Vegan Lettuce Wraps

For the Sauce:

• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
• 1/3 cup sesame oil
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons chili paste (like sambal oelek) ++ for more firecrackery-ness
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• a small knob of fresh ginger, peeled
• a clove of fresh garlic, peeled

For the Lettuce Wraps:

• 1 container extra firm tofu (see notes)
• 4 ounces brown rice noodles
• lettuce leaves for wrapping
• peanuts, cilantro, lime for serving

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Instructions

1. Noodle Prep: Soak your noodles in a bowl of lukewarm water for at least 30 minutes while prepping the rest of the recipe. You want the noodles to be soft and flexible.
2. Sauce: Blend all the sauce ingredients together in a small blender or food processor until smooth and creamy.
3. Tofu: Press the tofu with a few paper towels to get some of the moisture out. Cut the tofu into small pieces. Heat a little oil in a nonstick skillet. Add your tofu. Stir-fry until golden brown. I usually let it sauté for at least 15 minutes. Add about half of the sauce to the pan. Stir-fry for another 3-5 minutes. As the sauce browns, it will form small crispy pieces around the tofu. Yum! Transfer tofu to a bowl.
4. Noodles: Drain and rinse your noodles. Add another swish of oil to the pan and plop the noodles in. Add about half of the remaining sauce. Stir fry for just a minute or two until coated. Add a splash of water if it’s too sticky. Remove from heat immediately and toss with the tofu.
5. Lettuce Wrap It Up: Fill your butter lettuce leaves with the noodle/tofu mixture (it’s okay if it’s sticky – you’re just wrapping it up in lettuce). Top with peanuts, cashews, cilantro, scallions, lime, and/or Sriracha if you want. YUM YUM YUM!

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Notes

Protein Options: It’s super easy to swap out your protein here. My two favorites are tofu (as written) and ground chicken!
Soaking the Noodles: This is important. If you don’t soak the noodles long enough they will require more liquid in the pan to cook, which kind of makes them boil into a big glob. Edible? Yes. Awesome? Not really. Be sure to soak them until they are very, very soft – almost ready to eat soft.