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These lettuce cups are almost too pretty to eat and bursting with fresh flavors. Crispy lettuce cups are filled with meaty high-protein vegan crumbles, and crisp veggies, topped with crunchy peanuts.
I recently returned from a trip to Thailand and have felt deeply inspired by all the unique beautiful dishes featuring bright colors and fresh flavors. Bangkok has a rich Chinese history and luckily that led to a vibrant food culture with influences from China. Lettuce cups or lettuce wraps are a staple that Thailand has adopted as a part of its cuisine.
These lettuce cups are my plant-based take on the popular dish. I made these in many different versions before landing on this combination. Traditional lettuce wraps have water chestnuts and pork as the featured ingredients. Here, I use radishes for the crunch and textured vegetable protein to create flavorful meaty crumbles that hold up to the savory Asian-inspired sauce.
All the fresh and colorful veggies make this dish not only visually stunning but add complexity in texture and flavor. Adapt it however you like! The best part is they come together in less than 20 minutes. It’s even faster if you use packaged plant crumbles instead of making the TVP version here. Although I highly recommend making your own. It’s more affordable and makes it easier to avoid preservatives and extra additives. I keep this TVP stocked in the pantry as a staple.
Instructions
Vegan Beef Crumbles
- Over medium heat bring the vegetable broth or water to a simmer. Add the garlic powder, onion powder, salt, paprika, Worcestershire, and soy sauce or tamari.
- Add the textured vegetable protein and simmer for about ten minutes until the TVP is fully hydrated. Add more water as needed if the TVP is still dry.
- Set aside.
- Skip this altogether if you want to use packaged beef crumbles from the grocery store. That makes for a quicker meal with less cleanup!
Lettuce Cups
- Wash and strip the lettuce leaves and trim the edges. Place aside.
- Add sesame oil to a pan over medium heat and add diced onion. Saute until translucent and fragrant, about 3-5 minutes.
- Add the shredded carrot and saute for another couple of minutes.
- Add the garlic and ginger paste. Saute for another minute. Then add the red pepper flakes if using.
- Mix in the hoisin, soy sauce or tamari, rice vinegar, and fish sauce. Add the TVP mixture and mix well until the TVP crumbles absorb the sauce.
Assembly
- In each lettuce leaf place a couple of slices of radish in the bottom. Depending on the size of your lettuce, add a couple of tbsp of the TVP mixture to the lettuce cups.
- Top each cup with shredded cabbage, additional fresh carrot if desired, green onions, sesame seeds, peanuts, and sriracha if desired.
- Serve fresh. Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days. Reheat in the microwave.
Try these other recipes:
Stuffed Tofu and Veggie Pancakes
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Vegan Lettuce Cups
Ingredients
Vegan Beef Crumbles
- 1 cup textured vegetable protein
- 1 cup vegetable broth or water
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp vegan Worcestershire
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp soy sauce (or Tamari for gluten-free)
Lettuce Cups
- 1 head butter lettuce or baby romaine
- 1/4 yellow onion-diced
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1/2 tbsp garlic- minced
- 1/2 tbsp ginger paste, or minced ginger root
- 1/2 cup shredded carrot
- 1/4 cup soy sauce (or Tamari for gluten-free)
- 1/3 cup hoisin sauce
- 1 tsp fish sauce (optional)
- 1/2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1/4 cup radish-sliced
- 1/2 cup shredded red cabbage
- crushed peanuts to taste
- toppings: sriracha, sesame seeds, green onions, etc.
Instructions
Vegan Beef Crumbles
- Over medium heat bring the vegetable broth or water to a simmer. Add the garlic powder, onion powder, salt, paprika, Worcestershire, and soy sauce or tamari.
- Add the textured vegetable protein and simmer for about ten minutes until the TVP is fully hydrated. Add more water as needed if the TVP is still dry.
- Set aside.
Lettuce Cups
- Wash and strip the lettuce leaves and trim the edges. Place aside.
- Add sesame oil to a pan over medium heat and add diced onion. Saute until translucent and fragrant, about 3-5 minutes.
- Add the shredded carrot and saute for another couple of minutes.
- Add the garlic and ginger paste. Saute for another minute. Then add the red pepper flakes if using.
- Mix in the hoisin, soy sauce or tamari, rice vinegar, and fish sauce. Add the TVP mixture and mix well until the TVP crumbles absorb the sauce.
Assembly
- In each lettuce leaf place a couple of slices of radish in the bottom. Depending on the size of your lettuce, add a couple of tbsp of the TVP mixture to the lettuce cups.
- Top each cup with shredded cabbage, additional fresh carrot if desired, green onions, sesame seeds, peanuts, and sriracha if desired.
- Serve fresh. Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days. Reheat in the microwave.
Notes
- Use packaged vegan beef crumbles from the grocery store in place of the TVP crumbles for even quicker preparation. Add them directly into the skillet with the onions and carrots and skip the TVP prep altogether.
- I haven’t tried freezing this yet, but if you do, let us know how it went in the comments!
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