Tofu Lettuce Wraps

Course: dinner

Cuisine: American, Asian Fusion

Diet: Vegan

Keyword: tofu lettuce wraps

Prep Time: 40

Cook Time: 8

resing time: 10

Total Time: 58

Servings:

Calories: 200kcal

Author: Cindy Rainey

This recipe for tofu lettuce wraps is as tasty as it looks! It combines the flavors of soy sauce, garlic, and ginger, with a dollop of sesame oil, and a hint of sweet brown sugar for a delightful cooking sauce for your tofu and veggie mixture. The tofu cubes have the perfect texture - a little firm on the outside with a creamy center, that just soaks up that yummy sauce!

Print Recipe

Equipment

tofu press

Ingredients

Prep for the pan

14 ounces firm tofu drained and pressed
1 medium carrot peeled and matchstick sliced
5-6 radishes matchstick sliced
2 green onions thinly sliced
2 Tablespoons avocado oil or other neutral oil
12 large leaves butter lettuce washed and dried

Sauce

3 cloves garlic minced
2 inches fresh ginger peeled and minced
3 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 teaspoons rice vinegar seasoned
¾ teaspoon ground black pepper
½ teaspoon mustard powder
Optional: toasted sesame seeds to garnish

Instructions

Press the tofu and prepare the vegetables

Drain the tofu and press it for 30 minutes. While the tofu is pressing you can prepare the other ingredients and have them ready.
Cut off the base of the butter lettuce. Pull the leaves off and discard any that are not intact. Rinse leaves in cold water and drain. Pat dry and set aside
Peel and thinly slice the carrot into ¼” or thinner sticks no more than 2” long. If you are substituting thick shredded carrots then use about one-half cup. Set aside.
Cut the radishes into ¼” sticks. If your radishes are large then use five and if they are small then use six. Set aside.
Slice the green onion and set aside.

Prepare the sauce

Finely mince the ginger and garlic. If you have a garlic press, this is a good time to use it. Place the minced pieces into a small bowl.
Add the soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, rice vinegar, black pepper, and mustard powder to the bowl. Whisk together and set aside.

Cook the tofu

By now the tofu will have been pressed. Cut the pressed tofu into half-inch cubes.
Heat the oil in a large pan on medium. Add the tofu and cook for 4 minutes, stirring regularly and flipping with a spatula so that more than one side cooks in the oil
Add the chopped carrots and radish. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring regularly.
Pour in the sauce and cook for a final 2 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in the sliced green onions.
Serve a scoop or 2 in each lettuce leaf with a sprinkle of optional sesame seeds.
Best if served warm but not super hot. Allow to cool slightly before putting the cooked tofu and veggies with sauce onto the lettuce wrap.

Notes

This recipe makes about 12 tofu lettuce wraps. I'm counting three wraps per serving for a total of four servings.

The tofu should be pressed for 30 minutes. This is included in the prep time.

You may use extra firm tofu if desired. I like the texture of firm tofu for this recipe. This recipe calls for 14 ounces of tofu. If you have a 16-ounce container of tofu then just use that. It works out fine in the end as it's only a few more pieces.

You can use the thick shredded carrots you can buy in the produce section in a bag as a substitute for the matchstick carrots. Use about 1/2 cup.

Nutrition