Recipe courtesy of Alex Guarnaschelli
Quinoa and Herb Lettuce Cups
Getting reviews...
- Level: Easy
- Total: 1 hr 15 min
- Active: 30 min
- Yield: 4 to 6 servings
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 6 servings
- Calories
- 273
- Total Fat
- 12 g
- Saturated Fat
- 2 g
- Carbohydrates
- 36 g
- Dietary Fiber
- 4 g
- Sugar
- 10 g
- Protein
- 7 g
- Cholesterol
- 0 mg
- Sodium
- 959 mg
This is a fun make-ahead buffet dish. Imagine it as a vegetarian cousin of a taco. It is also a story of ingredients. You can use rice or another grain in place of the quinoa. I go for soil-grown (not hydroponic) Bibb/Boston lettuce or larger romaine leaves. It’s best to have a lettuce that has a sturdy (and juicy) “spine” to hold the filling and make the cups easy to fold and eat. I also feel we are obsessed with not peeling ginger as the skin has a cool bitter note and the texture is welcome here. Save a step: Don’t like spice? Simply omit the Fresno chile from the recipe.
- Level: Easy
- Total: 1 hr 15 min
- Active: 30 min
- Yield: 4 to 6 servings
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 6 servings
- Calories
- 273
- Total Fat
- 12 g
- Saturated Fat
- 2 g
- Carbohydrates
- 36 g
- Dietary Fiber
- 4 g
- Sugar
- 10 g
- Protein
- 7 g
- Cholesterol
- 0 mg
- Sodium
- 959 mg
Ingredients
Quinoa:
Dressing:
Lettuce Cups:
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Directions
- For the quinoa: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Heat a large oven-safe sauté pan over medium heat. Add the extra-virgin olive oil and quinoa. Stir to coat well. Cook, stirring, until you hear the quinoa crackling, about 1 minute. Add 2 1/2 cups water, season with salt and bring to a simmer. Place the sauté pan, uncovered, in the center of the oven and cook, undisturbed, until the grains fluff slightly and separate, 20 to 25 minutes. Taste for doneness, returning the pan to the oven if the quinoa needs more time. “Fluff” the quinoa with a fork, then season with salt to taste. Set aside to let cool.
- For the dressing: In a medium bowl, combine the ginger, honey, soy sauce, vinegar, fish sauce, olive oil and bell pepper. Taste for seasoning.
- For the lettuce cups: Add half of the dressing to the quinoa and stir to mix well. Add half of each of the basil, cilantro and scallions; stir to combine.
- On a large serving platter, arrange the double layers of lettuce leaves, one leaf inside another with the lettuce spines stacked on top of the other in each “cup.” Spoon the quinoa into the lettuce leaves as if you were filling tacos. Drizzle with the remaining dressing. Top each with corn nuts, a few chile slices and the remaining basil, cilantro and scallions.
