Spicy Vegan Lettuce Wraps

These delicious and healthy vegan lettuce wraps have a spicy filling full of plant based proteins: brown rice, spiced tofu, and cashews.

A sale on lettuce at our local winter farmer’s market a few weeks ago ($1.50 per head!) made us wonder — what are some lettuce recipes that are not salad?  The first thing that came to mind was vegan lettuce wraps – so we thought we’d give them a try. And they turned out to be an incredibly tasty dinner recipe! Keep reading for how to make these healthy vegan lettuce wraps.

How to make vegan lettuce wraps

Lettuce wraps are interesting because if you make them vegan or vegetarian, you have to load on the plant based proteins to make them filling. (Wondering how to get protein as a vegetarian or as a vegan?) For this recipe, we combined a bunch of plant based proteins to make a filling that’s extra (yes) filling. We’ve got brown rice as a whole grain, cashews as a nut, and then tofu as a soy protein. Alex and I don’t eat a ton of tofu, but we’ve found that it actually can be quite delicious, when cooked properly. Without seasoning it’s pretty rubbery and tasteless, but combined with the right flavors it’s spot on — especially here in a spicy, crunchy vegan lettuce wraps.

The cooking method for the tofu is quite easy and just involves sauteing it with some soy sauce, chili powder, and Sriracha. Then throw in some frozen corn and cashews, and it’s got an interesting texture that contrasts well with the brown rice. It’s a good beginner tofu recipe, if you’re looking to give it a try. You could also serve these vegan lettuce wraps with our Best Tahini Sauce, to add a creamy element. Either way, they’re over the top delicious!

Looking for vegan recipes?

Outside of our healthy vegan lettuce wraps, we have hundreds of other vegan recipes! Here are some of our favorites:

• The Best Vegan Meatballs
• Cauliflower Soup with Moroccan Spices
• “Verde” Lentil Vegan Tacos
• Vegan Pot Pie with Sage Crust
• The BEST Vegan Nachos
• Jackfruit BBQ Sandwich
• Instant Pot Wild Rice Soup Recipe
• Mexican Sweet Potatoes
• Easy Chickpea Salad Sandwich
• Easy Vegan Recipes for Beginners

This recipe is…

These healthy vegan lettuce wraps are vegetarian, gluten-free, vegan, plant-based, and dairy-free.

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Spicy Vegan Lettuce Wraps

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These delicious and healthy vegan lettuce wraps have a spicy filling full of plant based proteins: brown rice, spiced tofu, and cashews.

• Author: a Couple Cooks
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Yield: 3 to 4 1x
• Category: Main Dish
• Method: Stovetop
• Cuisine: American

Ingredients

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• 2 cups uncooked brown rice
• 1 package organic tofu
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• ½ cup cashew halves
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• ½ teaspoon hot sauce (Sriracha)
• 2 carrots
• 3 small heads lettuce (or 1 large)
• Best Tahini Sauce, Cashew Cream, or Cilantro Sauce, to serve (optional)

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Instructions

1. Cook the brown rice, according to the package instructions or use our Instant Pot method. When its done, season the rice with some kosher salt and a drizzle of olive oil.
2. Drain the tofu by wrapping it in a paper towel, placing it on a plate, and covering it with a heavy object for 5 minutes or more.
3. In a large non-stick skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the tofu and it break down it into very small pieces with a spatula. Sauté for about 15 minutes, until brown.
4. Add the frozen corn and stir for a few minutes until most of the liquid has cooked out of the tofu. Add the chili powder and cashew halves, and stir to combine. Add the soy sauce and hot sauce and stir until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat.
5. Meanwhile, peel and grate the carrots (we use this Handheld Julienne Peeler). Wash and dry the lettuce leaves.
6. To serve, place rice, tofu cashew mixture, and grated carrots within a lettuce leaf, and roll up the leaf.

Notes

*If serving as a main item for 4 hungry eaters, you may want to double this recipe.