Tofu Lettuce Wraps

This vegan tofu recipe is the ultimate fast, easy, nutritious, and family-pleasing dinner. It’s vegetarian, vegan, and gluten free, and it comes together quickly with crumbled tofu, hoisin sauce, lime juice, carrots, red cabbage, and adorable Bibb lettuce leaves for the wraps. If you’re one of those people who thinks tofu is bland and boring, you’ll be astounded when you make and taste this fun and flavorful recipe for Tofu Lettuce Wraps.

These Tofu Lettuce Wraps come straight from the pages of The New Family Table by chef and pediatrician, Julia Nordgren, MD. Dr. Julia is a mom and a trained chef, so she knows how to cook up wholesome family dinners that are simple, versatile and please everyone at her table.

Tune in to episode #55 of the Liz’s Healthy Table podcast to hear my interview with Dr. Julia Nordgren. We have lots of recipe ideas to share including this vegan tofu dinner, and you’ll be intrigued when you hear how Dr. Julia combined her love of medicine and cooking. Oh, what a career!

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This dinner dish is versatile because you can swap the cabbage for sliced bell peppers and the tofu for ground lean beef, chicken, turkey, or pork.  The cute Bibb lettuce cups pull the ingredients all together. They’re so playful, and I suspect that even the pickiest eaters at your table (kids and/or adults!) will enjoy devouring the wraps.

The topping options make the recipe interactive. Just set out little dishes piled with fresh cilantro and sliced scallions, and let everyone garnish and personalize their wraps.

I’ve made this recipe a few times with smashing success. I will say, however, that if my 20-year old son, Simon, had his way, he’d easily eat two portions.

Who’s ready to dig in?

Tofu Lettuce Wraps

 

Author: Dr. Julia Nordgren

Recipe type: Dinner

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Dr. Julia told me that she created this recipe when she had been gone for a long weekend and came home to a near-empty fridge. All she could find was some lettuce, a box of tofu, a bottle of hoisin sauce, a red cabbage and two lonely carrots. What seemed grim at the time has turned into a new family favorite.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon avocado oil (or canola, grapeseed, or safflower oil)
• One 14-ounce box extra-firm tofu, drained, excess water pressed out
• 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• Kosher salt, to taste
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 2 carrots, grated or cut into a fine julienne
• ¼ head red cabbage, grated or thinly sliced
• 1 Bibb lettuce (also called Boston or butter lettuce), leaves carefully removed, washed, and dried (12 leaves)
• For Garnish: 3 scallions, sliced; ½ bunch chopped cilantro; 3 tablespoons Sriracha

Instructions

1. Heat oil in a medium saute pan until shimmering. Crumble in pressed tofu, taking care not to splatter oil.
2. Stir frequently as tofu cooks. Add hoisin sauce until tofu is all covered. Add lime juice and season with salt and pepper. When tofu is lightly browned and sauce is heated through, remove from pan and set aside.
3. In the same pan, add carrots and red cabbage, and gently stir until slightly soft and heated through, about 2 minutes. Add to tofu mixture and combine. If you prefer your vegetables crunchy, skip cooking the carrots and cabbage and add the raw carrots and cabbage to the tofu mixture.
4. Place 3 lettuce leaves on each plate. Top with 2 to 3 tablespoons of tofu mixture. Top with scallions, chopped cilantro, and Sriracha, and serve.

Notes

To press tofu, line a plate with paper towels. Place the tofu block on the paper towels and put another layer of paper towels on top. Put a plate on top of the paper towels and add a bit of weight, like a can of beans. All tofu to drain for 20 to 30 minutes. Remove wet towels and pat tofu dry before crumbling and cooking.

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