Easy Lentil Turkey Lettuce Wraps (Asian Style)
These Asian style lentil turkey lettuce wraps with hoisin sauce are addictively delicious for a healthy meal or appetizer. They’re gluten-free, low FODMAP, high-protein, and easy to make. Get the recipe & learn all about lentils, plus why you should include them in your diet for good health!
Disclosure: Lentils.org covered all my expenses for 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.
When you get the invite to attend a farm-to-table lentil tour in Saskatoon, Canada, and you’re a certified lover of all things lentils, you jump at the chance!
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.
This Lentil, Kale, & Dill Salad, prepared by Chef Dale MacKay of Top Chef Canada fame, was the second-favorite lentil dish I ate on the tour. So fresh & flavorful!
🥬 How to make lentil turkey lettuce wraps!
These Asian inspired Lentil Turkey Lettuce Wraps are so easy to make.
- Make the hoisin sauce. Whisk together gluten-free tamari, peanut butter, maple syrup, white wine vinegar, and sesame oil.
- Make the lentil turkey filling. Cook ground turkey in a cast iron skillet along with bell peppers, ginger, cilantro stems, lentils, green onions, and hoisin sauce.
- Assemble the turkey lettuce wraps. Scoop the turkey filling into lettuce leaves. Top with peanuts and cilantro leaves, and serve.
See the full recipe card for the ingredient list and full instructions.
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 for filling and topping
- 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
- 1/2 cup 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
Lentils 101, Nutrition & More
- Canada is the world’s leading producer & exporter of lentils, and the province of Saskatchewan, where I visited, produces 95% of Canada’s lentils. Wow!
- Lentils require relatively little 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 are 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. 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 incredibly versatile and are enjoyed by many cultures and countries worldwide. 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.
- Lentils have lectins (as do most plants), but when you cook them, they become much easier to digest. While some people might have trouble digesting even cooked lentils, most people (even those with IBS) should eat lentils to enjoy their health benefits. Don’t fear lentils!
P.S. 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, a dietitian and lentil expert, 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???
Great post! It was such an awesome trip 🙂
Looks like an amazing tour and the recipe sounds delicious! Got the little lettuce wraps and lentils in stock. May have to make this one this week. : )
The recipe looks and sound amazing, but I also really appreciated all the info on lentils- especially the part on lectins! So helpful- can’t wait to try these out!
I just love how lentils are turning up everywhere these days! This is a great reducetarian recipe!
I love lettuce wraps. Can’t wait to try making them with lentils!
What a great looking group and fantastic lentil taco recipe! I am a big fan of lentils but am always in awe when I read about the many versatile ways I can use them! I think one of my favorites is your smoothie with the frozen lentils- mind blown! I hope you enjoy these and your LDW!
Thanks so much Liz! It was a pretty fun group to hang out with 🙂 It really is fun coming up with different ways to use lentils-I know with your kitchen creativity, I’m sure you can come up with a fabulous lentil recipe too!