After eating many treats over the holidays, I like to get back on the healthy train as soon as possible. And, of course, get back in my skinny jeans. Today, for dinner, I decided to go green with this healthy but oh so yummy vegan lettuce wraps recipe (vegetable lettuce wraps recipe).
Recently, I ordered vegan lettuce wraps out at a local Asian restaurant, and although they were good, the filling was a little mushy. As you know, I love tofu, but not if it's mushy.
PREPARING THE TOFU CORRECTLY MAKES IT PERFECT FOR VEGAN LETTUCE WRAPS
So, the first step in making hearty vegan lettuce wraps is to press and marinate the tofu. If you follow the directions on this link, Pressed Tofu for Grilling, Baking, Air-frying, or Cooking in a Skillet, you will have firm, tasty tofu.
As I have said before, my favorite method is to grill the tofu. But, you can also air-fry, bake, or saute it in a pan. I chose to grill my tofu this time because I cooked it ahead of time during my meal prep Sunday. As a result, all I had to do was reheat the tofu with the rest of the ingredients in my saute pan.
To make life easy, I cannot stress enough how much prepping food ahead of time makes cooking easy and stress-free. With that being said, all I did was press and marinate the tofu; then I grilled it, cut it into bite-sized pieces, and put it back into the container until I was ready to use it.
Another helpful tip is to use sprouted tofu if you are in a hurry and don't have time to press the tofu.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN REGULAR TOFU AND SPROUTED TOFU?
For instance, regular tofu is made from cooked soybeans, while sprouted tofu is made from sprouted soybeans. Conversely, sprouted tofu is easier to digest for people who have issues digesting soy products.
For example, sprouting reduces amounts of phytates, antioxidant compounds found in whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds.
Where do you buy this magic tofu? Both Trader Joe's and Whole Foods, in my area, for instance, sell sprouted tofu.
THE BEST LETTUCE TO USE FOR VEGAN LETTUCE WRAPS RECIPE
Because restaurants typically serve lettuce wraps with iceberg lettuce, people assume this is the best choice. However, iceberg lettuce is the worst choice. In fact, iceberg lettuce has no nutritional value, and it falls apart when using it as a cup.
Instead, Romaine, bib, or butter lettuces make the best lettuce wrap holders. Sometimes, my local market sells Romaine lettuce boats, which I chose for this vegan lettuce wrap recipe.
Not only do they make a wonderful wrap, but they also look fabulous around a serving plate.
SIMPLE FOUR INGREDIENT VEGAN LETTUCE WRAP FILLING IS EASY TO MAKE
First, this vegan lettuce wrap recipe has four simple ingredients: mushrooms, onions, water chestnuts, and extra-firm tofu. To get the best flavor for my filling, I marinaded the tofu, as well as the mushrooms.
Not only does this make it easier to prepare on a busy weeknight, the longer you can marinate the tofu and mushrooms, the better.
For instance, I recommend overnight, but clearly, an hour will suffice.
Then, as I said earlier, I grill the tofu ahead of time and return it to the container. Next, I saute the onions until translucent and then add the mushrooms with the extra marinade in the mushroom container.
The next step is to add chopped water chestnuts and the cooked tofu.
Next, pour the delicious vegan lettuce wrap filling into a large bowl, with the lettuce cups surrounding the bowl. Then, choose your sauces. For the vegan lettuce wrap recipe, I chose Chinese hot mustard and Tamari. Teriyaki sauce or a Sriacha sauce also works well with these lettuce wraps.
Lettuce wraps are also a healthy alternative to using tortillas or taco shells. These recipes use lettuce instead to make life a little healthier.
- Thai Tempeh Lettuce Wraps
- Taco Lettuce Cups
📖 Recipe
Vegan Lettuce Wraps
Ingredients
ASIAN TOFU
- 14 ounces extra-firm tofu
- 3 Tablespoons Tamari of soy sauce
- 2 Tablespoons Rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Sriracha
MARINATED MUSHROOMS
- 16 ounces baby portobello mushrooms sliced thin (or mushrooms choice)
- 3 Tablespoons Tamari or soy sauce
- 2 Tablespoons Rice Vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Sriracha
VEGETABLES
- 1 small white onion diced (yield ½ cup)
- 1 bunch Romaine bib or butter lettuce
- 8 ounces water chestnuts drained and chopped
Sauces
- Chinese Mustard
- Tamari or soy sauce
Instructions
ASIAN TOFU
- Press Tofu according to directions, cut into two equal pieces and place in a container, cut into two equal pieces and place in a container
- Add all marinade ingredients together, whisk and pour over tofu.
- Cover and place in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour
MUSHROOMS
- Slice mushrooms thin
- Place in a container
- Whisk marinade ingredients together
- Pour over mushrooms
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour
GRILLING TOFU
- Preheat grill to medium-low
- Place tofu pieces directly on the grill or on a grill mat, or in a grill basket.
- Then cook 7-8 minutes on each side.
- Remove from grill; wait until cool to the touch, and then cut into bite-sized pieces.
- Set aside, or place back into the container with the leftover marinade and refrigerate until ready to use
VEGETABLES
- Dice white onion
- Drain and chop water chestnuts
- Cut ends off lettuce and clean.
- Add mushrooms with the marinade and cook until marinade dissipates.
- Then, add water chestnuts and cook for a few minutes.
- Then, add cooked tofu.
- Toss with vegetables until heated through
SERVING
- Place a large, shallow bowl in the middle of a bigger plate.
- Place lettuce cups around the bowl.
- Place vegan lettuce wrap filling in the bowl.
- Serve with your choice of sauces (I served with Chinese mustard and Tamari)
Notes
Nutrition
Hi! My name is Kathy, I am a retired high school English teacher & vegan enthusiast and blogger. My entire blog is fully plant-based vegan. I truly believe what we eat & how we live determines our health & the preservation of our planet! 🙂
surya
Thanks for this useful informative blog to sharing step by step.
Kathy Carmichael
Surya, you are very sweet. Thank you for reaching out. I appreciate your feedback.