These lentil turkey lettuce wraps with hoisin sauce are addictively delicious for a healthy meal or appetizer. They’re gluten free, low FODMAP, grain free, and easy to make. Get the recipe & learn all about lentils, plus why you should include ’em in your diet for good health!
Last month, I had an amazing time immersing myself in all things lentils, thanks to a farm-to-table tour, sponsored by lentils.org, in Saskatoon Canada.
Disclosure: Lentils.org paid for all my expenses to go on this tour, however I was not compensated to write this post. I am grateful for the opportunity to learn more about lentils, one of my all-time favorite healthy “superfoods”, so I can share this information with you.
These healthy Lentil Turkey Lettuce Wraps were one of my favorite things I ate on this trip. And, trust me, I ate a LOT of delicious food. I’ll share the recipe with you shortly, but first I want to tell you a little bit more about what makes lentils so fabulous.
This Lentil, Kale, & Dill Salad, prepared by Chef Dale MacKay of Top Chef Canada fame, was my second favorite lentil dish I ate on the tour. It was so fresh & flavorful~I can’t wait to recreate it at home!
Everything You Wanted to Know About Lentils {But Were Afraid To Ask}…
- Canada is the world’s leading producer & exporter of lentils, and the providence of Saskatchewan, where I visited, produces 95% of Canada’s lentils. Wow!
- Lentils don’t need a lot of water to grow. I was surprised to find out that Saskatoon only averages about 12 inches of rain a year~not much more than San Diego, and, no supplemental irrigation is needed to grow the lentils. Pretty cool, ‘eh?
- Lentils nourish the ground they grown in. They’re considered “intermediate nitrogen fixers” meaning they use nitrogen from the soil, but they also leave some nitrogen for the next crop {typically a different pulse or grain} to grow.
- Lentil plants don’t grow very tall, and lentil pods are itty bitty. Most lentil plants are no taller than 24 inches, and the pods only hold 1-3 tiny lentils. Oh, my goodness~they’re so cute!
- Lentils are an economical & affordable source of plant based protein {9 g per 1/2 cup}. They’re also rich in fiber {almost 8 grams per 1/2 cup}, folate, & potassium, plus they’re a good source of plant based, non-heme iron.
- Lentils give carbs a good rap! All that fiber supports a slow rise in blood sugar, & results from the Predimed Trial show evidence that lentil consumption may help reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes by up to ~33%.
- Lentils are extremely versatile, and are enjoyed by many cultures and countries around the world. I’ve used them to make this dreamy Chocolate Peanut Butter High Protein Breakfast Sundae, this SUPER EASY 3-Ingredient Lentil Feta Bruschetta, a Lovely Lentil Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette, and my family’s FAVORITE Crunchy Lentil Tacos with Avocado Feta Guacamole. Need some more inspiration to add lentils to your diet? Lentils.org has some AMAZING lentil recipes so you can get experimenting in the kitchen today!
- Lentils have lectins {as do most plants}, but when you cook ’em, they become much easier to digest. While some people might have trouble digesting even cooked lentils, the majority of us {even those with IBS} should include lentils in our diets, so we can enjoy the health benefits of these nutrient and prebiotic rich pulses. Still worried about lectins? This article, 4 Things to Know About the “New Gluten”:Lectins, is a must read!
Now let’s make some lentil turkey lettuce wraps!
Healthy Lentil Turkey Lettuce Wraps
Ingredients
Homemade Hoisin Sauce
- 4 tablespoons gluten free tamari, plus extra to taste as needed
- 2 tablespoons peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
Lentil Turkey Filling
- 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1 red pepper, cored and diced
- 2 teaspoons garlic oil
- 1 tablespoons fresh ginger, grated
- 1/2 bunch cilantro, divided
- 1/2 cup canned lentils, rinsed and drained
- 1/3 cup hoisin sauce {recipe above}
- 2-3 green onions, tops only, choppedWraps
For Assembly
- 1 head Lettuce, butter, romaine, etc
- Peanuts, chopped
- Fresh cilantro leaves , chopped
Instructions
- Make the hoisin sauce: Combine ingredients in a small bowl or jar, and stir with a whisk until well combined.
- Remove the leaves from the cilantro and set aside. Chop stems & measure ~1/4 cup. Set aside.
- Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add turkey and diced red pepper. Stir with a spoon or fork to break up turkey, and cook until meat is no longer pink.
- Add garlic oil, grated ginger, chopped cilantro stems, lentils, hoisin sauce, and chopped green onions to turkey and pepper mixture. Stir well to combine, and cook for an additional 5 minutes to allow flavors to develop, and ingredients to heat through. Turn off heat, and allow to cool slightly.
- While filling is cooling off, carefully remove the leaves from the lettuce. Scoop filling, dividing equally, into lettuce leaves. Top with chopped peanuts and cilantro leaves as desired.
Notes
- Hoisin sauce adapted to be low FODMAP from this recipe at Epicurious.
- Low FODMAP Lentil Wraps adapted from this recipe at Lentils.org.
Nutrition
We also got to visit Ilta Grain, a processor and exporter of pulses, cereals, and other crops. Products are sourced directly from the growers, then processed, cleaned, and shipped worldwide. We even got to take some samples home~just don’t forget to declare them when you’re going through customs like I did. Oops!
Wanna’ know how much I love lentils? I love ’em so much, I fell into this ditch while trying to take a picture of them 🙂
A HUGE thank you to Amber & Rachel at lentils.org, our host Ellie Krieger from Ellie’s Real Good Food, Dr. Chris Marinangeli, dietitian and lentil guru, and Farmer Corey Loessin and his family, Ilta Grain, and Chef Dale MacKay. Thank you so much for your gracious hospitality, and for sharing your incredible knowledge and infectious love of lentils!
Let’s Chat!
Have you ever seen lentils or other pulses growing in the field? Did you learn anything new about lentils from reading this post? Do you love lentils as much as I do???
