Crispy Chickpea Taco Lettuce Wraps
Vegetarian lettuce wraps full of crispy fried chickpeas and tasty fresh toppings. This is a light and budget friendly meatless meal that does not skimp on flavor; it's easy to make and fun to eat!
Ingredients
- olive or vegetable oil, for cooking
- 14 oz can of chickpeas, drained and patted dry
- 8 medium - large whole lettuce leaves, washed and patted dry
- ½ medium avocado, sliced
- ¼ cup grated cheddar cheese
- 4 tbsp sour cream or crema
Quick Pico de Gallo
- 10 cherry tomatoes, quartered
- 1 handful cilantro (fresh coriander), chopped
- 2 tbsp red onion, finely diced
- 1 lime, for squeezing
- salt and pepper, to taste
Seasoning Mix
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- 1 tsp chili powder
- ½ tsp smoked paprika, or more chili powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp salt
Instructions
- Prepare the pico de gallo first, by combining the tomatoes, onions and cilantro (coriander) in a small bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste and then squeeze a little lime juice on top (about 1/4 of the lime works well - save the rest of the lime to cut into wedges for serving).10 cherry tomatoes, 1 handful cilantro (fresh coriander), 2 tbsp red onion, salt and pepper, 1 lime
- Prepare the seasoning mix. Add the fennel seeds to a pestle and mortar and crush them. Add the remaining spices and salt, then set aside.1 tsp fennel seeds, 1 tsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp dried oregano, 1/2 tsp ground coriander, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- Add the chickpeas to a large bowl and use a potato masher to lightly smash them. You want some to be left whole while others are in smaller pieces - this creates the most interesting texture.14 oz can of chickpeas
- Heat a large saute or frying pan with a shallow layer of oil over a low/medium heat. Add the chickpeas and let them sit for 2 minutes in the pan, then mix them up, let them sit a little longer, and repeat the process until the chickpeas are just starting to turn a more golden color and the smaller pieces are getting crisp. This generally takes around 5 minutes for me, but different pans and heat levels may be faster or slower.olive or vegetable oil
- Add the seasoning mix to the pan with another glug of oil and cook for another couple of minutes until there are really defined crispy bits and the spices are well toasted. Make sure the heat is on the lower end for this - we don't want to burn the spices.
- Assemble your lettuce wraps! Scoop the chickpeas into a large lettuce leaf, top with pico de gallo, cheese, sour cream, and avocado, and devour!8 medium - large whole lettuce leaves, 1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese, 4 tbsp sour cream or crema, 1/2 medium avocado
Calories: 643kcal, Carbohydrates: 69g, Protein: 24g, Fat: 33g, Saturated Fat: 8g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g, Monounsaturated Fat: 16g, Cholesterol: 28mg, Sodium: 1892mg, Potassium: 1088mg, Fiber: 20g, Sugar: 14g, Vitamin A: 1655IU, Vitamin C: 36mg, Calcium: 297mg, Iron: 9mg