meat like pork loin but you can omit it if you want to cut down on meat.
It will still taste delightful and won't disappoint you.
5 - Pad Thai
If you want to include a hearty and delightful dish to your menu, pad thai fits the bill.
It's one of Thailand's most popular street foods but is also found in many places.
It's a noodles dish with eggs, chicken shrimp, bean sprouts, peanuts, and other veggies.
Recipe can differ from place to place but the primary ingredients remain the same.
Items for seasoning are almost similar with all variants as they all have soy sauce and fish sauce with brown sugar and oyster sauce.
Rice noodles are preferred for pad thai so try to get the same.
6 - Wonton Soup
This dish is so hearty and delicious that you may not be satisfied with one helping.
It will likely be the same with everyone attending the function as well.
So, try to make a considerable portion to suffice everybody.
Wonton soup has a number of variants, but all of them taste amazing, and they make the perfect partner with lettuce cups.
So you'll have a smashing combination.
The wontons can have pork, shrimp or prawn depending on preference and availability of ingredients.
Chicken broth is an essential item for providing outstanding flavor.
You can serve the soup with bok choy and noodles on top.
7 - Sautéed Mushrooms
The list will be incomplete without adding mushrooms to serve with lettuce cups.
The two make a great pair and mushrooms are incredibly delicious.
The fungi have an earthy taste and meaty texture, so it will be like eating meat even though there isn't any real meat in your dishes.
Including a few ingredients will boost the mushrooms even more.
Button mushrooms are widely available and this variety will work nicely, but they're the mildest-tasting mushrooms.
So you can opt for cremini as they have a more intense flavor and can be substituted for any recipes using button mushrooms.
8 - Rice Noodle Salad
It's an Asian-inspired dish so be prepared for flavors to explode in your mouth.
Rice noodle salad is fresh, delicious, and suitable for lettuce cups.
It's even tastier because the noodles are the only cooked ingredient.
All other items are fresh and with the sweet and sour dressing, your salad blends every taste perfectly.
The crunchy veggies with perfectly cooked noodles make the salad something extraordinary.
It's addictive, and you're likely to crave for more, so make a huge portion, or there won't be enough left for everyone.
9 - Pickled Carrots and Radish
It'll also be a great idea to serve pickles with lettuce cups, specially when you're short of time.
Carrots and radish pickle is a suitable dish to partner with lettuce wraps and they're quick to whip up.
The pickle is sweet and sour with juicy veggies when you bite into them.
No matter what you have in your lettuce wraps, the pickled carrots and radish will match nicely.
The simple dish has rice vinegar/white vinegar, sugar, salt, water and vegetables.
As we always caution you, make the pickled dish only with fresh veggies.
10 - Steamed Broccoli
It's the last item on the list and one of the simplest but it is on par with any dish regarding taste.
You'll enjoy combining steamed broccoli with lettuce cups but won't like it when you finish the food because the pair is that flavorsome.
Steamed broccoli has many recipes and most of them contain a lot of ingredients.
But it's wise to keep it simple. So, along with broccoli florets, you'll need only salt and pepper.
You'll have crisp-tender florets that complement the lettuce wraps perfectly.
But you'll get that flavor and texture only with fresh veggies.
So, avoid purchasing broccoli with yellow flowers and open florets and choose only those with tightly clustered florets and brightly-colored heads.
