Whenever I try a new style of food, I always think of ways that I can make it fit into my own dietary patterns – which tends to be lower in fats and very little carbs (almost Keto, almost Paleo). I absolutely love Bahn Mi Sandwiches – but the bread is a huge part of the preparation. So I was inspired to turn it into a lettuce cup that would cut those carbs right out! And the result is these Turkey Bahn Mi Lettuce Cups – a healthier version of the traditional Bahn Mi Sandwich.
Bahn Mi is a traditional Vietnamese street food. Typically it is made with a baguette style bread stuffed with marinated meats (most commonly pork), pickled veggies (usually diakon and carrots) and some sort of sauce (something mayo based). It also usually has some sort of spice – either from the sauce or from fresh jalapenos on top.
With all of that in mind, I came up with a recipe for Turkey Bahn Mi Lettuce Cups that gives you all the flavors without all the carbs! The pickled slaw is a very important part of this dish. You want to get the carrots and onions the same size and cut the radishes into very thin pieces, so that the quick pickling will work. And when you put the slaw in the cups, you want a little of the juice with it, but not too much that it’s swimming. Lettuce cups – just like anything you eat with your hands – are inherently messy, so no need to add to that with juice dripping everywhere!
Turkey Bahn Mi Lettuce Cups
Ingredients
- 2 heads Butter lettuce about 24 pieces
- ½ cup Sriracha
- 1 cup Avocado Mayo
For the Ground Turkey
- 2 lbs Ground Turkey
- 1 tbsp Avocado Oil
- ½ cup Hoisin Sauce
- ½ cup Coco Aminos
- 2 tbsp Fresh Ginger grated
- 2 Garlic Cloves minced
For the Pickled Slaw
- 5 Radishes thinly sliced
- 1 cup Carrots matchsticks
- 1 bunch Cilantro chopped
- ½ Red Onion thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp Sugar
- ¾ cup Rice Vinegar
- 1 tsp Sea Salt
Instructions
- Prepare all of the ingredients.
- In bowl, combine all ingredients for the Pickled Slaw until well coated. Cover bowl and place in refrigerator until ready to plate. (can sit for up to 2 hours)
- In a small bowl, combine mayo and Sriracha and place in refrigerator until ready to plate.
- In a large saute pan over medium high heat, add oil and garlic. Cook for 3 minutes then add ground turkey and ginger. Cook, crumbing turkey as it goes, for 8 minutes. The add cocoa aminos and hoisin sauce. Cook for another 4-5 minutes.
- To Build a Lettuce Wrap: place a leaf of lettuce on a plate. Put a spoonful of the ground turkey, a spoonful of the pickled slaw and then drizzle with Sriracha Mayo. Usually serve 3-4 per person.
In my house, we love to eat foods from all over the world. That’s why there is a whole section of Ethnic Adventures in my cookbook Homemade on a weeknight. If you want to try more recipes from other cultures – you can get your own copy in Paperback or eBook(Kindle) versions.
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So tasty! We love that pickled slaw! Yum!
These sound so light and delicious – and that pickled slaw looks amazing!
Love low-carbs banh mi like this. So light and perfect for a gathering
Yum….satisfying and light.