Asian Vegetarian Tofu Lettuce Wraps Recipe
Asian Vegetarian Tofu Lettuce Wraps Recipe creates a simple and tasty tofu filling served in cups of lettuce! Enjoy the tangy, savory flavor of these Vegetarian Lettuce Wraps for your next low-carb or vegan keto meal. Vegan Lettuce Wraps are a healthy additional to your meal plan. And tofu lettuce wraps recipes are loaded with plant-based protein, veggies, and more. See tips below for transforming these into gluten-free veggie lettuce wraps. This dish is based off of PF Changs Lettuce Wraps recipe.
I’ve been a fan of easy lettuce wraps before I could even eat them. It seemed like our local restaurants only served them with chicken and so I had to be a bystander to this dish.
But now things have changed. And I’ve taken it a step further and I’m actually making my own Veggie Lettuce Wraps. The world is once again set right.
If you’re into vegan, asian-inspired dishes, check out my Crispy Orange Tofu or my Easy Vegan Rangoon Dip recipes. There’s also my Miso Tofu which is perfect served over low carb noodles. So good!
What is the best lettuce for lettuce wraps?
There are a number of lettuces you can use for lettuce wraps, including iceberg, green leaf, Boston, and butter lettuces. The most preferred lettuce is iceberg because it’s crisp and holds it shape well. The second most preferred is butter lettuce because it’s softer than iceberg and therefore easier to roll up.
Are PF Changs Lettuce Wraps vegan?
PF Chang’s Lettuce Wraps are made with seared tofu, green onions, water chestnuts, and other delicious seasonings and fillings. They are safe for both vegetarians and vegans to eat.
Tofu Lettuce Wraps
What’s the big deal about a little bit of seasoned, sautéed tofu and vegetables in pieces of lettuce? I know! I wondered the same thing!
You just have to try Asian lettuce wraps to really understand. There’s something about the flavor of butter lettuce combined with the perfectly seasoned tofu.
And did I mention that Almond Butter Hoisin Sauce? Let me tell you, the flavors in this dish are so satisfying, you’ll understand why it’s quickly becoming one of my favorites!
Besides, this dish is packing lots of healthy ingredients too. There’s, of course, the leafy green lettuce, but there’s also the protein-packed tofu, colorful red peppers, and some slivered almonds to boost the nutritional balance over the top!
But all the healthiness in the world still needs some deliciousness too. This veg lettuce cups recipe has it all!
How to Make Veggie Lettuce Wraps
It’s easy to make veggie lettuce wraps. Begin by heating sesame oil in a skillet. Add a block of drained and pressed tofu and cook over medium high heat. Use a spatula to break the tofu into crumbly bits. Cook until the tofu is browned, around 10 minutes.
Stir in chopped onion, hoisin sauce, tamari (gluten-free soy sauce) and some vinegar. Cook until the onions are tender and then reduce the heat to medium and add minced garlic, chopped water chestnuts, green onions, and chopped red pepper. Cook until the peppers are tender.
Next, prepare the hoisin sauce by combining almond butter, tamari, garlic powder, ginger powder, and some vinegar. Stir to combine.
Scoop a spoonful or two of the veggie tofu filling into butter leaf “cups”. Drizzle each with the Hoisin sauce or sauce of your choice.
Expert Tips
Use these expert tips and tricks to make the best Chinese lettuce wraps recipe every time:
- Use extra firm tofu and press it to remove extra liquid
- Press tofu by wrapping it in a kitchen towel and placing it on a plate with something heavy on the top for 30 minutes to an hour or purchase a tofu presser
- Butter lettuce works best for this veg lettuce wraps recipe, but you can experiment with different lettuces like romaine or iceberg which is a bit crispier, but harder to roll
- I created an almond butter hoisin sauce to make this recipe low carb and keto friendly. If you prefer the previous Blackberry hoisin sauce, substitute blackberry jam for the almond butter
- Tamari is basically a gluten-free soy sauce, so feel free to use soy sauce if you don’t have issues with gluten
- You can substitute any sauce, even plain soy sauce for the blackberry hoisin sauce.
Be sure to serve vegetarian lettuce wraps with this Vegan Fried Rice!
Note: If you’re wanting to use this recipe in a low carb or keto diet, you may wonder is tofu keto friendly? It’s a great question! The good news is, tofu is low carb so it’s perfect to be a part of your low carb vegan diet!
I hope you love this recipe as we do! Have you tried it? Be sure and leave a comment and a rating of this recipe below and then take a quick photo and share it with me using #namelymarly on Instagram. I love seeing your creations!
Veggie Lettuce Wraps
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil (see note)
- 15 oz extra firm tofu drained
- 1 onion diced
- 3 tablespoons tamari
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons chopped radishes
- 1/4 cup red cabbage , chopped
- ¼ cup red peppers , chopped
- 2 tablespoons almonds , chopped
- 1 head butter lettuce
Almond Butter Sauce
- 2 tablespoons almond butter
- 1 tablespoon tamari
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
Instructions
- Heat sesame oil in a saucepan over medium high heat. Break tofu into chunks and add to the skillet. Use a spatula to continue breaking the tofu down into a crumbly looking mixture. Cook tofu until browned, about 10 minutes.
- Stir in onion, tamari, and rice wine vinegar. Cook until onions are tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in chopped garlic, radishes, red pepper, cabbage, and almonds. Cook a few more minutes, until the peppers are slightly tender.
- Prepare the Almond Butter Sauce by combing the ingredients and stirring.
- To serve, scoop a spoonful or two of the veggie tofu mixture into the center of each butter lettuce leaf. Serve with Almond Butter or sauce of your choice.
Recommended Equipment
Notes
The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator and should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
If you like veggie lettuce wraps, you should check out some of these other awesome recipes:
- This Sesame Tofu is pretty amazing!
- If you’re looking for a healthy way to cook tofu, try this Air Fried Tofu recipe!
- Make this Marinated Tofu to serve over rice or low carb noodles.
- This Miso Tofu is best served over rice, noodles, or eve on a salad!
- Orange Tofu is a delicious Asian-inspired dish!
Whatever Asian-inspired dish your chomping on, enjoy!
7 Responses to Asian Vegetarian Tofu Lettuce Wraps Recipe
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Hi, I’m Marly!
Marly is certified as both a Plant-Based Pro and Vegan Dessert Expert. Come enjoy Marly’s amazing easy vegan recipes for yourself! At Namely Marly we love celebrating life, creativity, healthy living and energetic days! Meet Marly
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I love vegan food! Esp raw 😀
Well, these veggie lettuce wraps aren’t raw, but I did transform them into low carb!
I made this tofu lettuce wrap tonight and it was delicious. I did not read the recipe, carefully, and I threw the Blackberry Hoisin in, while it was cooking, instead of adding it as a sauce at the end, but I think I like it that way. Also, is rice wine vinegar the same as rice vinegar? It was called for twice, and I did not know what to do, so the first time I used rice vinegar and the second time I used mirin. 3rd thing (there is no end of me, is there?), the blackberry jam has teeny seeds, so you might want to warn people that if they feel an occasional gritty thing, it is not dirt from the lettuce, as I had feared I had not washed my lettuce well enough, until I realized it was seeds. Anyway, I loved the dish and will make it again.
Susan, thanks for your comment! First, let me say I’m so glad you liked these vegetarian lettuce wraps! It’s one of my favorites too! I used rice vinegar. However, I think mirin would be quite tasty in this recipe as well! And I also added a note – thanks to you – about the seeds in the blackberry jam. Sometimes I like to say it takes a village to create a recipe. Thanks for your contributions!
I’m pinning and making!Love this recipe.easy and simple .i will definitely try it. One of our families favorite dinners! So easy and it tastes delicious! Thanks for a great recipe!
Thanks Xuhi! So glad you like this recipe!
I am doing the Daniel Fast during Lent and I have been looking for recipes that would fit the guidelines of the fast. This was also my first time cooking with tofu and I was quite skeptical. I tweeked the recipe a little and fell in love with the results. These lettuce wraps were truly amazing!