Asian Walnut Lettuce Wraps with Ginger Dressing

Raw. Vegan. Grain Free. Gluten Free. Soy Free Version. Incredible.

To me these lettuce wraps are reminiscent of the infamous PF Chang's chicken lettuce wraps...seriously...they surprisingly carry most of the same delicious flavors and textures and really hit the spot! I had tried walnut-lentil tacos before and LOVED them, but I was skeptical about just using walnut meat alone...enter this delicious recipe introduced to me by my lovely business partner and co-author, Jennifer Brown. Another plus, they come together in under 30 minutes with no oven necessary and the leftovers taste great for a few days to follow. 

I made this batch with carrots, bell peppers, and cucumbers as my veggies, but you could add or substitute celery, bean sprouts, zucchini, or avocado here just as easily. We've also added our Miso-Ginger Dressing that is a must have pairing to this satisfying dish.  While this meal might look light, it is packed with nutrient dense foods rich in healthy fats that will keep you feeling fuller longer. You can learn all about the health benefits of walnuts on our blog, Health Benefits of Walnuts.

Asian Walnut Lettuce Wraps with Miso-Ginger Dressing (PRINT RECIPE)
Serves 4; Serving Size 2-3 lettuce wraps

Ingredients:
2 cups raw walnuts
4 teaspoons soy sauce or tamari (gluten free soy sauce or tamari if needed)*
1 inch fresh ginger root, peeled and minced or grated
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon sriracha or chili garlic sauce
2 tablespoons maple syrup
½ teaspoon sesame seeds
1 head Boston or Bibb lettuce (sub iceberg/chard if you can’t find)
3 carrots, shredded
½ red bell pepper, thinly sliced
2 scallions, chopped
Sesame seeds for garnish

Directions:

1. Put the walnuts in a bowl and cover with hot water.  Let soak for ten minutes while you clean and chop the rest of your veggies.
2. Drain the walnuts and place them in a high-powered blender or food processor with the soy sauce, ginger, olive oil and garlic.  Pulse several times, scraping down the sides of the container with a spatula between pulses as necessary.  The result should be finely minced pieces, but not a mush or paste.
3. Add the Sriracha, maple syrup, and sesame seeds and pulse a few more times to incorporate.  Mix with a spatula if needed as you scrape it into a bowl for serving.
4. Serve either by prefilling wraps on everyone’s plate with walnut meat, carrots, pepper slices, scallions and a sprinkling of sesame seeds in each whole lettuce leaf, or by putting everything on the table for everyone to serve themselves.
5. Drizzle with Miso-Ginger Dressing and eat. 

We hope you enjoy these as much as we do! Happy eating!
~Billie & Jen

*For soy-free version substitute coconut aminos for soy sauce or tamari and use Sesame-Ginger Dressing (Click here for recipe).