Veggie Lettuce Wraps
Asian Veggie Lettuce Wraps delivers flavor-infused tofu filling served in cups of lettuce! Enjoy this tangy vegetarian lettuce wraps recipe for your next low-carb or vegan keto meal. Based on the PF Changs recipe, these Vegan Lettuce Wraps are loaded with plant-based protein, veggies, and more.
Looking for more vegan Asian-inspired dishes? Check out this Crispy Orange Tofu or this Easy Vegan Rangoon Dip. There’s also this Miso Tofu which is perfect served over low carb noodles.
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.
Tofu Lettuce Wraps
Veggie Lettuce wraps are consist of seasoned, sautéed tofu, and vegetables served in lettuce cups. The combination of flavors between the crisp butter lettuce with perfectly seasoned tofu that’s pretty spectacular.
And did I mention that Almond Butter Hoisin Sauce? The flavors in this dish are so satisfying, you’ll understand why it’s quickly becoming one of my favorites!
Besides, veggie lettuce wraps pack a lot 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!
Recipe Ingredients
You can find the full printable recipe, including ingredient quantities, below. But first, here are some explanations of ingredients and steps to help you make this recipe perfect every time.
Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make this recipe:
- Sesame oil — You can substitute with olive oil, but sesame oil does add amazing flavor so it’s recommended
- Extra-firm tofu
- Onion
- Tamari — This is a gluten-free soy sauce. If gluten is not a concern, you can sub soy sauce
- Rice vinegar — This is a mild vinegar, making it perfect for Asian recipes
- Garlic
- Radishes — Radishes are cooked with the other veggies, making the flavor milder
- Red cabbage
- Red Bell Peppers
- Almonds
- Butter lettuce — You’ll need one head of butter lettuce or you can sub iceberg lettuce too.
- Almond butter — This is used for the sauce
- Garlic powder
- Ground ginger.
Quick Fix Tip
You can substitute a store-bought Hoisin sauce in place of the almond sauce recipe below. However, homemade has a more vibrant, fresh flavor. And you’ll want to read the labels of any Asian-themed sauces you buy to make sure they’re made without fish sauce.
How to Make Veggie Lettuce Wraps
It’s easy to make veggie lettuce wraps. Here’s how you do it, step-by-step.
Step One: Prepare the Tofu
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.
Step Two: Add Flavor
Tofu on its own has a neutral flavor so we’ll add some flavor now.
Stir in chopped onion, 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.
Step Three: Prepare Sauce
Next, prepare the hoisin sauce by combining almond butter, tamari, garlic powder, ginger powder, and some vinegar. Stir to combine.
Step Four: Serve
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.
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. As of this writing, they are safe for both vegetarians and vegans to eat. However, recipes change so it never hurts to check with your server.
Marly’s Tips
Use these time-test tips and tricks to make the best 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 veggie lettuce wraps, 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
- You can substitute any sauce, even plain soy sauce for the hoisin sauce.
Asian Vegan Recipes
If you love these vegan lettuce wraps, you’re ready to try even more vegan Asian recipes:
- Be sure to serve vegetarian lettuce wraps with this Vegan Fried Rice
- Vegan Sushi is surprisingly easy to make and very flavorful
- Make your sushi low carb with this Cauliflower Sushi recipe
- This Cauliflower Rice is easy to make
- Miso Soup with tofu makes a simple lunch recipe!
- If you’re looking for a healthy way to cook tofu, try this Air Fried Tofu recipe!
- Make this Marinated Tofu and serve it over rice or low carb noodles.
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.
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
- ¼ 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 the 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
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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.
This post was originally published in 2015 and was updated to include new photos, new text, and an updated recipe in 2020.
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!