An Easy, Delicious, Vegetarian Lettuce Wrap Recipe
Quick, healthy, vegan, AND yummy?! Yep! This easy tofu recipe truly does it all. It was initially inspired by classic Thai larb gai which is, very simply, a “meat salad”. Specifically, a dish made with quickly cooked, boldly flavored ground meat—usually ground chicken or pork, though it can be made from fish or even (as in this lettuce cup recipe) tofu. These wonderfully snacky, handheld cups of deliciousness reside in the no man’s land between appetizers and main dishes. If you’re not wildly hungry, this tofu lettuce wrap recipe could stand alone as a light dinner, or you may want to serve it alongside some favorite side dishes—think bowls of simply steamed white rice or noodles. Either way, it’ll be a fast favorite.
The Best Lettuce Wrap Sauce, Ever
Juicy, crisp, cool lettuce stuffed with mounds of piping hot, umami-rich tofu crumbles—these tofu lettuce wraps are pretty darn good straight out of the pan. But if you take just 30 seconds and whisk together this lettuce wrap sauce to drizzle over the finished tofu lettuce cups, you’ll taste just how truly transcendent a vegetarian dinner (that you made yourself, no less!) can be! Here’s the ingredients you’ll need to make it:
- Soy sauce (or tamari works, too)
- Fresh lime juice
- Chili paste (like sambal oelek)
- Brown sugar
What Is The Best Lettuce For Lettuce Wraps?
You could probably make any decently-sturdy lettuce work for these lettuce cups—you just need something strong enough and large enough to cup the crispy, crumbly, super-savory tofu filling. Romaine lettuce, for example, would be fine. However, our very favorite type of lettuce to use for lettuce wraps is butter lettuce. Also called bibb lettuce or Boston bibb lettuce, butter lettuce has a naturally cupped shape that’s unbeatable for these cups. It’s nice and sturdy, and—best of all—it tastes really good. That slightly sweet, truly buttery flavor and gorgeous tender texture mean that it’s our favorite lettuce for just about anything, including (but decidedly not limited to) this tofu larb recipe.
How To Make Tofu Lettuce Wraps
A healthy, vegetarian dinner is just six ingredients and about 15 minutes away! Here’s how to make these zesty tofu lettuce cups:
- Make the (optional!) toasted rice powder. Toasted rice powder—or khao khua—is a traditional ingredient in Thai cuisine and isn’t hard to make. It adds a lovely texture and somewhat nutty, hard-to-place flavor to the finished tofu larb, but it’s totally OK to skip this step if you’re crunched for time.
- Sauté shallots, then add the crumbled tofu and cook a bit.
- Time to season the tofu larb filling! Add the toasted rice powder, brown sugar, lime juice, zest, salt, and chili paste. Sauté a little more!
- Make that lettuce wrap sauce (if you haven’t already).
- After you take the tofu off the heat, add the fresh herbs and scallions.
- Serve! You can set the sauce, lettuce cups and tofu filling out and let people assemble their own, or you can serve them fully assembled—you do you!
What To Serve With Lettuce Wraps
Tofu lettuce wraps are an edible party of both texture and flavor—hints of spicy and sweet, big bursts of tart and umami—so they really can stand alone as a light meal. However, they also make a killer heavy appetizer (pair with icy cold beer) or any of these lovely dishes:
Tools You’ll Need:
- Large skillet
- Microplane grater (super handy for the lime zest)
- Salad spinner (for cleaning the lettuce leaves)
- Sharp knife
- Food processor or high powered blender (if you’re going to make the toasted rice powder)
That’s A Wrap!
These tofu lettuce wraps are impossible not to love! When you make them, show us your stuff! Share a photo and tag us on Instagram using @themodernproper and #themodernproper so that we can see and celebrate your culinary success! Happy eating!
