Summer is the peak of various vegetables and we’ve been getting so much lettuce from our garden and CSA boxes. Today I want to show you one of my favorite recipes to enjoy a lot of lettuce in one sitting!
What is Lettuce with oyster sauce
Lettuce with oyster sauce, or Hao You Sheng Cai (蚝油生菜), is a famous Cantonese dish that you may often see in dim sum restaurants. Growing up in China, we would order this dish quite often to pair with our favorite shrimp dumplings and pork shumai. In the US, lettuce is almost always served raw. But did you know you can also blanch lettuce to get a delicious result? This recipe quickly blanches the lettuce so it’s slightly wilted but remains crisp. Then it is served with a savory sweet sauce made with oyster sauce and garlic. The aromatic sauce pairs so well with the tender lettuce leaves that you will find it really easy to finish a big plate in one sitting.
Ingredients
You only need five ingredients to make this lettuce with oyster sauce.
What type of lettuce to use
In China it is quite common to use iceberg lettuce for this dish. I also like to romaine lettuce because it has a more vibrant color and the taste is great. You can cook it with either.
Oyster sauce
Oyster sauce is a key ingredient in the sauce because it lends a savory rich taste with a hint of sweetness. In this recipe, I used vegetarian oyster sauce instead of regular oyster sauce to make the dish plant-based. But please feel free to use either, and it will result in a great dish. If you would like a gluten-free dish, you can also use gluten-free oyster sauce.
Mise en place
Once you’re done prepping for the dish, your table should have:
Cut and rinsed lettuce leavesMixed sauceMinced garlic
How to make lettuce with oyster sauce
Making lettuce with oyster sauce is super easy and can be done in 10 minutes. That’s it! You will get a beautiful and super flavorful side dish to go with your dinner.
Cooking notes for lettuce with oyster sauce
Pair lettuce with oyster sauce with these easy mains
Soy Sauce Pan Fried Noodles (广式豉油皇炒面)Easy Salt Baked Chicken (简易盐焗鸡)Ginger Chicken Stir FryInstant Pot Pork Ribs (Chinese-Style)Stir Fried Vermicelli with Pork (Ma Yi Shang Shu, 蚂蚁上树)
