Easy vegan lettuce wraps that come together in less than 30 minutes! You're going to love these super simple lettuce wraps because they're full of flavor, gluten-free, dairy-free, and low carb. And if you like easy to make wraps , you'll also love our vegan crunchwrap supreme and sofritas tofu lettuce wraps.
This post was originally published on February 5, 2014 and updated on July 3, 2019.
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Hi there! Thanks for visiting us, we’re so happy you’re here. If you’re looking for Southern and Midwestern inspired vegan comfort food recipes, you’ve come to the right place.
We love vegan comfort food and we’re really good at making it. Take a tour through our site and you’ll find all of the recipes that scream, stretchy pants required!
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Also, in case you didn't know, we're published cookbook authors. We've written two vegan cookbooks that will help you make amazing vegan BBQ (you don't even need a grill) and everyday meals, from breakfast to dessert.
Click on the titles to check them out. GREAT VEGAN BBQ WITHOUT A GRILL
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VEGAN ASIAN INSPIRED LETTUCE WRAPS
When Alex and I were visiting college campuses in her junior and senior year of high school (seems like a lifetime ago), we had dinner at the Siam House in Bloomington, IN while visiting Indiana University.
We ordered a lettuce wrap that was so good, it was like having a party in your mouth.
The textures and flavors were so exciting, and we still crave those wraps today, so obviously, we recreated them at home.
We hope you enjoy this healthy comfort food recipe as much as we do.
ARE LETTUCE WRAPS HEALTHY?
That depends on what you stuff the lettuce with.
Our vegetarian wraps are good for you and taste good, too.
We fill them with fresh ginger and onion, organic tofu, and warm spices. Then we top it off with crunchy peanuts and a splash of soy sauce and lime.
Everything about these lettuce wraps with tofu is good for you.
HOW DO YOU MAKE VEGAN LETTUCE WRAPS?
Well, you came here to learn, so we're going to show you. Let's go!
STEP ONE
Wash and dry the lettuce leaves. You don't want them to be wet, so make sure to use a salad spinner or pat them dry with a towel.
STEP TWO
Sauté the onions in the vegetable oil until they're translucent, then add the ginger, peanuts, and tofu.
Stir it around and then add the spices and salt to taste. Cook the tofu until it begins to brown.
STEP THREE
Add the fresh basil and toasted sesame oil, and squeeze the lime over the tofu mixture and stir until combined.
STEP FOUR
Spoon the mixture into a lettuce leaf and put a dash of soy or tamari sauce on top with a sprig of cilantro and enjoy!
TIPS FOR MAKING THE BEST VEGAN LETTUCE WRAPS
- Use a vegetable oil, such as canola, to cook the onion, ginger, and tofu. Don't use the sesame oil as it can burn quickly and make your food taste quite bitter.
- Choose fresh ginger over dried ginger. It is much more fragrant and tastes so much better.
- Add thinly sliced lime wedges to the wraps for a bright and lovely citrus flavor.
WHAT IS THE BEST LETTUCE FOR WRAPS?
- Our number one choice is Bibb lettuce.
- The second best is Iceberg lettuce.
- Third is Romaine lettuce.
All three will work, however, Romaine leaves are longer, so you may want to trim them a bit so you don't have mostly lettuce for your wrap.
OTHER VEGAN ASIAN INSPIRED RECIPES YOU MAY LIKE
Vegan & Gluten-Free Ramen Bowls
Sweet & Spicy Brown Rice and Pineapple Bowls
Make our vegan lettuce wraps and let us know what you think. We love to hear from you! And, don’t forget to take a picture of your gorgeous creation and tag us @veganosity on Instagram.
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Easy Vegan Lettuce Wraps
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil see note.
- 1 large red onion - slivered
- 2 tablespoon fresh ginger – peeled and minced
- ¼ cup basil leaves – minced
- ½ cup roasted peanuts – chopped
- 1 lime – peeled and thinly sliced into wedges
- ½ lime for juicing
- 1 ¼ tablespoon Chinese Five Spice – In the spice section of the supermarket
- 2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 15 ounce extra firm tofu – pressed and chopped into small pieces
- 6 large lettuce leaves – washed and patted dry see note
- Salt to taste
- 4 tablespoon soy sauce
- Thinly sliced and peeled lime wedges optional
Instructions
- Wash and dry the lettuce leaves. Set aside.
- Prepare the onion, ginger, basil, peanuts, lime, and tofu.
- Heat the 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a sauté pan on high heat. When the oil is hot add the slivered onions and cook until they start to look translucent. Add the 2 tablespoon ginger, ½ cup peanuts,4 tablespoon soy sauce, and 15 oz chopped tofu. Stir well. Add the 1 ¼ tablespoon Chinese five spice and salt to taste. Stir until combined. The tofu should look slightly brown. Add the ¼ cup basil, 2 teaspoon sesame oil, and squeeze the juice from the ½ lime over the tofu mixture.. Stir constantly until the tofu is done, approximately five more minutes.
- Let the tofu cool for a few minutes. Spoon into leaves, add the lime wedges, drizzle some soy sauce over the top,
Video
Notes
- NUTRITION DISCLAIMER
- Do not cook with the sesame oil, it burns easily and can taste quite bitter.
- We prefer Bibb, Iceberg, or Romaine lettuce for wraps.
- If you like really spicy food, you can add a teaspoon of hot pepper flakes to the mixture. If you don’t like the lime wedges, squeeze a little extra juice on the wrap, or omit it all together. This is your wrap, do what you like.
Nutrition
Alicia says
Made these again; they're delicious! I like to add shredded carrot for extra veg and color, and I swap cashews for peanuts. I'm guessing, though, that the 4 Tbsp soy sauce should be listed in the instructions to add to the tofu for color and flavor, aside from the optional soy sauce for serving at the end, right?
Linda Meyer says
Hi Alicia, thank you so much, we're happy you like them. Yes, the soy sauce should be added when you add the tofu to the pan. Thank you for noticing that. 🙂
Christine @ Run Plant Based says
These look wonderful, love the flavors and summer vibe. Thanks!
Linda Meyer says
Thank you so much! They're definitely a great summer meal.
Kate says
These look amazing! It's so hot here at the moment, that I feel they'll be the perfect healthy meal. Can't wait to try them!
Alex Meyer, MA says
Hey Kate! Thanks so much for the comment! They're so refreshing and perfect for hot weather! Let us know what you think of them when you give them a try : ) Have an awesome day!