In this easy vegan and gluten-free lunch recipe, crispy baked tofu is tossed in a tangy tahini sauce and served in fresh leaves of lettuce. The versatile nut-free sauce is a great alternative to peanut sauce and the elements of this meal can be easily prepared ahead of time.
When all signs of winter finally fade away in mid-April here in Pennsylvania, I start to seriously crave fresh vegetable-forward meals like big salads with plenty of protein and a yummy sauce every day. I often get stuck eating the same boring salad over and over, so I decided to challenge myself to create 10 vegan salad recipes to share here on the blog with you all!
These tofu lettuce wraps are the first installment in my Spring and Summer Salad Series. I cant wait to share more creative salads with you over the next few weeks and I hope you enjoy making them. My goal is to for us all to eat more salad but also to expand our notions of what salad can look like! I hope you’ll file away your favorite proteins, dressings, and ingredient combinations to use in future meals.
How to make tofu lettuce wraps:
- First, make your tangy tahini sauce by whisking together tahini, tamari, sesame oil, lime juice, rice vinegar, maple syrup, ginger, and chili paste.
- Cube and bake your tofu with a cornstarch coating that will help each piece roast to crispy perfection!
- Prepare all your vegetable components.
- Toss your baked tofu in the tahini sauce.
- Serve the sauced tofu in leaves of fresh romaine along with crunchy carrots and cabbage, chopped almonds, fresh lime juice, and an extra drizzle of tangy tahini sauce.
Tangy Tahini Tofu Lettuce Wraps
In this easy vegan and gluten-free lunch recipe, crispy baked tofu is tossed in a tangy tahini sauce and served in fresh leaves of lettuce. The versatile nut-free sauce is a great alternative to peanut sauce and the elements of this meal can be easily prepared ahead of time.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 35
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 3 servings 1x
Ingredients
for the tangy tahini sauce:
- 1/4 c + 2 tbsp tahini
- 1 tbsp tamari
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp chili paste
- 1 inch of fresh ginger, grated
- pinch of salt
- 2–4 tbsp water
for the tofu:
- 16 oz extra firm tofu, pressed
- 1 tbsp high heat oil
- 1 tbsp tamari
- 2 tbsp cornstarch or arrowroot starch
- fresh black pepper
to serve
- romaine lettuce leaves
- shredded cabbage
- shredded carrots
- chopped almonds
- red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400
- Make your sauce by whisking together all of the sauce ingredients in a bowl, adding water as needed to achieve a smooth texture. Pour half the sauce into a smaller bowl and leave half in the bowl you made the sauce in. Set aside.
- Cut your tofu into 1 inch cubes and place in a large bowl along with the oil, tamari, cornstarch, and black pepper. Use a large metal spoon or thin rubber spatula to gently toss the tofu in the bowl without breaking too many pieces (I usually tilt the bowl to the side and “fold” the tofu gently with the spoon)
- Place the tofu cubes onto a lined baking sheet and put in the oven to cook for 20 minutes.
- After 20 minutes, carefully flip each piece of tofu (I use a thin metal spatula to loosen each piece without tearing the crust that has formed on the bottom of the tofu) before returning to the oven to cook for another 15 minutes until crispy.
- Meanwhile, assemble your “salad bar” with the lettuce leaves and toppings.
- When the tofu is finished cooking, it will be golden brown and crispy. Remove each piece from the pan while still hot and place into the larger bowl of tahini sauce and toss to coat well.
- Assemble your wraps by placing 3-4 pieces of tofu on each lettuce leaf along with the shredded cabbage and carrots, chopped nuts, extra tahini sauce, and any other toppings you’d like. Serve immediately and store extra ingredients separately.
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