If you are anything like me, you keep buying Romaine lettuce because it is healthy. Yet, the thought of chewing on the leaves with some typical vinaigrette leaves me quite uninspired (sigh!).
I think the Indian in me is always looking for some hearty dal or beans in any dish for that ‘full’ feeling. This lettuce boats recipe is the perfect compromise between keeping you satisfied and keeping your carbs in check by being grain-free.
Step by Step Pictures
Cut the bottom part of the lettuce, separate the leaves carefully without any tears and keep them ready in a bowl.
To a pan, add 1 can of drained pinto beans.
To the same pan, add about a cup of pureed tomatoes (fire roasted tomato cans are extra delicious) and let it simmer.
Add 2 tbsp of taco seasoning and stir.
Add shredded/sliced cheese to the pan. Switch off the heat. Let the cheese melt in the residual heat.
Sauce is ready!
Chop your favorite, crunchy veggies (here i have used onions, bell pepper, avocado). Flavor them with lemon juice and salt.
Start layering!! For the sauce layer, dilute the sour cream with 1/4 ratio of water to make it more sauce-like.
Serve crunchy, tasty delights!!
Recipe
Lettuce Boats
Course: RecipesDifficulty: Easy4
servings5
minutes15
minutesThis Vegetarian Lettuce Boats is quite hearty and satisfying with the pinto bean filling. However, unlike other Mexican bean recipes that use rice, this recipe is grain free and thus keeps it low in carbs and healthier.
Ingredients
Romaine lettuce - 1 head
- Bean Filling
1 can pinto beans
1 cup canned puréed tomatoes (I used fire roasted tomatoes)
Taco seasoning 2 tsp
Cheese (2 slices chopped)
- Other layers
Sour Cream (slightly watered down)
Chopped Veggies ( avocado, onions, bell pepper), Lemon juice, salt
Directions
- Lettuce Prep: Cut the bottom part of the lettuce, separate the leaves carefully without any tears and keep them ready in a bowl.
- Flavored Beans: To a pan, add 1 can of drained pinto beans. Add about a cup of pureed tomatoes (fire roasted tomato cans are extra delicious) and let it simmer.
- Add 2 tbsp of taco seasoning and stir. Add shredded/sliced cheese to the pan. Switch off the heat. Let the cheese melt in the residual heat.
- Sauce: Water down store bought sour cream with a little water to make it more flow-y and sauce-like.
- Chopped Veggies: Chop your favorite, crunchy veggies. Flavor them with lemon juice and salt.
- Assembly
- Assemble the layers: 1) Romaine lettuce 2) Flavored Beans 3) Sour Cream Sauce 4) Chopped Veggies
Conclusion
It is either the fun shape of the lettuce boats or the crunch from the lettuce- your kids are going to love it, atleast mine did!!
Even you: yes you!! - the ‘should I eat lettuce, I don’t know if I am going to like it?” kind of person… I urge you to give this recipe a try. Yes, there is lettuce, but there are all the other aspects of the recipe you know and like - beans, sour cream, cheese and veggies. What is there not to like??!!
Have you made lettuce boats before? What are your thoughts on lettuce, in general? Post your comments below!!
Here’s the video of this recipe uploaded on my Pinterest account. Do follow me on Pinterest, if you don’t already.
A couple of my videos went viral (Never had that happen to me before!!) and now quite a bit of people follow me. It gives me a strange mix of excitement and worry at the same time!!
Post your comments here....I look forward to reading them!!