Lumpiang Hubad or Filipino Lettuce Wrap

This is the Filipino version of the lettuce wrap.  This vegetable dish is actually the naked version of the Filipino Fresh Lumpia.  It is fresh since it is not fried like the Fried Filipino Lumpia or egg roll.

The regular Fresh Lumpia is the Filipino take on wraps.  We use either the spring roll lumpia wrappers from the frozen section of the Asian store or a crepe like egg wrapper made on a skillet.  Two very different wrappers with the same type of filling of chopped vegetables and if you wish meat or shrimps or both.

In this version of fresh lumpia, my sister Menchie made a naked version sans any wrappers during her recent visit in Pittsburgh.  In lieu of the wrapper, romaine lettuce is used.

Menchie with Fallingwater at the background.

This is a vegetarian dish. The essential vegetables in this dish is the green beans and sweet potatoes.  These two set this fresh lumpia apart from the other chop chop salads or lettuce wraps and give the dish its Filipino flavor. You can add chickpeas if you like for added protein.  The sauce we use has that slight salty mainly sweet flavor that brings out the flavor of the mixed vegetables used.

Lumpiang Hubad or Filipino Lettuce Wrap

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1/2 head of cabbage, shredded
• 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and julienned
• 1 cup baby carrots, julienned
• 3 cups green beans, sliced into small cubes
• 3 stalks celery sliced diagonally
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Romaine lettuce leaves, separated and washed

Heat the oil in a large saute pan. Saute the vegetables in the heated pan till cooked. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper to taste. Place the sauteed vegetable in individual Romaine lettuce. Serve with the lumpia sauce. 

Lumpia Sauce

• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp cornstarch in 2 tbsp water

Mix the four ingredients in a sauce pan and allow to boil. Add the cornstarch in water to the mixture and allow to boil till mixture thickens.