Name: Recipe for Savory Tofu Lettuce Wraps
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes, divided
Total time: 50 minutes
Yield: 16 (2 tablespoon) servings
Cuisine: Appetizers and Sides
Ingredients: 1 head butter lettuce; 1/2 extra-firm tofu; 1 mushrooms, diced ¼-inch; 1/4 onion, diced ¼-inch; 1 garlic, minced; 1 ginger, minced; 1/2 (8 oz. can) sliced water chestnuts, diced ¼-inch; 1 Chicken-Style Seasoning; 1 lemon juice; 1 1/2 soy sauce; 1 1/2 tahini; 1 1/2 agave; 1/2 blackstrap molasses; 1/3-1/2 green onions, 1/4-inch slices

Bowl of tofu chunks and green onions with lettuce garnish

Appetizers and Sides Light, Plant-Based, and Unexpected

Lettuce wraps are such a fun food: crisp lettuce, savory filling, delicious bites! This recipe entails some chopping, but if you, like me, chop a whole onion at the beginning of the week and keep minced garlic and ginger in your freezer, then serving this meal won't take long at all. Wraps are a great side with Ginger Vegetable Stir-Fry.

Recipe courtesy of

Heather Leno

Prep Instructions

Yield: 16 (2 tablespoon) servings
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes, divided
Total Time: 50 minutes

Recipe Ingredients

1 head butter lettuce
1/2 pound extra-firm tofu
1 cup mushrooms, diced ¼-inch
1/4 cup onion, diced ¼-inch
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
1 tablespoon ginger, minced
1/2 (8 oz. can) sliced water chestnuts, diced ¼-inch
1 tablespoon Chicken-Style Seasoning
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons tahini
1 1/2 teaspoons agave
1/2 teaspoon blackstrap molasses
1/3-1/2 cups green onions, 1/4-inch slices

Wash the crisp butter lettuce prior to dinner prep.
Drain tofu and cut into ¼-inch cubes. In a large nonstick skillet, dry sauté the tofu cubes while you prep the vegetables and make the sauce. Stir from time to time to keep from sticking and until the pieces are a nice golden color and a bit crispy. Set aside so you can use the skillet for the prepped veggies.
For the veggies, follow the prep technique beside each ingredient. In a small amount of water, sauté the mushrooms and onion about 5 minutes, then add garlic, ginger, and water chestnuts and cook an additional 2 minutes. Add water as you need it, but in tiny amounts to keep the veggies from sticking, as all the water needs to be evaporated before adding the sauce.
Combine the Chicken-Style Seasoning, lemon juice, soy sauce, tahini, agave, and molasses. Fold the sauce and tofu into the cooked veggies. Transfer to a serving bowl and top with the green onions. To serve, spoon 2 tablespoons of the mixture onto each lettuce leaf.