Vegan Lettuce Wraps

I have to admit, I’m not that keen towards American-Chinese food. However, every time my family went to P.F. Chang’s, the chicken lettuce wraps always won me over (this is before I became pescatarian). I made these tofu lettuce cups that mimic the chicken wraps from P.F. Chang’s, and they are GOOD. They’re fun to eat, and the contrasting textures between the crunchy water chestnuts and soft tofu and shiitake mushrooms makes for an addicting bite.

Variations

If you don’t have fermented black bean paste, just use 3 tbsp hoisin sauce instead: leave out the Chinese five spice powder, and reduce brown sugar to 1 tbsp.

Vegan Lettuce Wraps
Prep Time: 30 mins
Cook Time: 10 mins
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 1-14 oz block firm tofu
• 1-8 oz can water chestnuts, drained and finely diced
• 6 dried shiitake mushrooms, rehydrated and finely diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tsp ginger, minced
• 2 stalks green onions, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp soy sauce (or sub tamari)
• 1 tbsp dark soy sauce (or sub tamari)
• 3 tbsp fermented black bean paste
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar
• 5 tsp brown sugar
• 2 tsp Sriracha
• ¼ tsp Chinese five spice powder
• 1-2 tsp cooking oil
• 1 head romaine or butter lettuce
  
  

Directions

1. Press tofu for 30 minutes to overnight (in the refrigerator) by wrapping in a clean towel and placing under a heavy object (like a cast iron skillet, baking tray with canned food, etc.) to release excess water. It’s okay to crush the tofu a bit, as you will be crumbling it later.
2. To create the sauce, whisk together the soy sauces, black bean paste, vinegar, sugar, sriracha, and five spice in a bowl and set aside.
3. Once the tofu is pressed, use your hands to crumble it into small pieces in a bowl. Mix with the minced water chestnuts and shiitake mushrooms.
4. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and ginger and fry for 30 seconds to release flavor. Add the tofu, water chestnuts, and shiitake mushrooms and sauté for 2-3 minutes to evaporate any excess water.
5. Pour in the sauce and stir to evenly coat the entire mixture. Cook for 2-3 more minutes before adding in green onions and removing from heat.
6. Serve by scooping filling into lettuce leaves and wrapping!

Per serving: 231 calories: 33.5 g carbs; 7.1 g fat; 11.5 g protein