These vegan lettuce wraps are filled with crisp peanut tofu and are so easy to make. All you need is a few simple, pantry staple ingredients and less than 30 minutes for a quick dinner!
Lettuce wraps are one of my favorite summer recipes. They’re light and fresh, but also hearty and filling since they’re usually loaded with protein from either chicken, beef or tofu.
These vegan lettuce wraps are a take on the popular P.F. Changs lettuce wraps, but are completely homemade so you’re in control of the ingredients!
I love these tofu lettuce wraps for a simple lunch, light dinner or even appetizer for a party. They’re the perfect recipe to prep in advance because the filling can be served hot or cold, and the tofu keeps really well in the fridge.
Lettuce wraps are so versatile and you can put whatever you want into them. Extra veggies, sub the tofu for chicken if you are not vegetarian, add chickpeas, or even use my sesame chickpeas for a filling!
Try my sofritas tofu next and be sure to leave a review if you try this recipe!
How to make lettuce wraps
Step 1: Squeeze liquid out of the tofu. You don’t need to formally press the tofu in a tofu press, but try to get as much liquid out as possible. I like to use my hands or a heavy object such as a filled tea kettle and remove the excess liquid.
Step 2: Pan fry the tofu. We’ll cut it into cubes and then mash some of the cubes so it has a more meaty texture.
Step 3: Add in the ginger, garlic, scallions and cashews. Saute with the tofu for a few minutes to bring out the flavors.
Step 4: Add in the peanut sauce, using as much or as little as you like. Saute for a few minutes to allow all of the flavors to blend.
Step 5: Serve! Clean off your lettuce then add the filling. I like to drizzle with more peanut sauce and add some crushed peanut and red chili flakes for some spice.
What else can I add to vegan lettuce wraps?
I kept this recipe really simple with mostly just tofu and cashews as the primary filler. However, you can definitely bulk these up with extra veggies if you prefer!
Carrots, cabbage, mushrooms, water chestnuts are all great additions and can beef up the filling and add some different textures.
What lettuce is best?
I suggest using butter lettuce because it’s a good size and holds up pretty well.
However, you can also use green leaf lettuce or romaine lettuce. I believe P.F. Changs serves their lettuce wraps with iceberg lettuce, but my preference is butter leaf as it is more nutritious than iceberg.
I do not recommend using kale for lettuce wraps since it has a strong flavor and can take away from the flavors of the filling. You want something fresh, light and crisp like butter or romaine lettuce.
How to serve
I like to serve these vegan lettuce wraps with some white rice to bulk them up a bit. For a lighter option, you can serve without any additional carb and just use the lettuce.
I also saw Pinch of Yum used noodles as the base, which I thought was a great idea, so I’ve used my peanut noodles as the base and it is SO good. Definitely a heartier option, but packs so much flavor.
Storage tips
I suggest storing the lettuce and the filling separately for best results. The tofu filling will keep for 3-5 days in the fridge.
You can just serve it exactly as is and add some right into the lettuce, or you can heat it up with additional peanut sauce before serving.
Looking for a side dish?
I love lettuce wraps because they’re so great all on their own and don’t really need anything to go with them.
However, if you’re looking to mix things up, you can serve these vegan lettuce wraps with some roasted veggies (broccoli would be delish!), corn on the cob during summer, macaroni salad, or my peanut cauliflower wings if you really want to capitalize on the peanut theme!
Try these tofu recipes next!
If you make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on instagram so I can see your creation! Leave a comment and rating below and let me know how it turns out!
Vegan Peanut Tofu Lettuce Wraps
by: claire cary
Ingredients
- 1 16 ounce block extra firm tofu
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ cup chopped green onion
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
- ½ cup raw cashews
- 3/4-1 cup peanut sauce click for recipe
- Butter or romaine lettuce to serve
Instructions
- Remove the tofu from the package and wrap in a dish towel.
- Squeeze as much liquid out as you can. I usually just use my hands, but you can press it with a tofu press or use a heavy object such as a filled tea kettle.
- Cut into small cubes.
- Add to a large skillet with the olive oil and heat over medium/low heat.
- Use the back of a fork to mash some of the cubes so it looks a bit more like a scrambled egg texture. I keep some in cubes, and mash some. Anything works here!
- Cook over medium/low heat for about 5 minutes or until the tofu starts to brown.
- Add in the green onion, ginger, garlic and cashews.
- Saute for a few more minutes.
- Add in 3/4 cup of the peanut sauce and mix to combine. Taste and adjust flavors as desired.
- I usually like to add more peanut sauce so it's super flavorful, but you can also save some for drizzling on top of the wraps.
- Clean your lettuce leaves and scoop the tofu into the leaf. Drizzle with extra peanut sauce or top with crushed peanuts, red pepper flakes, cilantro and more scallions and enjoy!
- You can serve on top of some white rice or even use my peanut noodles as the base!
Genevieve says
I made this for dinner tonight and it was delicious! I especially loved the peanut sauce- you are correct when you say it’s the only recipe I’ll ever need for it. I had a bunch of the sauce leftover, so it looks like I’ll be making something fun for lunch tomorrow too!
Claire Cary says
Perfect! I’m biased but the peanut sauce is truly the best 🙂