Veggie Lettuce Wraps with Blackberry Hoisin Sauce
I’ve been a fan of the lettuce wrap 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. So good!
I have a cold so you’d think I would feel kind of icky today. But for some strange reason, I feel energetic. Happy, even. I mean, if it weren’t for the coughing and the constant blowing my nose, I’d feel downright amazing!
Between you and me, I think it’s all this healthy food. I’m serious!
Because every day I’ve made a commitment to drinking green tea and eating my veggies and fruits and throwing in a handful of nuts (mostly walnuts) and it’s paying off.
Of course, you could argue that I did get a cold. I mean isn’t that some barometer of health? I’ve heard people say, “I haven’t had a cold in 50 zillion years” as if not getting sick is some badge of honor. To me it sounds like someone who needs to get out a little more.
And that’s saying a lot coming from me because I can be a bit of a homebody.
Why I Love These Veggie 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! But, you just have to try it to really understand. There’s something about the flavor of butter lettuce combined with the perfectly seasoned tofu. And did I mention that Blackberry 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 Veggie Lettuce Wraps recipe has it all!
You know what would make me happier than Bruce Lee at a lumber yard? If you would try this recipe too and share a photo of it using #NamelyMarly on Instagram or Twitter.
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 15 oz extra firm tofu drained
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 onion diced
- ¼ cup hoisin sauce
- 2 tablespoons Bragg or soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 8 oz . can whole water chestnuts drained and chopped
- ¼ cup red peppers chopped
- 1 green onion chopped
- 1 head butter lettuce
- ¼ cup sliced almonds
- 2 tablespoons blackberry jam
- 1 tablespoon Tamari or soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon powdered garlic
- 1 teaspoon powdered ginger
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
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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.
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Stir in garlic, onion, hoisin sauce, Bragg (or soy sauce), and rice wine vinegar. Cook until onions are tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in chopped water chestnuts, green onions, and chopped red pepper. Cook a few more minutes, until the peppers begin to become tender.
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Prepare the Blackberry Hoisin Sauce by combing the ingredients and stirring.
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To serve, scoop a spoonful or two of the veggie tofu mixture into the center of each butter lettuce leaf. Serve with Blackberry Hoisin or sauce of your choice.
Blackberry Jam usually has seeds in it (although you can buy seedless as well). It's good to know when you run into something a little crunchy in a dish, exactly what you're biting in to.
If you like veggie lettuce wraps, you should check out some of these other awesome recipes:
- Asian Lettuce Wraps by Oh My Veggies. Love!
- Tofu Mushroom Lettuce Wraps by Veggie Belly. Bring on the mushrooms!
- Vegan Asian Lettuce Wraps by Jessica in the Kitchen. Health and delicious!
- And how about this Vegan Sesame Tofu by yours truly!
Whatever Asian-inspired dish your chomping on, enjoy!
Sy
I love vegan food! Esp raw 😀
susan
I made this 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.
Marly
Susan, thanks for your comment! First, let me say I’m so glad you liked this recipe. It’s one of my favorites too! Second, thanks for your feedback. I have no idea why I wrote “rice wine vinegar” and I can see why it would lead to confusion. I would at least like some credit for consistency! 🙂 I have made changes to the recipe. 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!