Recipe: Meatless ‘Chicken’ Salad Lettuce Wraps

Try this vegetarian ‘chicken’ salad. Garbanzo beans offer the meat substitute and Greek yogurt gives this dish a creamy consistency. Blend up with chopped celery, walnuts and sweet dried cherries, then wrap in crispy lettuce.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup drained and rinsed garbanzo beans
• 1/4 cup walnuts
• 1 rib of celery, diced
• 2 tablespoons raisins, dried cherries, or dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
• Dash of low-sodium seasoned salt
• 4 romaine lettuce leaves

Ingredient health benefits

• Garbanzo beans/chickpeas: Putting the “chick” in “meatless chicken,” these little legumes are a complete protein, meaning they have all the amino acids your body needs but can’t make on its own. Chickpeas are also rich in fiber, which can help keep constipation at bay, and are a good source of polyunsaturated fats that support your heart health. All with the added bonus of vitamin A, vitamin C and vitamin E to keep your eyes, immune system and skin in tip-top shape!
• Walnuts: There’s a lot of nutrition stuffed into those hard, round shells. In general, nuts are loaded with benefits. But walnuts have omega-3s, heart-healthy fats that play an essential role in many aspects of your physical well-being. Antioxidants like polyphenols promote heart health as well, while suppressing inflammation and free radicals. Eating walnuts may also support your gut’s microbiome, helping to keep things moving along.
• Celery: Not just for “ants on a log.” Celery is a versatile vegetable that’s high in vitamin K, folate and potassium, which support your bones and may help to lower your blood pressure as part of your regular diet. And because it’s 95% water, celery hydrates you while you eat it.
• Greek yogurt: Like chickpeas, Greek yogurt is a meat-free complete protein, so it’s got you covered. It also has twice as much protein as traditional yogurt. And with benefits like calcium and probiotics to strengthen your bones and your gut, what’s not to love?
• Lettuce: With the benefits this leafy green provides, it’s no wonder lettuce is such a popular salad ingredient. It’s full of anthocyanins and carotenoids, natural pigments that promote your heart, brain and eyes. The lutein and vitamin A found in lettuce are also important for healthy eyes and vision. And it’s another surprising source of folate, a vitamin that works hard to keep you healthy.

Directions

1. Coarsely chop the beans and walnuts.
2. Add in remaining ingredients, except the lettuce. Serve in romaine lettuce “cups.”

Nutrition information (per serving)

Serving size = 1

Calories: 340
Total fat: 19 g
Saturated fat: 2 g
Trans fat: 0 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 390 mg
Total carbohydrate: 37 g
Fiber: 9 g
Sugar: 13 g
Protein: 11 g

— Recipe courtesy of Digestive Disease Health Team Dietitians.