Creamy Sunflower Seed Lettuce Cups with Lemony Orzo

Soaking the sunflower seeds is key to achieving a fluffy texture in this vegetarian twist on classic tuna salad. Wrap it up in crunchy lettuce leaves, and serve alongside lemony orzo for a simple lunch or supper.

What You Get

Sunflower seeds 

Orzo pasta

Lemons  

Celery 

Shallot

Garlic 

Parsley

Capers

Garlic aioli ​​

Butter lettuce 

What You’ll Need

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Olive oil

Whole grain or Dijon mustard

Makes 3 Servings

25 minutes active

30 minutes total

Step 1

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. In a bowl, pour 2 cups of the boiling water over the sunflower seeds, and set aside to soften, 15 minutes.

Step 2

Add more water to the pot, if necessary, along with a generous pinch of salt, and return to a boil. Add half of the pasta and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes or 1 minute less than the package instructions. Drain the pasta, Drain and rinse the pasta under cold water to stop the cooking. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and the juice of 1½ lemons, and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper.

Step 3

Meanwhile, chop 1 celery stalk, ½ shallot, and 2 cloves of garlic. Pick the parsley, toss the stems, and chop the leaves. Mound the veggies and herbs in a pile on the cutting board. Add 1½ tablespoons capers to the pile and finely chop. Transfer everything to a bowl.

Step 4

Drain the sunflower seeds, transfer to the cutting board, and chop in batches. Add the sunflower seeds to the bowl, along with 3 tablespoons garlic aioli, 1 tablespoon mustard, and the juice of the remaining ½ lemon. Season with salt and pepper.

Step 5

Trim the root end of the butter lettuce, discarding a few outer leaves. Separate the remaining leaves, but leave them whole. 

Step 6

Divide the lettuce leaves between plates and mound the sunflower seed salad on top. Spoon the orzo pasta alongside and serve.

Contains: wheat, eggs.