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Sesame Ginger Soba Lettuce Cups {gluten-free, vegan}

Healthy stir-fried sesame ginger soba lettuce cups are fast food made extra-easy! Ready in 15 minutes, these noodle & vegetable wraps are both vegan & gluten-free.
close-up of sesame ginger soba lettuce cups on a black plate with peanut sauce
I love noodles. Always have. Pasta with sauce, noodle soup, and chow mein, I probably owe much of my height to the many bowls I ate throughout my youth. 

I tried limiting my noodles in certain periods of my life, mostly due to nonsense I no longer (and never really did) believe. Nevertheless, these days I (most often) opt for noodles with some extra nutritional oomph (e.g., buckwheat soba, chickpea pasta, spinach spaghetti), and balance them with vegetables and lean protein.

Case in point, my Sesame Ginger Soba Lettuce Cups! They are perfect for lunch, dinner, or as a hearty app. 

close-up of a hand holding a mushroom and soba noodle lettuce cup.

For these lovelies, I rely on 100% buckwheat soba. Despite the name, buckwheat is naturally wheat-free and gluten-free. Just be sure to choose soba noodles that are made entirely of buckwheat (some brands include additional grains and may not be gluten-free). Look for the soba in the Asian food or natural food section of supermarkets.

The noodles cook in little time (5 to 6 minutes), which is just enough time to whisk together a simple tahini-ginger sauce. Rinse and drain them for the final (in a flash!) stir-fry.

small bowl of buckwheat soba noodles with tahini sauce

To complement the noodles, I added sesame stir-fried mushrooms. Any variety of mushrooms will work here, but for a deeper flavor, I semi-splurged (they were on sale) on shitakes. Give them a rough chop and sauté, along with some red bell pepper strips, in a bit of toasted sesame oil.

black bowl with shitake noodles

Add the cooked noodles and stir-fry for 1 minute longer, then stir in 3 tablespoons of the sauce.

Last up, divide the noodle-mushroom mixture among gem lettuce or butter lettuce leaves. I like to add a sprinkle of green onions and black & white sesame seeds, too.

Don’t forget to serve with the remaining sesame ginger sauce for drizzling.

noodle lettuce cup being drizzled with tahini sauce

Easy. Healthy. Amazing. If you are ready to add more noodles to your life, I think you will love these noodle cups for fast, healthy eating!

Happy eating, everyone!

More Delicious Vegan & Gluten-Free Noodle Recipes:

Cherry Tomato Chickpea Pasta (Grain-Free, 5 ingredients)

Caboodles (Steamed Cabbage Noodles)

Kale Tofu & Soba Stir-Fry

High Protein Lentil Bolognese

Vegan Lentil Cincinnati Chili (grain-free)

Healthy Baked Spaghetti Minis

Cashew Macaroni & Cheese

Chickpea Pasta e Fagioli (grain-free)

Sesame Ginger Soba Lettuce Cups {vegan, gluten-free}

Sesame Ginger Soba Lettuce Cups {vegan, gluten-free}

Yield: 8 lettuce cups

Healthy stir-fried sesame ginger soba lettuce cups are ready in 15 minutes! The yummy noodle & vegetable wraps are both vegan & gluten-free.

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup (75 mL) tahini
  • 1/3 cup (125 mL) hot water
  • 2 tablespoons (30 mL) soy sauce
  • 1 and 1/2 tablespoons coconut sugar (or dark brown sugar)
  • 1 and 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
  • 2 teaspoons ginger paste (or 1 teaspoon ground ginger)
  • 3 teaspoons toasted sesame oil, divided use
  • 1 teaspoon Asian chili-garlic sauce (or sriracha)
  • 4 ounces buckwheat soba noodles (see notes for options)
  • 8 ounces (250 g) shitake or white mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into matchstick pieces
  • 8 butter lettuce leaves (or 16 gem lettuce leaves)
  • Optional toppings: minced green onions, white and/or black sesame seeds

Instructions

  1. In a small bowl, whisk the tahini, hot water, soy sauce, coconut sugar, lime juice, ginger, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, chili-garlic sauce until blended and smooth. Add more water, as needed.
  2. In a medium saucepan, bring 3 cups (750 mL) water to a boil. Add the soba noodles; cook, stirring once or twice, for 5 to 6 minutes until tender. Drain and rinse under cool water.
  3. Heat reamining sesame oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the mushrooms and red pepper. Cook and stir for 4 to 5 minutes until peppers are crisp-tender. Add the cooked noodles; stir-fry for 1 minute longer and then add 1/4 cup (60 mL)  of the sauce.
  4. Divide stir-fried noodles evenly between lettuce leaves. Sprinkle with minced green onions and sesame seeds. Serve with remaining sesame-ginger sauce.

Notes

Noodle options: Feel free to use 4 ounces of the long thin noodles/pasta of your choice in place of the buckwheat soba. Prepare noodles according to package directions.

Nutrition Information
Yield 8 Serving Size 1 large or 2 small lettuce cups
Amount Per Serving Calories 107Total Fat 5gSaturated Fat 1gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 4gCholesterol 1mgSodium 177mgCarbohydrates 14gFiber 4gSugar 5gProtein 5g

The nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although powerhungry.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates. Varying factors such as product types or brands and optional ingredients can change the nutritional information in any given recipe.

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @powerhungrycamilla on Instagram and hashtag it #powerhungrycamilla

Sesame Ginger Soba Lettuce Cups {vegan, gluten-free}

Sesame Ginger Soba Lettuce Cups {vegan, gluten-free}

Yield: 8 lettuce cups

Healthy stir-fried sesame ginger soba lettuce cups are ready in 15 minutes! The yummy noodle & vegetable wraps are both vegan & gluten-free.

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup (75 mL) tahini
  • 1/3 cup (125 mL) hot water
  • 2 tablespoons (30 mL) soy sauce
  • 1 and 1/2 tablespoons coconut sugar (or dark brown sugar)
  • 1 and 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
  • 2 teaspoons ginger paste (or 1 teaspoon ground ginger)
  • 3 teaspoons toasted sesame oil, divided use
  • 1 teaspoon Asian chili-garlic sauce (or sriracha)
  • 4 ounces buckwheat soba noodles (see notes for options)
  • 8 ounces (250 g) shitake or white mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into matchstick pieces
  • 8 butter lettuce leaves (or 16 gem lettuce leaves)
  • Optional toppings: minced green onions, white and/or black sesame seeds

Instructions

  1. In a small bowl, whisk the tahini, hot water, soy sauce, coconut sugar, lime juice, ginger, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, chili-garlic sauce until blended and smooth. Add more water, as needed.
  2. In a medium saucepan, bring 3 cups (750 mL) water to a boil. Add the soba noodles; cook, stirring once or twice, for 5 to 6 minutes until tender. Drain and rinse under cool water.
  3. Heat reamining sesame oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the mushrooms and red pepper. Cook and stir for 4 to 5 minutes until peppers are crisp-tender. Add the cooked noodles; stir-fry for 1 minute longer and then add 1/4 cup (60 mL)  of the sauce.
  4. Divide stir-fried noodles evenly between lettuce leaves. Sprinkle with minced green onions and sesame seeds. Serve with remaining sesame-ginger sauce.

Notes

Noodle options: Feel free to use 4 ounces of the long thin noodles/pasta of your choice in place of the buckwheat soba. Prepare noodles according to package directions.

Nutrition Information
Yield 8 Serving Size 1 large or 2 small lettuce cups
Amount Per Serving Calories 107Total Fat 5gSaturated Fat 1gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 4gCholesterol 1mgSodium 177mgCarbohydrates 14gFiber 4gSugar 5gProtein 5g

The nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although powerhungry.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates. Varying factors such as product types or brands and optional ingredients can change the nutritional information in any given recipe.

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @powerhungrycamilla on Instagram and hashtag it #powerhungrycamilla

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