Thai Tofu Lettuce Wraps
Many Asian dishes come served with a side of rice or noodles, and those rice and noodles often come with a healthy dose of calories. One serving isn’t bad at all, but if you’re like me, you can’t eat just one, and the multiple servings definitely increase the number of calories—fast.
Starches are often necessary to cut the heat of Asian recipes, so simply omitting that extra item isn’t always an option, but you can try replacing the starch with a lower-calorie food. Lettuce wraps are the perfect way to indulge in flavorful Asian cuisine without breaking the scale.
These Thai tofu wraps are very simple and focus on just the tofu, sauce, and garnish. The tofu is made spicy with a little Thai pepper, but I like to nearly catch my mouth on fire by adding a few drops of Sriracha too. Enjoy!
Thai Tofu Lettuce Wraps
1 small Thai pepper, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 Tbsp. olive oil
3 Tbsp. soy sauce
1/4 cup water
Juice of 1 lime (plus more for garnish)
1 Tbsp. arrowroot powder or cornstarch
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 16-oz. pkg. firm tofu, drained and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1 Tbsp. basil, finely chopped (plus more for garnish)
8 iceberg lettuce leaves
- Sauté the minced pepper and garlic in the olive oil for 2 to 3 minutes over medium heat. Add the soy sauce, water, and lime juice, stirring until well combined. Stir in the cornstarch and simmer over low heat until the tofu is ready.
- Heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat in a nonstick 12-inch skillet.
- Add the tofu and cook, stirring frequently (stir-frying), until heated through and browned on all sides, about 10 to 15 minutes. Add the sauce and chopped basil, then stir-fry for 1 minute. Transfer to a bowl.
- Scoop a spoonful of tofu onto each lettuce leaf, top with basil, garnish with lime juice, if desired, and serve.
Makes 2 large or 4 small servings
