Black-Eyed Pea Lettuce Wraps (Print View)

Crisp lettuce cups filled with warm seasoned black-eyed peas, fresh vegetables, and aromatic herbs for a protein-packed vegetarian meal.

# Components:

→ Black-Eyed Pea Filling

01 - 1 can (15 oz) black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
02 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
03 - 1 small red onion, finely diced
04 - 1 small red bell pepper, diced
05 - 1 medium carrot, shredded
06 - 1 clove garlic, minced
07 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
08 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
09 - Salt and black pepper to taste
10 - Juice of 1/2 lemon

→ Fresh Vegetables and Herbs

11 - 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
12 - 1/4 cup fresh cilantro or parsley, chopped
13 - 2 green onions, thinly sliced

→ Lettuce Wraps

14 - 8 large butter lettuce or romaine leaves, washed and dried

→ Optional Toppings

15 - 1 ripe avocado, sliced
16 - Hot sauce or sriracha to taste

# Directions:

01 - Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add diced red onion and cook for 2-3 minutes until softened.
02 - Add bell pepper, carrot, and garlic to the skillet. Sauté for another 2-3 minutes until vegetables begin to soften.
03 - Stir in black-eyed peas, smoked paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper. Cook for 3-4 minutes until heated through and fragrant.
04 - Remove from heat. Stir in lemon juice, cherry tomatoes, cilantro or parsley, and green onions. Toss well to combine.
05 - Spoon the black-eyed pea mixture evenly onto the center of each lettuce leaf.
06 - Top with avocado slices and a dash of hot sauce if desired.
07 - Fold lettuce leaves around the filling and serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • These wraps taste like you spent hours in the kitchen when you really just spent twenty minutes.
  • They're naturally gluten-free and dairy-free, so you can serve them to almost anyone without stress.
  • The warm-spiced filling against the cool, crisp lettuce creates this textural magic that keeps you coming back.
02 -
  • Don't skip rinsing the canned beans—that starchy liquid will make your filling soggy and heavy instead of light and textured.
  • Add the fresh herbs and lemon juice right before serving, not during cooking, or they'll lose their brightness and become dull.
03 -
  • The smoked paprika is what gives these their restaurant-quality depth—don't skip it or substitute it with regular paprika.
  • If your avocado is hard, it's not too late to use it—just cube it instead of slicing, and it'll taste just as good without affecting the wraps.
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