There truly is nothing like Thai food, but I don’t always want to rely on takeout to enjoy the sumptuous flavors of this Southeast Asian cuisine. So I’ve created a few go-to, Thai-inspired dishes that I can easily make at home. These healthy, handheld wraps are filled with a raw carrot-pecan pâté instead of the ground meat traditionally found in this dish, and feature quintessential Thai flavors like chili, lime, ginger, cilantro, and peanuts. I always make these wraps with butter lettuce, and the creamy peanut dipping sauce is sheer heaven.
Makes 4 wraps
What you need:
For the creamy peanut dipping sauce:
- ½ cup freshly ground peanut butter or 1 cup roasted peanuts
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari
- 1½ teaspoons fresh lime juice
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 garlic clove
- ⅓ cup water
For the lettuce wraps:
- 1 cup raw pecans
- ½ cup chopped carrots
- 1 whole Thai red chili
- 2 teaspoons tamari
- 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 6 butter lettuce leaves
For the toppings:
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ¼ cup chopped green onions
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What you do:
- For the peanut sauce, in a high-speed blender, combine all ingredients. Blend until creamy and transfer to a bowl.
- For the lettuce wraps, wipe inside of blender clean. Add pecans, carrots, chili, tamari, lime juice, maple syrup, and salt. Pulse a few times until a crumbly mixture forms.
- To assemble, fill each butter lettuce leaf with filling. Add toppings, and drizzle with peanut sauce.
Healthy hints:
>> Not a fan of spice? Simply omit the Thai red chili.
>> I usually eat these wraps cold, but if you’re craving something warm, try warming the nut filling before serving.
>> If you love these Raw Thai Lettuce Wraps, check out my Mexican collard wraps, fresh vegetable nori rolls, and raw pad Thai with peanut sauce.