Description
These Low Carb Asian Lettuce Cups are a flavorful and healthy meal option featuring seasoned ground pork cooked with aromatic spices and miso paste, served in crisp iceberg lettuce cups with fresh avocado, radishes, and pickled onions. Perfect for a light lunch or dinner with a low carbohydrate profile, this recipe combines savory, tangy, and fresh elements to satisfy your taste buds.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat and Vegetables
- 2 lbs ground pork (or mix with a few different ground meats)
- 1 medium sweet onion (finely diced)
- 2 garlic cloves (finely chopped)
- 1 inch fresh ginger (grated)
- 1 large avocado (cut into slices)
- 3 radishes (cut in half and thinly sliced)
- 1/4 cup fresh green onions (finely chopped)
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
- iceberg lettuce (divided into 12 or more cups)
Oils and Sauces
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1/2 cup soy sauce or coconut aminos for WHOLE30 version
- 2 tbsp white Miso paste
- 3 tbsp miso paste
Spices and Seasoning
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tbsp sea salt
- 1/2 lime (juice)
- 1/2 lemon (juice)
- 2 tbsp sesame seeds
Additional
- 1/2 cup lenaskitchen pickled onions
Instructions
- Prepare the Sauce: In a small bowl, combine all the sauce ingredients including soy sauce or coconut aminos, lime juice, lemon juice, sesame oil, and 2 tablespoons of white miso paste. Set this dipping sauce aside for serving.
- Cook the Aromatics: Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the finely diced sweet onion to the skillet and sauté until translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Add the chopped garlic and cook for an additional minute until fragrant.
- Cook the Pork: Add the ground pork to the skillet with the onions and garlic. Break up the meat as it cooks, stirring frequently until no pink remains and the pork is browned, about 5-7 minutes.
- Add Spices and Miso: Reduce the heat to medium, then stir in the cumin and 3 tablespoons of miso paste. Continue cooking for 2 minutes to allow the flavors to meld into the meat mixture.
- Assemble the Lettuce Cups: Spoon the cooked pork mixture into individual iceberg lettuce cups. Top each cup with lenaskitchen pickled onions, thinly sliced radishes, sliced avocado, fresh green onions, cilantro leaves, and sprinkle with sesame seeds for added flavor and texture.
- Serve: Serve the lettuce cups immediately with the prepared dipping sauce on the side for added tang and depth of flavor.
Notes
- Use coconut aminos instead of soy sauce for a Whole30-compliant and soy-free version.
- Feel free to mix ground pork with ground chicken, turkey, or beef for different flavor variations.
- For an extra spice kick, add some chopped fresh chili or a sprinkle of chili flakes to the meat mixture.
- Iceberg lettuce is used for its crispiness; butter lettuce or romaine leaves can be substituted if preferred.
- Leftover meat mixture can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and reheated before serving.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: Asian
Keywords: Asian lettuce cups, low carb recipe, ground pork lettuce wraps, miso pork, healthy Asian appetizers, gluten free lettuce cups
