Here’s something quick & easy for a fun, meatless meal – Buffalo Chickpea Lettuce Wraps. Chickpeas (garbanzo beans) tossed in hot sauce, honey & a smoky hint of barbecue sauce, spooned into lettuce leaves, topped with shredded carrot, thinly sliced celery & drizzled with blue cheese sauce. I prefer to make my own blue cheese sauce & hot sauce but for an even speedier meal, I won’t judge if you use bottled. Although this recipe is meatless, you don’t have to be a vegetarian to enjoy it – just hungry & in need of some sustenance in a hurry.
BUFFALO CHICKPEA LETTUCE WRAPS
Here’s something quick & easy for a fun, meatless meal – Buffalo Chickpea Lettuce Wraps. Chickpeas (garbanzo beans) tossed in hot sauce, honey & a smoky hint of barbecue sauce, spooned into lettuce leaves, topped with shredded carrot, thinly sliced celery & drizzled with blue cheese sauce. I prefer to make my own blue cheese sauce & hot sauce but for an even speedier meal, I won’t judge if you use bottled.
Ingredients
- Lettuce leaves such as gem or romaine, separated, soaked & drained
- 2 cans (16oz/453g each) chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed & drained
- 3 tablespoons hot sauce such as Frank’s Red Hot
- 3 tablespoons sriracha sauce
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 2 to 3 tablespoons barbecue sauce
- 1 cup coarsely grated carrot
- 2 to 3 stalks of celery, thinly sliced
BLUE CHEESE SAUCE
- 2 oz (60g) blue cheese
- 1/4 cup (60ml) sour cream
- 3 tablespoons mayo
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sugar
Instructions
To make the blue cheese sauce:
- Combine all the ingredients in a small saucepan. Heat and stir over medium heat until the cheese is melted. Let cool somewhat before drizzling. If the sauce is too thick, add a tablespoon or so of water to thin the sauce.
To make the wraps:
- Separate lettuce and soak them in a bowl of cold water for 30 minutes if time permits. Just before serving, drain the lettuce and wrap in a clean tea towel to dry.
- Place chickpeas, hot sauce, sriracha sauce, honey and barbecue sauce in a large skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the chickpeas are hot and the sauce is thickened and glossy, coating the chickpeas, about 5 minutes. Let the chickpeas cool slightly, just so they won’t wilt the lettuce leaves.
- To serve, arrange the lettuce, chickpeas, carrot, celery and blue cheese sauce and let people make their own wraps. Or to make and serve them, add carrot and celery to a lettuce leaf, top with chickpeas and drizzle with sauce. Serves 4.