Eating your greens just got a whole lot easier thanks to the great people at Gotham Greens. I spent a lovely afternoon walking around the Gowanus greenhouse, learning about how Gotham Greens supplies local, sustainable, and nutrient-rich greens year round to the New York City area. Hydroponically grown, Gotham Greens produces a gorgeous selection of unique and delicious lettuces, basil, and tomatoes. During my recent visit, I could not keep my eyes off the picture perfect butterhead lettuce. These butterheads were calling out to become lettuce cups! For a very veggie spin on traditional chicken filled lettuce cups, I swapped in meaty portobello mushrooms and walnuts to create a hearty and nourishing meal. Lightly salted peanuts, chopped cilantro, and quick pickled cucumbers and radish add the perfect balance to this satisfying and nutrient dense meal.
Very Veggie Lettuce Cups
Vegan, dairy, and gluten-free, these lettuce cups are the perfect way to keep it clean without sacrificing flavor or satiety.
Serves 3-4
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsps ginger, grated
- 1 red chili pepper, seeded and minced
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 3 portobello mushrooms, stems removed, caps cleaned and chopped into 1-inch pieces
- 1/4 cup raw unsalted walnuts, roughly chopped
- 2 tbsps, reduced sodium tamari
- 1 tsp hot honey or regular honey
- 1 tbsp brown rice vinegar
- 2 tsps coconut oil
- 12-14 butterhead lettuce leaves
Optional Garnishes
- Peanuts, lightly salted
- Cilantro, roughly chopped
- Jalapeño pepper, thinly sliced
- Pickled cucumber and radish
- Scallions, thinly sliced
- Black sesame seeds
Quick Pickles
- 1 medium sized cucumber, thinly sliced
- 4 radishes, thinly sliced
- 1 tsp honey
- 2 tsps chili pepper, chopped + seeds for added kick
- 2 cups white vinegar
Directions:
- To make the quick pickles, whisk honey, chili pepper, and white vinegar together in a bowl. Add cucumber and radish, making sure that the vegetables are fully submerged. Refrigerate for at least an hour.
- In a skillet, heat coconut oil over medium heat. Add garlic, ginger, and chili pepper and sauté for two minutes. Add the mushrooms and bell pepper, stirring to combine. Cook for five minutes, allowing the mushrooms and pepper to soften. If dry, add a little water, a tsp at a time. Add walnuts, tamari, honey, and brown rice vinegar to the pan, and stir to combine. Cook until walnuts start to soften, about 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat.
- To assemble, layer two to three leaves of butterhead lettuces on a plate, spoon a tbsp of mushroom, pepper, and walnut mixture into the center of the lettuce, and top with selected garnishes.
