Lettuce Wrap Bar with Two Fillings

A spread of crisp lettuce leaves, two boldly flavored plant-based fillings, and a rainbow of fresh toppings for building your own wraps. Spiced lentils bring hearty warmth for the carb-lovers, while ginger-garlic tofu with mushrooms keeps things rich and low-carb for keto diners. Everything on the table is vegan, so everyone builds exactly the plate they want.

By TasteBuds

Recipe details

Yield
4 people
Prep time
25 minutes
Cook time
30 minutes
Total time
45 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Green or brown lentils, rinsed
  • 2½ cups Water (for lentils)
  • 1 tsp Ground cumin
  • 1 tsp Ground coriander
  • ½ tsp Smoked paprika
  • ¼ tsp Cayenne pepper (optional, for heat)
  • ¾ tsp Salt (for lentils)
  • 1 tbsp Fresh lime juice (for lentils)
  • ¼ cup Fresh cilantro, chopped (for lentils)
  • 14 oz Extra-firm tofu, pressed and cubed
  • 8 oz Shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, sliced
  • 2 tbsp Sesame oil
  • 1 tbsp Fresh ginger, peeled and minced
  • 4 cloves Garlic, minced
  • 3 tbsp Soy sauce or tamari (use tamari for gluten-free)
  • 1 tbsp Rice vinegar
  • 1 tsp Maple syrup
  • 2 heads Butter lettuce or romaine hearts, leaves separated, rinsed, and dried
  • 1 large Cucumber, julienned or thinly sliced
  • 2 medium Carrots, peeled and shredded or julienned
  • 1 cup Red cabbage, thinly sliced
  • ½ cup Fresh mint leaves, whole or torn
  • ½ cup Fresh cilantro, leaves and tender stems (for serving)
  • 2 Limes, cut into wedges
  • to taste Sriracha or chili garlic sauce (for serving)

Instructions

  1. Rinse 1 cup green or brown lentils under cold water and drain.
  2. In a medium saucepan, combine the rinsed lentils and 2½ cups water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 20 minutes until tender but still holding their shape. While the lentils simmer, move to the next steps.
  3. Press 14 oz extra-firm tofu between paper towels or a clean kitchen towel to remove excess moisture, then cut into ½-inch cubes.
  4. Remove stems from 8 oz shiitake mushrooms and slice the caps into thin strips.
  5. Peel and mince 1 tbsp fresh ginger.
  6. Mince 4 cloves garlic.
  7. In a small bowl, whisk together 3 tbsp soy sauce or tamari, 1 tbsp rice vinegar, and 1 tsp maple syrup. Set aside.
  8. Once the lentils are tender, drain any excess water and return them to the saucepan. Stir in 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp ground coriander, ½ tsp smoked paprika, ¼ tsp cayenne pepper (if using), and ¾ tsp salt. Mix well, then stir in 1 tbsp fresh lime juice and ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro. Cover and keep warm.
  9. Heat 2 tbsp sesame oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat until shimmering.
  10. Add the cubed tofu in a single layer and cook without stirring for 3 minutes until the bottoms are golden and crisp.
  11. Flip the tofu cubes and cook for another 3 minutes on the second side until golden.
  12. Add 8 oz sliced shiitake mushrooms, 1 tbsp minced fresh ginger, and 4 cloves minced garlic to the skillet. Stir-fry for 3 minutes until the mushrooms are tender and the garlic is fragrant.
  13. Pour the soy sauce mixture over the tofu and mushrooms. Toss to coat and cook for 1 minute until the sauce clings to everything. Remove from heat.
  14. While the tofu cooks, separate, rinse, and dry 2 heads butter lettuce or romaine hearts. Arrange the leaves on a large serving platter.
  15. Julienne or thinly slice 1 large cucumber.
  16. Peel and shred or julienne 2 medium carrots.
  17. Thinly slice 1 cup red cabbage.
  18. Tear or leave whole ½ cup fresh mint leaves.
  19. Pick ½ cup fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems.
  20. Cut 2 limes into wedges.
  21. Transfer the spiced lentils to a serving bowl and the ginger-garlic tofu and mushrooms to another bowl. Arrange the cucumber, carrots, red cabbage, mint, cilantro, and lime wedges in small bowls around the lettuce platter. Set out sriracha or chili garlic sauce for drizzling. Let everyone build their own wraps.