Sometimes, for a change, it’s nice to go without the bread and use lettuce instead. Ah, well, the obvious is that it’s gluten-free. And, one of the fun things about this Vegan/Plant-Based Tempeh Asian Lettuce Wraps recipe is that it’s great for lunch, for dinner, or even for an appetizer.
If you serve these tempeh Asian lettuce wraps to guests, they can make their own. Just put out the ingredients in little bowls along with the yummy, spicy-sweet dressing and let them go.
Tempeh is a great source of protein and fiber. Fiber is becoming more and more important as science looks at what contributes to health and disease. People in Western countries are not getting enough fiber.
Here’s a great short video about its nutritional value from nutritionfacts.org to give you the lowdown. It’s even better than edamame (just soybeans) because of the fermentation.
Tempeh provides about 15 grams of protein per 3 oz. serving. These little tempeh crumbles work really well in this recipe. You might also be interested in the basic Crumbled Tempeh recipe as you can add them to lots of dishes like in tacos, on top of salads, or in your marinara sauce.
Party’s need appetizers! Here’s a few more to add to your menu:
You can mix up the ingredients if you want. Try using slivered cucumber or bean sprouts. And, instead of peanuts, especially if you’re allergic, you could use slivered almonds. You can’t really go wrong with this recipe.
I actually found whole-grain rice noodles and the box it’s pretty large. You’ll only need a fraction of it for this recipe, but rice noodles are super fun and can be used in lots of recipes like my Vietnamese Noodle Bowl, or thrown in soups.
I’d love to hear your feedback in the comments below for this Tempeh Asian Lettuce Wraps recipe! If you have a photo, post it on Instagram, tag me using the hashtag #plantbasedcooking in your caption, and I won’t miss it!
Tempeh Asian Lettuce Wraps with
Ingredients
- 2 8 oz packages tempeh (original soy)
- 1 large carrot grated
- 1 red bell peppers seeds removed and cut into thin slices
- 8 green onions sliced
- ½ cup parsley chopped
- 1/4 package rice noodles cooked, white or whole wheat
- 1 cup mango salsa store bought or homemade
- 8 leaves large butter lettuce
- ¾ cup dry roasted peanuts chopped
Dressing
- 1/4 cup peanut butter
- 1/3 cup low-sodium tamari or low-sodium soy sauce)
- 2 Tbl rice vinegar
- 2 Tbl chili garlic sauce
- 1 Tbl minced ginger
- 1 Tbl maple syrup
Instructions
- Separate the leaves from the butter lettuce, rinse and pat dry.
- Crumble the tempeh into a large skillet and saute until lightly browned
- Cook rice noodles according to the directions on the package. Rinse in cool water and set aside.
- Whisk together the dressing ingredients.
- Remove the sauteed tempeh to a large bowl and add the grated carrot, bell peppers, green onions, parsley and noodles.
- Lay out 8 lettuce leaves and fill each one with about 2 ounces of the tempeh mixture.
- Sprinkle with chopped peanuts and drizzle with the dressing.
Maybe a silly question……do you cook the noodles first?
Good question. Yes, you do cook them and I’ll update that on the recipe to make it clearer. Thanks.
Hi Im wondering what i can substitute the Tempeh with i can not have Tempeh because of the soy in it
Hi Joan, You could leave out the tempeh and I think they’d be delicious, but you could try adding sauteed chopped mushrooms or some crumbled seitan which you can usually find premade at the market. You could also add another grain such as cooked quinoa or farro. I hope that helps.