The Unwich from Jimmy John’s is my absolute favorite keto friendly fast food. For those who have yet to experience an unwich, the sub shop will take any sandwich on their menu, nix the bread, and wrap all the fixings in an intricately constructed half-lettuce-half-parchment origami. Essentially, it’s a lettuce wrap sandwich that doesn’t fall apart while you eat it. I love them so much.
Like… a little too much? There’s a Jimmy John’s right by my work, and they may or may not know my order by heart by now. They are so convenient and yummy, and they DELIVER! They also total somewhere around fifteen bucks after taxes, tip, and delivery fees… so it’s pretty expensive for lunch that I’m usually scarfing down in my cubicle in between work blah. I feel super guilty every time I order one too, in my head thinking: “Man, fifteen bucks I could just buy ingredients at the grocery store and make something like this for a week straight.”
Ding, ding, ding! Damn right, I can make this at home!
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I was a little perplexed by how neat and intact the restaurant’s lettuce leaves always are; the paper wrap also through me off a bit. But I did a little sleuthing (aka spent way too much time on YouTube watching videos about lettuce wraps) and pieced it together.
First of all, you’ll need to tackle the lettuce. Remove the core and outermost leaves, then place the head of lettuce under running water. The water will get in between the layers of leaves and help loosen and separate. Gently remove the leaves, layer by layer, while you continue to hold under running water.
The water is so crucial during this process; it makes a world of difference! I’ve tried it without and the leaves tear and break. Core, water, separate.
Reserve the larger leaves for your unwiches and save the rest for salads, mini tacos, or whatever your heart desires.
Next, pull out your handy dandy parchment paper and cut off a large square piece. Fold one corner in, so you’ve got a bit of a triangle shape going on. That flat folded edge will be the part where your unwich will poke out. Take a large lettuce leaf and place it right along the folded edge.
Load up your lettuce leaf with whatever sandwich fixings your heart desires. The choice is yours! I do a lot of turkey, bacon, and avocado… but it depends on what I have on hand or how I’ve mapped my meals out for the week. Deli meats, cheese, tomatoes, tuna, you name it. Once you have your ingredients added, it’s time to wrap!
Fold the top edge of the lettuce leaf down over the ingredients. Ensure the lettuce is still along the folded edge of the parchment paper; scoot it if you need to. Take the left side of the leaf and fold it in, then the right side of the leaf and fold it over. Carefully roll the little lettuce bundle up with the parchment paper. I like to get this pretty tightly wrapped. I start from the left corner of the folded edge, tucking in the pointy bottom, and continue rolling until I meet the right corner of the folded edge. Voila! Unwich!
To eat, you just fold down the paper wrap to reveal a portion of the unwich to take a bite. Keep going until there are no more bites to take. Enjoy your homemade unwich!
📖 Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 leaf lettuce large
- 1 slice swiss cheese
- 2 oz turkey
- 1 oz ham
- 1 slice tomato
- ½ avocado pitted
- 1 tsp mustard
Instructions
- Core lettuce, remove the two outermost leaves (discard) and run under water. Peel layers of lettuce apart one by one as water runs through leaves.
- Cut off a large square piece of parchment paper. Fold one corner in to form a triangle shape.
- Place a large lettuce leaf (or two) right along the folded edge.
- Pack the lettuce leaves with your “sandwich” ingredients: swiss cheese, turkey, ham, tomato, avocado, and mustard.
- Fold the top edge of the lettuce leaf down over the ingredients.
- Take the left side of the leaf and fold it in, then the right side of the leaf and fold it over.
- Carefully roll the little lettuce bundle up with the parchment paper. Start from the left corner of the folded edge, tuck in the pointy bottom, and continue rolling until you meet the right corner of the folded edge.
Notes
Nutrition
Hi, I'm Tasha–nutritionist, recipe developer, and multi-published cookbook author.
STACEY says
I love simple low carb meals like this one! These look good and simple to put together.
Sarah says
Thanks for all the tips - those look perfect! I will be trying it this week!
Taryn says
Making this for lunch tomorrow!
Maya | Wholesome Yum says
I love getting unwiches from Jimmy John's! This looks like a perfect way to make them at home. Thanks for the idea!
Kim | Low Carb Maven says
I've spent a lot of time watching tutorials of people wrap up hamburgers in paper - like WAY too much time! These sandwiches are great. Thanks for the tip on how to get the lettuce leaves to separate because I'm not going to lie... there is a little potty-mouth involved when I try to get those leaves off of the head of lettuce! Thanks again!
CET says
Could you please do a post in which you report your daily meals for about a week or so? Thanks so much. Love your website.
Sarah says
Wish I could see a video of the parchment wrapping process...the directions are confusing.
Sam says
I agree with Sarah. Can you at least post some more/bigger pictures of the wrapping process? Thanks!
Wynter says
I agree with Sarah and Sam, can you post a video or pictures of the folding process so we can really do it right? Thanks so much!!
jacob says
yeah low carbs are fun but have you ever tried eating ass
Tasha Metcalf says
😂
Melissa says
Hey! I just wanted to let you know that I included a link to your recipe in my Whole30 meal plan, week 1. Check it out!
http://housewifehowslife.com/
If my inclusion is an issue, let me know and I will rework the meal plan. Thanks!
-Melissa
Liz says
I just want to thank you for posting this for the Unwich, I eat them about 2 days a week and I could not figure out how they did the lettuce, but now I know. Just made my first one at home.. thanks Liz