This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure here.

This amazingly simple vegan Lettuce Wrap recipe is shared by Ann & Jane Esselstyn from their book, The Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease Cookbook. In just minutes, you can have a healthy meal on the table that everyone is going to love!

lettuce wraps stuffed with veggies on white platter — Photo Credit: The Prevent & Reverse Heart Disease Cookbook

The Esselstyns say, “The filling in these glorious lettuce wraps has the most fabulous combination of tastes. Don’t be afraid to use the jalapeno and garlic. They don’t jump out too strongly–they just add to the wonderful flavor.”

What kind of lettuce is used for lettuce wraps?

Any leafy lettuce that is large enough to hold the filling and still be folded can be used for making lettuce wraps. Broad and rounded leaves tend to do best because they can hold a substantial amount of filling without falling out. Some of the most widely used greens are these.

Boston bib
Butter lettuce
Iceberg
Romain hearts
Endive
Even cabbage

Raw Green Organic Butter Lettuce Ready to Eat

Are lettuce wraps better than bread?

One of the biggest reasons for using lettuce leaves rather than bread is to cut down on calories. Another benefit is that lettuce is a vegetable and therefore has lots of fiber as well as calcium, protein, and other nutrients. For those avoiding gluten, leafy greens make great wraps because they are completely gluten-free.

Ingredients

It only takes a few ingredients to make delicious healthy vegan lettuce wraps.

Leafy greens- These are to be used as a wrap.
Veggies- Whatever veggies you have on hand will work fine–carrots, onions, tomatoes, etc.
Vinegar- Balsamic is a great choice but other varieties work well too.
Hummus- Purchase oil-free hummus or make your own.

Making hummus without oil

One ingredient in this vegan wrap recipe is oil-free and tahini-free hummus. It can be purchased or homemade. Since it’s often difficult to find hummus premade without any oil or tahini, to me, it is much simpler to just make my own especially since it takes only about 10 minutes. Below are some of my personal favorites.

no tahini italian hummus in white bowl surrounded by melba toast topped with hummus and cilantro overhead photo

How to make vegan lettuce wraps

The recipe card at the bottom of the page has the full list of ingredients with measurements and instructions.

Begin by making the hummus if you don’t have premade. Any of the Hummus Recipes on this page are great options.

Disassemble the head of lettuce you plan to use and choose the right size leaves. Preference for this can vary by the amount of filling to be used in each one. Remember to wash the leaves thoroughly and pat them dry.

Go ahead and prep the veggies for the filling. You really can use whichever vegetables are preferred. The ones mentioned in this recipe are garlic, carrots, red bell pepper, cucumber, green onions, cilantro, and jalapeno. You’ll want to wash, peel, deseed, and slice them accordingly.

wooden cutting board with carrots, celery, onions, garlic

In a large bowl, toss together all of the prepared vegetables. Add the vinegar and stir.

Next, add the hummus and stir again. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

To make the lettuce wraps, fill the center of each lettuce leaf with about 1/4 cup of the dressed vegetables. Arrange the filled leaves on a platter. To eat, fold the sides together into a little wrap.

Vegetable lettuce wraps with carrot, onion, radish, red cabbage, cucumber and sweet chilli sauce.

Substitutions & Tips

Leafy greens- Great lettuce wrap greens include butter, bib, romaine hearts, endive, and even cabbage.
Vinegar- Use white balsamic vinegar if you want to keep the color brighter.
Wraps- If preferred, pitas or sandwich bread can be used.

Recipe is from The Prevent & Reverse Heart Disease Cookbook where it is called Lettuce Wraps with Creamy Marinated Vegetables. Published here with permission.

More vegan wrap recipes

For those of you new to the whole food plant-based lifestyle, we’ve created a FREE 7-Day Plant-Based Menu Planner to help you get started!

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure here.

If you try this recipe, please let us know how you like it by rating it and leaving a comment. We love to hear from you!

About the Chefs (mother-daughter team)

Ann Crile Esselstyn is a relentlessly energetic and creative advocate for the plant-based, whole-food way of life. She has devoted herself to inventing recipes to prevent and reverse heart disease in support of the research of her husband, Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, Jr. Ann never stops looking for ways to bring that important agenda to delicious life, devising ever more practical and powerful ways to shop, cook, and engage even the most reluctant eaters in the plant-perfect diet.

Ann is the author of the recipe section of Dr. Esselstyn’s bestselling book, Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease, and co-author of The Prevent & Reverse Heart Disease Cookbook with her daughter, Jane Esselstyn. She is a graduate of Smith College and holds a Masters in Education from Wheelock College.

Jane Esselstyn, RN is a fresh and charismatic voice on the whole food, plant-based diet. She brings her perspective and passion as a woman, nurse, researcher, and mother to creating on-ramps to the plant-based way of life. Jane is an avid and inventive designer of plant-based recipes and the co-author of The Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease Cookbook with her next-door neighbor, mom, and human firecracker.

Jane met her husband and fellow plant-based educator, Brian Hart, while working as a field instructor for Outward Bound. They have three plant-based children. Jane graduated from the University of Michigan, where she competed nationally as a recruited swimmer and rower, and earned a B.S. in Nursing from Kent State University. More…