Easy Collard Wraps with Chicken Salad (Whole30)
These Easy Collard Wraps with chicken salad are a simple substitution for tortillas and sandwiches that are Paleo, Low Carb, and Gluten Free. Once they’re blanched they’re perfect for rolling, plus they’ve got a delicious flavor and great texture.
Making Collard Wraps
I like to cut off the rough side of the stems, then gently blanche them. It brightens the flavor and softens the collard leaves just enough to give you a more pleasant texture.
That said, collard wraps seem to be one of those things that everybody loves, and everybody has their own particular way of making. Like scrambled eggs or zoodles, we each have a special method that we feel is the best way to prepare them.
Some people like collard wraps raw (I don’t), some people like them blanched, some slice off the ends, and some leave them whole. There’s no wrong way to enjoy them!
However you like to do it, I think there’s just something really enjoyable about being able to make a “sandwich.” Because eating with your hands is part of the fun of lunchtime, don’t you think?
How to Blanche Collard Wraps
- Bring a pot of salted water to a simmer.
- Lay each collard leaf flat on a cutting board, and cut away the long stems. With the leaf face-down, run the knife along the rounded side of the spine from the middle of the leaf to the end so that the spine is flat.
- Put 2-3 leaves in the water at a time and stir, blanching for around one minute. Remove the leaves and submerge them into an ice bath (a bowl filled with ice cubes and water), then pat each leaf dry with a paper towel.
- You can store these in the fridge in an airtight container for about 4 days. When you’re ready to enjoy, lay the wrap flat and fill with whatever you like – chicken salad (see below), tuna, veggies, eggs, anything, then roll like a burrito!
What do I put inside?
These easy collard wraps can be filled with whatever you’ve got in your fridge and they pack easily for lunches out! For us, Collard Wraps go into our weekly rotation quite a bit. In total, they only take about 3 minutes to prepare, then they store great in the fridge for about 4 days.
We absolutely love to fill these easy collard wraps with chicken salad (check out my Curry Carrot Chicken Salad recipe)! But we sometimes use compliant turkey, pickles, tomatoes, and avocado. We even fill our collard wraps with egg scrambles! They’re pretty much the perfect vessel for whatever you enjoy.
Just remember to double check the ingredients to make sure everything is compliant. Mayo and deli meats are big culprits for sneaky ingredients, especially! Check out my full list of Whole30 Mayo brands, and my Whole30 Target Shopping Guide and Walmart Shopping Guide for info on compliant items you can get at stores near you!
Do you love to eat with your hands? Then make sure to check out one of my favorite recipes ever, my Low Carb and Whole30 Fried Avocado BLTS!
If you want more healthy cooking inspiration, come find me on Instagram @cookathomemom – it’s full of fun recipe ideas!
Easy Collard Wraps & Chicken Salad
Ingredients
Collard Wraps
- 4 large collard leaves
Easy Chicken Salad
- 3 cups diced chicken, cooked and cooled
- 1 stalk celery diced
- 1 carrot diced or shredded
- 1/4 cup red cabbage
- 2 Tablespoon red onion
- 1/4 cup walnuts chopped
- 1/4 cup red grapes sliced
- 1/4-1/2 cup mayo
- 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/4 teaspoons black pepper
Instructions
Make the Collard Green Wraps
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a simmer.
- Lay each collard leaf flat on a cutting board, and cut away the long ends. With the leaf face-down, run the knife along the rounded side of the spine from the middle of the leaf to the end so that the spine is flat.
- Put 2-3 leaves in the water at a time and stir, blanching for around one minute. Remove the leaves and submerge into an ice bath, then pat dry with a paper towel.
- You can store these in the fridge in a container for about 4 days. Lay the wrap flat and fill with whatever you like – chicken salad (see below), tuna, veggies, eggs, anything!
Make the Chicken Salad
- Dice all the vegetables and mix together with the chicken, mayo and seasonings. I prefer a little less mayo, but my husband liked more. Start with less and add more until you get it the way you like it.
