I love the wonderful combination of flavours and textures in these Vegan Chickpea Mayo Coconut Bacon Lettuce Wraps!
These delicious wraps are inspired by a sandwich I always used to love getting from Pret A Manger - it's made with a creamy chicken mayonnaise salad, crispy slices of smoky bacon, juicy tomatoes and lettuce. I knew I had to try making a vegan version!
I initially wanted to make a sandwich out of it, but because there was going to be lettuce in it anyway, I thought it might be more fun to make lettuce wraps! Though if you prefer, you can put all these ingredients between slices of bread or in a tortilla wrap instead.
So here's the deal with these wraps:
- Fresh, crunchy lettuce cups
- Creamy, tangy, meaty chickpea mayonnaise that tastes deceptively like chicken!
- Crispy, salty-sweet, smoky pieces of coconut bacon (or you can use almond bacon)
- Slices of sweet, juicy tomatoes
SO good! Trust me, all of these flavours and textures are a match made in heaven.
The chickpea mayonnaise is made with crushed chickpeas and an easy cashew-based mayonnaise, whilst the bacon is made using coconut flakes flavoured with smoked paprika, soy sauce (or tamari) and maple syrup. Both of these can be made in advance and keep for up to a few days, meaning these lettuce wraps are ideal for meal prep and packed lunches!
These Vegan Chickpea Mayo Coconut Bacon Lettuce Wraps make a great lunch or light dinner, but also work well as an appetiser if you're feeding a crowd.
For more delicious plant-based sandwiches and wraps, check out my:
- Lazy Falafel Lettuce Wraps
- Mediterranean Chickpea “Tuna” Pittas
- Vegan Egg Mayonnaise Salad
- Tofu Katsu Sushi Lettuce Wraps
- Hummus Toasted Sandwich
- Lazy Samosa Lettuce Cups
- Vegan “Crispy Duck” Lettuce Wraps
If you try out this recipe or anything else from my blog, I’d really love to hear any feedback! Please give it a rating, leave a comment, or tag a photo #rhiansrecipes on Instagram! Thank you.
Helpful tools to make these Vegan Chickpea Mayo Coconut Bacon Lettuce Wraps:
food processor
blender
hand-held stick blender
Vegan Chickpea Mayo Coconut Bacon Lettuce Wraps (GF)
Ingredients
For the chickpea mayonnaise:
- 400 g (14oz) tin of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 50 g (⅓ cup) cashew nuts soaked overnight in cold water or in boiling water for 10 minutes
- 3 teaspoons apple cider vinegar (ensure gluten-free if necessary)
- ¼ teaspoon (Dijon) mustard
- Salt + pepper, to taste
For the coconut bacon*:
- 8 tablespoons flaked coconut
- 1 teaspoon tamari (or soy sauce if not gluten-free)
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup (or sub any other sweetener)
- Pinch of smoked paprika, to taste
- Ground black pepper, to taste
To serve:
- Lettuce cups** - this mixture should be enough to divide between 4 lettuce cups Romaine lettuce, iceberg lettuce, butter lettuce, chicory all work well
- Tomato slices
- Fresh parsley, finely chopped
Instructions
For the chickpea mayonnaise:
- Place chickpeas in a bowl and mash with a fork or potato masher until broken into rough pieces (you can alternatively use a pestle and mortar)
- Add the cashew nuts, vinegar, mustard and salt + pepper to a blender or food processor (a hand-held stick blender also works well) and whizz until completely smooth, adding little splashes of water until you achieve your desired consistency - it should be fairly runny but not too watery
- Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary
- Add the mayonnaise to the chickpeas etc and mix well. Taste and add more salt if necessary
For the coconut bacon:
- Place all ingredients in a small bowl and mix well
- Heat in a frying pan on medium heat for around 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until crisp
- Set aside on a plate, making sure they're spread apart as this will help them crisp up
To serve:
- Stuff lettuce cups with chickpea mayonnaise, coconut bacon and tomatoes. Scatter over chopped parsley if desired
- Keeps for up to a day if using for packed lunches, but if keeping for longer store all parts separately
Notes
Disclosure: This posts contains affiliate links to Amazon. If you purchase any of these products, a small percentage will come to me with no extra cost to you! This income will go towards the running of this blog – thank you.
Sam
You had me at chickpeas and cashews ? Pinned for later!
Sam
Rhian Williams
Two of my favourite foods too - thanks Sam!
Anonymous
Made this for lunch today and it was amazing!!
Rhian Williams
Thank you!