These Hoisin Shrimp and Cashew Lettuce Cups are full of crisp, crunchy textures and sweet n' salty flavors. Perfect for a light dinner or entertaining!
2lbsuncooked shrimp, peeled and deveinedtry your best to find sustainable shrimp
2TBSPcooking oilI use vegetable oil
1orange bell pepper, deseeded and julienned
1/2cupcashews, toasted
1cupred cabbage, julienned
2scallions, thinly sliced
Sesame seeds for garnish
For the sauce
1/3cuplow sodium soy sauce
1TBSPrice wine vinegar
1TBSPhoney
1tspsesame oil
3cloves of garlic, minced
2TBSPLee Kum Kee Hoisin Sauce
1tspginger
2TBSPcorn starch
1/4cupcold water
Instructions
Cut head of lettuce in half and start to peel away layers that will work well as cups. Wash them, pat them dry, and set them aside.
Toasted Cashews
Heat a small pan or skillet over medium-low heat. Add the cashews and heat until they are fragrant and golden brown in color. Stir frequently to avoid burning. Some of the edges might end up darker than others, but don't discard these — they're still good, just a little extra toasty ;)Set aside.
Shrimp
Heat cooking oil in a large pan over moderate heat. Add the shrimp, and cook for 2-4 minutes or until opaque, flipping them once throughout. Cooking time depends on the size of the shrimp, but shrimp cooks easily, so care not to overcook.
Once shrimp is cooked through, remove from heat and set aside.
For the sauce
Heat a medium saucepan over moderate heat. In a bowl, whisk together all the sauce ingredients until cohesive. Add them to the saucepan and bring to a simmer.
In a cup or small bowl, mix together the corn starch and cold water until well blended. While stirring the sauce, slowly add half of the corn starch mixture to the simmering sauce to thicken it. Stir well. If the sauce still seems like it could use some thickening, add the remainder of the mixture, stirring until well blended. Once the sauce has reached the thickness you desire, remove from heat.
Add the shrimp and julienned bell pepper to the sauce. Stir to coat.
Spoon servings of saucy shrimp into lettuce cups, then top with red cabbage, scallions, toasted cashews, and sesame seeds.
You can serve these immediately, but luckily they taste great cooled down to room temp, so you don't have to worry about having them losing appeal as they sit out :)
Notes
Prep time will change drastically if you buy shrimp that needs to be peeled and deveined. If you're making a large batch, I recommend buying shrimp that has already been peeled and deveined, and is ready to cook.