Wrapping a Sandwich in Lettuce: It Works!

August 20, 2015 15 Comments

I am not gluten-free nor do I aspire to be. But, there is much to be learned from new attempts at cuisine.

Like a sandwich made with lettuce instead of bread.

I have tried to make “lettuce” wrapped food in the past and found that the concoction fell apart in my hands causing a big mess. Why not just make a salad and put the fixings on the top?

If you are taking your lunch to work or somewhere that a fork would be a pain – it would be a good thing to be able to pick up the sandwich.

My thinking here was that I hadn’t used the correct lettuce when I had attempted lettuce sandwiches in the past. I needed something TOUGH. I bought a head of iceberg - seriously strong versus other lettuces - to see if I could make a lettuce sandwich that would hold together.

After making a big mess, I came up with cutting the head of lettuce in half so you can easily get “slices” to roll up your sandwich fixings. The leaves from the entire head are much too big to work with and turn out floppy sandwiches.

This sandwich is crunchy, salty, and quite refreshing (especially if the weather is hot). It also does feel like a sandwich!

Have you tried to make lettuce wrapped sandwiches?

Lettuce Wrapped Sandwich Recipe

(no reviews yet)

Makes 4 sandwiches

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Ingredients

1 head iceberg lettuce
4 teaspoons hummus
¼ pound sliced turkey breast meat (low sodium)
1 cucumber, sliced into 1 inch long pieces

Instructions

Slice head of lettuce in half. Remove 4 leaves of lettuce big enough to wrap a sandwich. Spread one teaspoon of hummus on each leaf, layer a slice of turkey, and a few pieces of cucumber.

Roll up the sandwich and fix into place with toothpicks.

Nutrition Facts

One sandwich is 51 calories, 1.0 g fat, 0.0 g saturated fat, 5.2 g carbohydrates, 2.5 g sugar, 5.8 g protein, 0.9 g fiber, 308 mg sodium, 1 Points+

Points values are calculated by Snack Girl and are provided for information only. See all Snack Girl Recipes

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15 Comments:

Kale is also great for cold cut sandwhiches, kind of annoying to wrap but tasty.

Deborah on August 20, 2015

When you say 'Slice head of lettuce in half', do you mean top to core (vertically) or side-to-side (horizontally)? Silly question, I know, but it would make a difference in the shape of the lettuce.

Connie on August 20, 2015

Reminds me of the "un-which" they sell at Jimmy John's.. tasty!

Kristine on August 20, 2015

My teenage daughter and I have been making lettuce sandwiches for years. Very satisfying! Yes, you need long, solid leaves of lettuce. We like to use romaine.

Janice Baldauf on August 20, 2015

I haven't tried lettuce wraps but I would imagine softer green leaf or red leaf lettuce might be easier to roll up. Not as crunchy but just less fuss. Crunch can be in fillings instead. Will have to give it a go! My daughter prefers gluten-free, finds it less bloating and is just everywhere these days [even at pizzerias and lobster shacks].

BarbL on August 20, 2015

I use romaine also for my lettuce wraps. I just put all the ingredients down the center rib and wrap long ways. It works perfectly!

Becky Brocato on August 20, 2015

I make lettuce wraps occasionally - always use a large, sturdy leafy green like swiss chard or collard green. It's a nice change!

Sandra on August 20, 2015

Definitely Romaine. Costco sells Romaine hearts that are basically ready for wraps. Just take a leaf off, wash, and wrap away!

Lori on August 20, 2015

Just "discovered" butter lettuce - makes a nice (not crunchy) but oh so good sandwich with low-sodium turkey breast, thin-sliced swiss cheese - teeny bit of mustard - and crisp cuccumber rounds! (Also made a turkey burger but tomato got a bit messy, LOL but still so good!) PS - love your daily blogs!! :)

BarbaraP on August 20, 2015

Fully Raw Kristina has a great Raw Collard Green burrito recipe. Actually collard leafs are great for sandwich wraps as well.
I was at Walmart and they had romaine leafs already pulled off and put in a sealed container so all you had to do is pull it out of the container and use it. The container said that they are already washed, but I still like to wash them.
Way back in High School I was dropping weight (I had gotten rather large. Imagine 4'10 and 140lbs and my Aunt was the one that turned me on to using leafy greens as your bread. if I have a burger I don't use buns (usually). My favorite is egg and tuna salad in a butter leaf cup.

Tabatha on August 20, 2015

I just bought the perfect, sandwich ready romaine leaves at my local Woodstock, GA Aldi store. I'm in heaven......

Joni on August 20, 2015

I buy red leaf lettuce spears that are good for wraps. They come in a plastic box already washed.

James on August 20, 2015

Oh, I always have romaine on hand and was thinking about adapting my current burrito kick to lettuce rather than tortillas. Just had Amy's refried beans for the first time last night, so nice with fresh tom, onion, cheese & cilantro! But tortillas are so dry, lettuce sounds perfect . :)

BarbL on August 20, 2015

Yes, One Time. Two Slices Of Low Fat Bologna, Ketchup And Cheese Were Wrapped In Lettuce. I Could Not Decide between a Hamburger Else A Sandwich And Also I Had a Huge Piece of Lettuce Available.

RC on August 24, 2015

Great ideas!

Jolie on August 28, 2015