These vegetarian Thai lettuce wraps are basically cauliflower tacos! Crispy, crunchy cauliflower lettuce wraps made of an assortment of veggies and coated in a mildly spicy Thai sauce.
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Yup, more cauliflower. I can’t help myself. It’s so good! And so versatile! And you will really, REALLY like this one! I promise. Especially if you are a big fan of Thai flavours, which I obviously am. I should actually have a Thai category on the blog! It is definitely my favourite cuisine. If I had to choose a last supper, I think it might be Thai green curry. Or a Penang prawn curry. Or this Thai chicken peanut curry. Gosh, I don’t know. I hope I never actually have to choose!
These Thai cauliflower lettuce wraps have JUST a little bit of heat, but a lot of flavour. You can customize them with so many different toppings, and the peanut sauce compliments the spice just perfectly. We should actually talk about this peanut sauce for a bit. It’s only 5 ingredients, and it’s SO good!
I’m peanut butter obsessed in general, but I’ve always loved the flavor contrast of peanut butter with savory dishes, especially ones with a little bit of spice! Chicken satay, anyone?
How do you crisp up the cauliflower for these vegetarian lettuce wraps?
If you have made my crispy Mongolian cauliflower, you’ll recognize the method I use to crisp up the cauliflower in the oven. Cornstarch, baby! All you do is throw the cauliflower into a Ziploc bag with a bit of oil and cornstarch, and shake it all up before roasting it in the oven.
If you aren’t a fan of cornstarch for whatever reason, you can definitely leave it out and just bake the cauliflower with a bit of olive oil, but I love that extra crispiness.
Oh, and speaking of crispiness, have you ever had crispy pork belly!? Sooooooo good. I made it for the first time the other day and it was AMAZING. But this is a story for another day 😉
Today, we’re going meatless.
What kind of lettuce do you use for a lettuce wrap?
You’ll find that most lettuce wrap recipes call for butter lettuce, as it holds its shape the best and forms a natural little “cup”. I like a bit more substance to my wraps, for presentation, but also so I can load them up even more with extra filling! For these wraps I use a leaf of iceberg lettuce with a butter lettuce leaf inside. So fresh and crispy!
Also, be sure that after you rinse your lettuce leaves, you dry them off really well so they don’t get water-logged!
Etienne always complains a wee bit about my meatless meals, but he was all over these cauliflower lettuce wraps!
What are you guys up to this weekend? My only plan is to donate blood (woooohoo)! I’m seriously hoping the weather shapes up so we can get outside a little bit. The kids are seriously going stir-crazy and so am I!!
Come on, spring!
More meatless options for you from the blog:
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Thai Cauliflower Lettuce Wraps
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
These vegetarian Thai lettuce wraps are basically cauliflower tacos! Crispy, crunchy cauliflower lettuce wraps made of an assortment of veggies and coated in a mildly spicy Thai sauce.
Ingredients
- 6 cups cauliflower florets (approx. 1 head)
- 5 tbsp oil, divided (olive oil, vegetable or grapeseed)
- 1/2 cup corn starch
- 1 tbsp grated ginger
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tbsp red curry paste*
- 3 tbsp hoisin sauce
- 3–4 mushrooms, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced into thin strips
- 1–2 carrots, julienned
- 1 head butter lettuce
- 1 head iceberg lettuce
- 1/4 cup green onions, diced
- sesame seeds, cilantro, peanuts for garnish (optional)
Peanut Dressing
- 1/4 cup smooth, natural peanut butter*
- 1 tbsp soy sauce (or gluten-free tamari)
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1/2 tsp chili sauce
- 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
- 3 tbsp water*
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Combine the cauliflower florets, 3 tbsp of oil and cornstarch in a large re-sealable bag and shake to coat thoroughly. Spread the cauliflower onto the baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned.
- While the cauliflower is baking, prepare the peanut sauce. In a small bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients, adding more water if necessary to achieve a runny consistency. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired.
- Prepare the remaining ingredients by heating the remaining 2 tbsp oil in a large pan over medium heat. When the oil is warmed, add the grated ginger and garlic cloves, sautéing for 2-3 minutes or until fragrant. Add the curry paste and hoisin sauce and stir to combine. Add the mushrooms and bell pepper and cook for 2-3 minutes. Turn the heat down to low.
- Remove the cauliflower from the oven and empty into the pan, along with the carrots. Stir everything together until it is thoroughly coated. Remove from heat.
- Prepare the lettuce wraps by placing one butter lettuce leaf inside a leaf of iceberg. Fill the lettuce with about 1/2 cup of filling, and top with green onions, sesame seeds, cilantro and peanuts. Drizzle with peanut sauce. Serve immediately!
Lettuce wraps should be prepared as they are eaten. Any leftover filling can be stored in the fridge for 1-2 days, in an airtight container. Store remaining peanut sauce at room temperature or in the fridge, for 3-4 days.
Notes
- I use this brand of red Thai curry paste.
- I always use natural peanut butter, but any kind will work!
- You want the sauce to be runny enough to drizzle over the lettuce wraps. Add enough water to achieve the right consistency, one teaspoon at a time
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: vegetarian meals
- Method: oven
Keywords: vegetarian Thai lettuce wraps // thai peanut lettuce wraps // cauliflower tacos recipe // lettuce wraps vegetarian
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CAULIFLOWER is my FAVORITE!! I want to think that you made these for me hehehe. I love butter lettuce, but agree the crunch of iceberg lettuce is nice for that contrast in textures. Another home run Katherine. Have a great weekend!! XOXO
I love it too! I think I eat it in some form or another almost daily lately!! YES that iceberg crunch is perfect. Thanks so much Kelly!!
These are so up my alley! Love all the flavours going on and especially the lettuce ‘cups’. Hubby and I enjoy lettuce wraps and seem to eat so many when we have them. We would devour the whole lot of these! Extra peanut dressing for me please! And, yes, bring on spring 🙂 XO
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Thanks Dawn – I know you guys like your lettuce wraps!! I think you guys would definitely enjoy these ones! The peanut dressing is the BEST!! YAY spring! Cheers, my friend!
How gorgeous are these Katherine! And they sound totally packed with flavor! Trade ya some Twix cookies for some of these?!
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DEAL – those cookies are deadly! Thanks friend, have a good weekend!
I love lettuce wraps and anything Thai, so I’m all over these! Using cauliflower is such a great idea — I would devour these!
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I love Thai so much! Thanks Marcie, I bet you’d love these!
I have to admit that I was skeptical at first, but by the time I read through the recipe, I was more than curious. These wraps sound really interesting.
That’s totally fair, I think many people would be skeptical of this one! They’re very good – you’ll have to take my word for it!! 🙂
Katherine, these look so delicious! So cool that you used cauliflower. The peanut sauce sounds amazing!
Thank you Kelly! The peanut sauce is SO good – I can eat it by the spoonful 😉
I never get tired of ways to enjoy cauliflower (#magicvegetable) and this one looks incredible, Katherine! Can’t wait to try that peanut sauce too!
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Definitely a magic vegetable! We go through SO much of it, I wish I could grow it myself! Thanks Marissa!
These cauliflower lettuce wraps look so delicious Katherine. I love cauliflower and with that peanut dressing, it must taste absolutely amazing.
I hope that you are having a great weekend 🙂
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The peanut dressing is the best. I love having extra so I can drizzle it on other things throughout the week, too! Thanks Ashika! You too! XO
These are wonderful! I can smell them! I’m not vegetarian, but then, I don’t eat much meat, so I can really embrace these more for flavor and texture and happiness!
Yes! We aren’t vegetarian either but we do enjoy quite a few meatless meals. Thanks for stopping by! 🙂
I LOVE cauliflower! And I want to drink that peanut dressing with a straw, so basically these sound perfect! Have a great week, Katherine!
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I LOVE the peanut dressing too, Kelsie! It’s the best part! Thanks my friend – I hope your first week back goes smoothly! XO
Love the flavours in this one Katherine! We love lettuce wraps, and I’m pretty sure with the flavours going on here, I could convince my husband to eat cauliflower!
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If you love lettuce wraps, I bet you’d love these, Leanne! I hope your husband likes them! Thanks friend!
Love cauliflower and love, love lettuce wraps and so love Thai. This is win-win-win in my books!
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This would definitely be a win for you, Maria! You’ve got to try it soon!! 🙂
i’m also a sucker for curry – it would def be part of may last meal! great tip on the cornstarch to make the cauliflower crispy. that peanut sauce looks divine!
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Thanks Danielle! I love curry so much – I could eat it every day. The peanut sauce is the best part!!
Thai is my favorite food, so I know I would love these!! I like to use cabbage for my wraps, it holds up even better than lettuce!
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That’s such a great idea, I love the idea of using cabbage!!
Surely amazing. The Crunch, the freshness and the flavors of all the ingredients and sauce option makes everything so perfect to relishing these Wraps.
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Thank you Veena! They are terrific!
This is such a delicious looking recipe, what a great meatless idea! My family would definitely be all over these!
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You’ve got to try it! We love subbing cauliflower for some meatless meals!
I do love Thai flavours! We went to Thailand on our honeymoon so Thai food always has good memories for me. These sound absolutely delicious and so healthy as well.
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Ah, that’s so nice. I love Thai food but have never actually been to Thailand! Thanks Corina!
I love all of the flavor going on in this dish. I too am a huge fan of cauliflower and its versatility, this is definitely a must try!
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Thanks Anne! I bet you’d love it!
I am also peanut butter obsessed! I eat it off of a spoon daily, and always include it in my breakfast. This lettuce wrap is definitely up my alley!
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These Thai Cauliflower lettuce wraps look amazing. They would be great for a light lunch. Can’t wait to try these.
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I love this idea…so creative and so healthy too! The peanut sauce is perfect for this…now I’m hungry again!
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I love these!! Such great flavors and the cauliflower is just perfect. Love that they are stuffed into a lettuce leaf too really lightens things up!
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What a great idea to get regular lettuce and then put the Bibb inside of it. And I too like cauliflower with Thai flavor. I can almost hear the crunch of the lettuce and the peanut sauce? A perfect way to finish the cups. A beautiful and tasty light dish.
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YES it’s very crunchy! In fact I’m craving it right now, haha. Thank you so much, Marisa!
This looks so light and healthy. I guess this will be my next lunch. 🙂 Can’t wait to give it a try!
You won’t regret it. Cheers!
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