Chickpea Lettuce Wraps with Sweet and Spicy Corn Salsa

When tasked with creating a recipe, it was 90 degrees outside and I wanted something cold. My solution: these lettuce wraps. They’re fresh, crunchy, oh-so-quick—and, yes, can be served cold. All of the ingredients store well in the fridge, and the corn salsa is even better after sitting for a bit. These delicious protein-packed wraps also come together in an appealing rainbow of colors. (Photo Source: Grace Kellogg)

| Yield: 5 servings | Time: 35 minutes |

Ingredients

For the corn salsa

1 red onion

1 red bell pepper

2 jalapeños

1/2 bunch cilantro

3 cobs of sweet or yellow corn, raw

2 limes, juiced

1 tsp salt

For the chickpeas

2 cans chickpeas

1/4 tsp smoked chipotle

1/2 tsp salt

2 tbsp olive oil

1 head romaine lettuce

1 avocado

1 heirloom tomato

Preparation

For the corn salsa:

Dice the red onion, and add it to a small bowl filled with ice water, which removes some of the spicy, onion-y bite. Let sit for 20 minutes.

In a separate medium size bowl, add finely chopped bell pepper, jalapeños, and cilantro leaves. Drain the red onion, and add in with the rest.

Holding the corn vertically, slice off the kernels and add them to the salsa bowl. Mix in the lime juice and salt. Let the salsa cool in the fridge.

For the chickpeas:

Drain and rinse the chickpeas and add them to a medium bowl. Roughly mash them with the back of fork, breaking up the large beans but preserving some texture. Add the smoked chipotle, salt, and olive oil, and mix.

Separate the head of lettuce into leaves, rinse, and pat dry.

To serve:

Spoon about 2 tablespoons of chickpeas onto each leaf, and top with sliced avocado and heirloom tomatoes, a generous serving of the corn salsa, and a squeeze of lime.

The corn salsa and chickpea mixture can last in the fridge for a few days. It’s also hardy enough to make as a to-go lunch or snack when packed with a few pieces of lettuce. This dish is best served cold.

Zero-waste tips

Want to make vegan mousse? Save the liquid from the chickpeas, which is called aquafaba and whips up almost identically to egg whites!