How to Make Restaurant-Style Tofu Lettuce Wraps - A Step-by-Step Guide

If you're a fan of Asian cuisine, chances are you've come across lettuce wraps on a restaurant menu. These tasty, handheld appetizers typically feature a flavorful filling of meat, vegetables, and sauce, all wrapped up in fresh, crisp lettuce leaves. They're not only delicious, but also fun to eat, making them a popular choice for both appetizers and small plates.

But what if you're looking for a lighter, plant-based alternative to the traditional meat-filled lettuce wraps? Enter the rest...

Read more

Ingredients

  • 1 (12 ounce) package extra-firm tofu, drained
  • ¼ cup soy sauce
  • 3 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon dry sherry (Optional)
  • ¼ cup water
  • ¼ cup white sugar, or to taste
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
  • 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
  • 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon chile-garlic sauce (such as Sriracha®), or more to taste
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch, or as needed (Optional)
  • 2 teaspoons sesame oil, divided, or to taste
  • 1 large white onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 (15 ounce) can straw mushrooms, drained and chopped
  • 1 (8 ounce) can water chestnuts, drained and chopped
  • 1 (8 ounce) can bamboo shoots, drained and chopped
  • 1 medium head radicchio, chopped
  • 1 (8 ounce) package bean sprouts
  • 1 (5 ounce) can fried noodles (such as La Choy®)
  • chopped peanuts
  • ½ cup chopped carrot
  • ½ cup green onions, chopped
  • 1 (10 ounce) bag romaine lettuce leaves

Information

  • Prep Time: 40 mins
  • Cook Time: 15 mins
  • Additional Time: 1 day 3 hrs
  • Total Time: 1 day 3 hrs 55 mins
  • Servings: 8
  • Yield: 16 lettuce wraps

  • Place tofu in an airtight container and freeze for 24 hours. Remove from container and thaw, at least 3 hours. Squeeze out excess moisture with your hands or place tofu on paper towels and lay a heavy cutting board on top.
  • Whisk 1/4 cup soy sauce, brown sugar, 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar, and sherry together in a bowl to make the cooking sauce.
  • Whisk water, white sugar, 3 tablespoons soy sauce, hoisin sauce, oyster sauce, 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar, and chile-garlic sauce together in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add 1/4 teaspoon cornstarch at a time and whisk until thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. Store special sauce in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
  • Chop tofu roughly into small pieces. Heat 1 teaspoon sesame oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add tofu when oil is hot; stir-fry until tofu is browned, about 5 minutes. Set tofu aside in a bowl.
  • Heat remaining sesame oil in the skillet over high heat. Saute onion and garlic until browned and any excess liquid is absorbed, about 2 minutes. Add mushrooms, water chestnuts, and bamboo shoots. Cook over medium-high heat until any excess liquid is absorbed, 2 to 3 minutes. Add cooking sauce to the skillet and stir. Add tofu to the skillet. Cook until sauce is thickened and all vegetables are tender, 2 to 3 minutes more. Remove from heat.
  • Place radicchio, bean sprouts, noodles, peanuts, carrot, and green onions in individual bowls. Place tofu mixture in a serving bowl. Arrange lettuce leaves on a large plate. Put special sauce in a serving bowl with a spoon. Assemble by placing 2 to 3 lettuce leaves on a plate, topping with tofu and garnishes, and drizzling the special sauce on top.
  • Nutrition

    292 cal.

    • Total Fat: 10g
    • Saturated Fat: 2g
    • Cholesterol: 0mg
    • Sodium: 1284mg
    • Total Carbohydrate: 42g
    • Dietary Fiber: 7g
    • Total Sugars: 17g
    • Protein: 13g
    • Vitamin C: 19mg
    • Calcium: 206mg
    • Iron: 5mg
    • Potassium: 520mg