Lettuce Wraps

Salads aren't the only game that lettuce owns. Your favorite greens are also perfect for wraps, cups, and bowls. But not all greens are created equal. Follow these rules when choosing your lettuce, and read on for inspiration on how to wrap, fill, and devour everything from crispy Thai-style pork to bunless veggie burgers.

Cups

The best greens for edible cups are sturdy head lettuces with thick ribs on each leaf. Examples include iceberg, bibb, Boston, and little gem. Each leaf should be deep enough to hold the filling, and hardy enough not to wilt with heavy or warm additions. Pass on floppy, thin, or wilty lettuces. As for what you can put in your lettuce cups: Keep it simple, keep it light, and keep the liquid to a minimum. Warm ingredients (like sautéed meat) are okay, but don't pile screaming-hot things onto the lettuce or it will immediately wilt—not to mention, be too hot to handle. Avoid things that are very liquidy (uh, obviously no soup), and don't overfill. Check out these ideas for inspiration.

Sautéed Chicken

Boneless, skinless chicken breast gets a huge hit of flavor from chiles, garlic, and fish sauce. Cool down the heat by piling it in refreshing lettuce cups.

Crispy Ground Pork

Sautéed ground pork is a perfect match for lettuce cups; the crunchiness is a perfect foil for the richness and fattiness of the meat. Don't be afraid to aggressively brown the meat—that's where all the flavor lives.

Seared Steak

This recipe for seared steak in lettuce cups (pictured at the top of this page) is appetizer, salad, and main event all in one bite. Choose a tender steak without much sinew or muscle tissue—flank steak is a great option—and slice it thinly, against the grain, to make it easy to eat.

Lentils and Yogurt

Cooked French or beluga lentils over a dollop of yogurt, plus finely chopped herbs and a crack of black pepper? We'll take 8,000.

BLT

If you've ever thought, "Man, I love BLTs but they have way too much bread," we can't relate. However, we can recommend swiping a little mayo in a lettuce cup, adding chopped tomato, and crumbling bacon over the top. (We would not be opposed to croutons in there, too, for both crunch and an homage to the discarded bread.)

Wraps

Greens used for wraps should be sturdy and pliable, with good flexibility. Remember that you're replacing flatbread or tortillas with greens, so choose ones that have a similar texture to the more traditional carb-y options. Kale and collard greens are ideal. Mature Swiss chard is another good option. Choose greens that are large enough to wrap around the filling. Remove very thick or sturdy ribs—if you don't, they'll tear when you try to fold the wrap. For very fibrous or tough greens, gently steam them first. Here are a few options to get your creativity flowing (and, uh, filling).

Sweet Potatoes, Chickpeas, and Cheese

Don't forget the hot sauce in this burrito-adjacent meal.

Cooked Rice Noodles + Tofu + Soy Sauce

Choose thin noodles, like vermicelli. Bean thread noodles are another great fit.
Sausage Patties

Your favorite sausage (pork, chicken, turkey, venison, whatever!) + fresh greens + dipping sauce = sweet, sweet dinnertime magic. Patties are better than links here, as anyone who has ever tried to wrap a sausage link in kale can tell you. Feeling ambitious? Make your own free-form sausage patties.

Hummus + Black Bean Burgers

Just another delicious way to eat kale or collard greens. A pinch of chile flakes on the hummus would be a great addition to the bunless, meatless burgers. -Bon Appétit