These lettuce wraps are a SUMMER DREAM. Mountains of crumbled-crisp ground chicken, fluffy quinoa, and/or rice for added satisfaction, and garlicky gingery sautéed veggies in crisp butter lettuce leaves.

It's that time again, friends, where we forego all utensils and just stuff lettuce wraps with mountains of crumbled-crisp ground chicken, fluffy quinoa, and/or rice for added satisfaction, and some other garlicky gingery sauteed veggies into crisp butter lettuce leaves and have at it with our hands.

Then we absolutely d-r-e-n-c-h these wraps with a flavor-packed sweet/punchy/limey sauce, maybe a thwap of spicy mayo, and make A REAL NIGHT OF IT.

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In This Post: Everything You Need To Know

What Goes In These Chicken Lettuce Wraps

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These lettuce wraps are the perfect way to use up any veg you have hanging around or any CSA or home garden abundance you may have later this summer so we wanted to put it at the top of your noggin. Oh, and you might just start a personal contest to see how many things you can cover in lime drench.

Our favorite combo for the filling was:

• ground chicken (could use ground pork, too!)
• carrot + zucchini (but feel free to swap out/add other veggies you may have!)
• quinoa/rice blend for a little more oomph (we kept it easy here with a pre-cooked packet of it)

All of it gets sautéed and zuzhed around with a bunch of garlic and ginger and green onion, a little swizzle of soy sauce, so it really packs a flavor punch!

The dreamy lime drench is only a jar-shake away! Like all great sauciness. The lime drench inspo came from a cookbook called The Perfect Blend by Tess Masters (affiliate link). And a drench it is – you'll need the juice of about 5-6 limes! Then some other yums, like, soy sauce, sesame oil, a little brown sugar, and let's just keep that garlic/ginger party going, shall we?

Endless Options For Fillings

Okay, there is definitely room for fun and flexibility here if your fridge/pantry/heart is telling a different story than the ingredients listed here. You can mix up the meat choice, give ground pork or ground turkey a whirl. The added veggies can obviously be swipped and swapped as you please.

We love a grain add-in just so everything feels a little more satisfying, but if you're not feeling the quinoa/rice blend, you could certainly add in just white or brown rice only, or omit completely!

We've also tried a mushroom & walnut version that made for a really good for a vegetarian option. You could try a tofu crumble as well, which we've use in other yummeroo lettuce wraps like these guys.

Lettuce For Lettuce Wraps: Let's Talk

Not all lettuce is created equal when it comes to lettuce wraps. You definitely want something that will keep a little crunch for A+ texture benefit and not just wilt when the warm ingredients hit it. You also want something a little more sturdy that will hold its shape, so you don't pile all that deliciousness in, drench it on up, and then it all just kinda plops out the bottom. You also don't want it to have too strong or a naturally bitter taste.

Some lettuces that work best:

1. Butter Lettuce. Our absolute fave! Especially if you can find a head of living butter lettuce. Also known as Boston or bibb lettuce, it has big rounded leaves that are sturdy but still pliable, making it ideal for filling and wrapping. The taste is also mild and well…buttery! A perfect compliment.
2. Leaf lettuce. Also a great option and either green or red would work. It's fairly easy to find and it has broad leaves that will still hold a little crunch once filled. Trim the stems off to get nice rounded leaves for wraps.
3. Romaine. The leaves are more narrow so it's really more of a boat situation, less of a wrap, but they have a nice crunch! But because that crunch is so nice, it also means these leaves can snap more easily on you. Oh no, filling-plop!

Maybe you want to get a little adventurous and do some swiss chard or savoy cabbage or collard greens? The world is yours!

How To Make Spicy Mayo

If you are not already a part of Club Spicy Mayo, please consider becoming a member today! Here's how you apply:

• mix half a cup of mayo with a few tablespoons of sriracha

There! You're in! Now proceed to make everything you eat even better by using it.

It's of course not *required* on these lettuce wraps, but it is very appreciated, you know? Really gives it a special bit of heat and creaminess that is unbeatable. Here are some other fave uses for spicy mayo:

What Else To Lime Drench (Yes It's a Verb)

AN ACTUAL VERB. Which means you must go forth and do this. We've definitely given it a whirl as a super tangy salad dressing for a simple spring mix. But maybe you want to brush it over some grilled chicken or fish or veggies? Could this be a great taco sprinkle? Will it up your rice or noodle bowl game?! Do you just need to add a little tang to whatever you're eating? So much flavor, it seems a shame to not start dreaming and scheming with it.

Comment or tag us over on instagram to let us know what you are lime drenching! We really, really want to know. #operationlimedrench

Here's to a summer full of sun on our faces, joy in our bones, and plenty of handheld eats.

Lettuce Wraps: Frequently Asked Questions

Source Notes: The lime drench portion of this recipe was inspired by some very delicious lettuce wraps featured in The Perfect Blend by Tess Masters (affiliate link). Thank you Tess for teaching us to lime drench! A dream!

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Other Crunchable Lettuce Wrap Recipes

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A perfectly summery strawberry tart made with a buttery crust, smooth cream cheese-based filling, and fresh summer berries! Each bite is filled with creamy, juicy flavor that you won't be able to get enough of!

Tarts are my favorite way to showcase fresh fruit. You just really can't go wrong with the combination of a buttery crust, creamy filling, and juicy fruit! You'll have to add apple, lemon, and berry tart recipes to your summer dessert lineup!

Easy Strawberry Tart Recipe

Strawberries are the fruit of the summer! Take advantage of them being in season with this amazing strawberry tart recipe! It's just as tasty as it is beautiful, so let's dig right in to how to make your own. The first thing we'll start with is our buttery shortbread-esque tart crust. I make this tart using a food processor and recommend that you do the same because it's the easiest way to make a tart crust. The food processor does all of the hard work of cutting in the butter without allowing it to soften from over-working! In other words, golden and flaky without any hassle.

The delicious, buttery crust is then topped with a super easy cream cheese-based filling and covered with sliced strawberries! It's smooth, sweet, and complements the flavor of fresh strawberries perfectly! Not only is this strawberry tart absolutely delicious, but it will look gorgeous on your dinner table too! Your guests are going to love it!

Ingredients Needed to Make It

The great thing about this strawberry tart is that it uses so many simple ingredients, you won't need to make a grocery trip! You can find measurements for each of these ingredients listed below in the recipe card.

Tart Crust

• All-Purpose Flour: I use all-purpose flour for the majority of my baking. It has a low protein content and helps to make the structure of baked goods light and airy.
• Sugar: I add white sugar to the crust to sweeten it up.
• Salt: A pinch of salt is all you need to keep your crust from tasting bland.
• Butter: You'll want to use cold butter for the crust! The lower temperatures help to make it crust nice and flaky.

Cream Cheese Filling

• Cream Cheese: This is the foundation of the filling, the cream cheese adds the best creaminess and tangy flavor!
• Powdered Sugar: Adds a smooth sweetness to the tart filling.
• Vanilla Extract: Helps to deepen the flavor. Use pure vanilla extract if you can!
• Salt: Enhances the overall flavor.
• Heavy Cream: Makes your filling thick and fluffy!
• Strawberries: You'll want these hulled and sliced.

How to Make a Homemade Strawberry Tart

Making a fruit tart from scratch is actually really easy! One thing to keep in mind, though, is that your tart needs plenty of time to chill and set. So allow yourself a few hours before you need to serve it!

Preparing Your Crust

1. Combine Ingredients: Combine flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse to blend.
2. Add Butter: Scatter butter pieces over top the flour mixture and pulse until mixture is just beginning to cling together.
3. Chill: Remove from food processor and form into a disk. Cover in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
4. Shape: Once dough is finished chilling, remove from refrigerator and roll into about a 10-11″ circle. Form into a 9″ tart pan and use a fork to poke holes into the side and bottom of the dough.
5. Freeze: Transfer pan to freezer and freeze for at least 30 minutes.
6. Bake: Preheat oven to 350F, and once oven is preheated and dough has chilled, bake on 350F for 25 minutes or until just beginning to turn golden brown. Allow tart crust to cool before filling.

Filling and Topping

1. Combine Ingredients: Combine cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and salt in a bowl and use an electric mixer to beat until smooth and well-combined. Set aside.
2. Add in Heavy Cream: In a separate, clean, bowl, use an electric mixer to beat 1 cup heavy cream to stiff peaks.
3. Fold: Fold the whipped cream into your cream cheese mixture until well-combined — the resulting mixture should be thick and fluffy.
4. Add to Crust: Spread evenly into cooled tart crust.
5. Top With Strawberries: Arrange sliced strawberries on top.

Ah, bruschetta. That addictively delicious and vibrant Italian staple that you may have had on a trip or in a restaurant, but didn't know is (ridiculously) easy to make at home!

This tomato bruschetta is all things fresh and satisfying! So whether you're overrun with a summer tomato crop or simply craving a bright and colorful appetizer, this one's for you. Just 15 minutes and 6 ingredients required! Let's get brusch-eady!

What is Bruschetta?

Bruschetta is an Italian starter dish made by rubbing grilled bread with garlic and topping with olive oil and salt. It's thought to have originated in the 15th century with roots going back to olive oil tastings in ancient Rome.

The grilled bread can be topped with a wide variety of ingredients including vegetables, beans, cured meats, or cheeses, but using tomatoes is especially popular and delicious. The following is our easy, plant-based, inspired version of tomato bruschetta including our favorite types of breads and tomatoes to use.

How to Make Tomato Bruschetta

The first step is to make your tomato topping by mixing sweet, flavorful tomatoes with minced or crushed garlic, olive oil, fresh basil, and salt. We love sticking with simple ingredients to let the crunchy bread and sweet tomatoes shine.

Best Tomatoes for Bruschetta

We prefer cherry tomatoes because they're bursting with flavor and have a lower water content (meaning no soggy bread). Plus, cute! Roma tomatoes are a popular option because of their meatier texture (not as watery), but we find they're often lacking in flavor. Feel free to use any flavorful tomatoes you'd like!

With the topping ready, we transition to "grilling" the bread in a cast iron skillet (no grill required!). You want the bread to soak up the olive oil and become golden brown and sturdy.

Best Bread for Bruschetta

Bruschetta is most commonly served on crostini, which is a small, round bread that's crusty on the outside and soft on the inside. Another option would be a sliced baguette because of its similar shape and size.

But our favorite bread? Sourdough! It has the same crusty exterior but adds a nice flavor and is sturdy and more substantial, making it easy to pick up and a size that's very worthy of snack time. If gluten-free, we recommend our homemade gluten-free bread.

The final steps include rubbing garlic onto the toasted bread to infuse it with flavor and topping with the tomato-basil mixture.

Then, of course, devouring with all your favorite people!

We hope you LOVE this bruschetta! It's:

Fresh
Bright
Savory
Vibrant
Satisfying
& Perfect for summer!

It's a great appetizer for Italian- or Mediterranean-inspired meals, including our Vegan Pasta Al Limone, Easy Vegan Zucchini Boats, or Grilled Romaine Caesar Salad with Herbed White Beans. We also love it as an afternoon snack on hot summer days.

More Appetizers for Summer

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don't forget to tag a photo @minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!