Fresh and filling, these taco lettuce wraps infuse chewy quinoa and hearty pinto beans with your favorite Mexican flavors to create a delicious handheld meal. Corn kernels add bursts of juicy sweetness to the grain medley while red onion offers a tangy crunch. The drool-worthy filling is spooned into tender lettuce leaves and topped with a cantaloupe salsa that gets a kick of heat from chopped jalapeño. Mint replaces cilantro in the salsa to add a fresh twist, which works perfectly to liven up the smoky, savory flavors of the taco filling. Feel free to add a drizzle of hot sauce or a dollop of vegan sour cream for extra oomph!
For more vegan lettuce wrap recipes, check out these tasty ideas:
By Nancy Macklin, RDN ,
Ingredients
- 1½ cups dry tricolor quinoa
- 1 cup fresh or frozen sweet corn kernels
- 1 cup chopped red onion
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons salt-free taco seasoning
- 1 15-oz. can no-salt-added pinto beans, rinsed and drained (1½ cups)
- Sea salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 cups chopped cantaloupe
- 1 cup fresh salsa or pico de gallo
- 1 fresh jalapeño chile, seeded and finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 12 to 16 green-leaf lettuce leaves
- 1 avocado, halved, seeded, peeled, and thinly sliced
Instructions
- In a large saucepan combine quinoa, corn, ¾ cup of the onion, the garlic, taco seasoning, and 3 cups water. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 15 to 20 minutes or until quinoa is tender. Remove from heat. Stir in pinto beans. Season with salt and black pepper.
- Meanwhile, for salsa, in a medium bowl stir together the next five ingredients (through lime juice) and the remaining ¼ cup onion.
- Fill lettuce leaves with quinoa mixture. Serve with melon salsa and avocado.
Nutritional Information:
Per serving (⅙ of recipe), 382 calories, 64 g carbohydrates, 15.8 g protein, 8.6 g total fat, 1.2 g saturated fat, 432 mg sodium, 14.4 g fiber, 9.4 g sugar
Note: Nutritional information is provided as an estimate only.
Could I get a recipe for salt-free taco seasoning? Thank You
Loved this! The flavors were great. I did add extra black beans since I love beans.
Just made this and it is incredibly delicious and filling. I didn’t have lettuce to make the cups but I served it over loose lettuce and it was amazing.
If everything is no salt where does all of that 452 mg of sodium come from?
Delicious! Makes a huge batch. Will use for several dinners and lunches this week. Nice topping for salads or stand alone in a bowl with some fresh salsa and avocado. Thanks!!
In description it reads: “Fresh and filling, these taco lettuce wraps infuse chewy quinoa and hearty black beans…….” But the recipe doesn’t list black beans. ??
Hi AB,
Thanks so much for catching that. That was a typo; it should have said “pinto beans.” We’ve made the correction.
Happy cooking!
Courtney Davison
Editor, Forks Over Knives
This recipe was a hit! My youngest son and husband really liked it. I’m sure I’ll make it again and again.