Small lettuce leaves make perfect appetizers or side dishes when paired with delicious fillings. This fun finger food provides that satisfying crunch while the filling can range from slightly sweet to spicy. Five different fillings are included, but countless variations are possible.
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
0-20 minutes
Serves
4
Ingredients
- 8-10 small romaine lettuce leaves (Little Gem lettuce or endive can be used instead)
- 1-2 Tablespoons of filling
Hummus Filling
- 1 cup hummus
- ½ large carrot finely chopped
- ½ cup onion finely chopped
- ½ cup cucumber finely chopped
- 4 grape tomatoes finely chopped
Pear Goat Cheese Filling
- 8 ounces goat cheese
- 1 ripe pear thinly sliced
- ½ lemon
- Sea salt
- Fresh chives finely snipped
- 1-2 T honey (optional)
Tzatziki Filling
- 1 cup tzatziki
- 1 T chopped fresh dill or mint leaves
Feta Olive Filling
- ½ cup olive tapenade
- 8 ounces feta cheese crumbled
Spicy Black Bean Filling
- 1 cup cooked black beans
- 2 tsp cumin
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ⅛ tsp cayenne pepper
- ½ cup salsa
- ½ avocado chopped
- hot sauce (optional)
- ½ cup finely grated cheddar (optional)
Steps
1
Wash the lettuce leaves and pat dry. Prepare the filling of your choice and fill the lettuce leaves according to the directions. Arrange on a plate or platter and serve. Each filling is intended to fill 8-10 leaves. If you want to do a combination of differently filled boats, adjust the amounts accordingly.
2
Hummus filling: Combine the chopped carrots, onion, cucumber, and tomatoes in a bowl. Fill each dry lettuce leaf with 1-2 tablespoons of hummus. Top with 1-2 tablespoons of vegetable mixture. Lightly press the vegetables into the hummus.
3
Pear goat cheese filling: Spread the dry lettuce leaves with 1-2 tablespoons of goat cheese. Top with 2-3 pear slices. Squeeze a few drops of lemon juice over the pears to prevent browning and add flavor. Sprinkle with a small amount of sea salt and chives. If the pears are not very sweet, drizzle with a little honey.
3
Tzatziki filling: Place 1-2 tablespoons of tzatziki in each lettuce leaf. Sprinkle with fresh dill or mint.
3
Feta olive filling: Spread 1-2 tablespoons tapenade in each lettuce leaf. Top with 1-2 tablespoons of feta.
3
Spicy Black Bean Filling: Place the beans in a small saucepan. Add enough water to cover the beans. Add the cumin, salt, and cayenne. Simmer for 15-20 minutes until the water is reduced and the beans are infused with the spices. Allow to cool. Once the beans are cool, place 1-2 tablespoons of beans in each lettuce leaf. Top with 2 teaspoons of salsa and a few pieces of avocado. Add a dash of hot sauce and a sprinkle of cheese if desired.
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