Lentil Hummus Recipe

Elena Butuc

If you are a fan of Lebanese hummus, I think you should check out my recipe, you'll be amazed to notice that there is in fact no difference between the lentil hummus and the classic hummus. Generally, I think that the hardest part when it comes to the classic hummus recipe is finding and boiling the chickpeas - I gave detailed instructions of the whole procedure on my website. You need to be very well organized and to have high-quality chickpeas for a perfect hummus. On the contrary, everything is so ordinarily easy when making lentil hummus - lentils (I recommend red, but green will do as well) boil a lot quicker and without soaking. I want you to know that I've tested this recipe on someone who's been eating hummus for all their life - they couldn't tell it wasn't chickpea hummus!

Beside that it's interesting, I also recommend this recipe if you want to have a diverse family menu - I usually alternate the classic hummus, simple or with various flavours, with the lentil hummus. This way, we can also benefit from the nutrients lentils have to offer.

Of course you can customize the recipe and make any combination you like, just like with the classic hummus - roasted pepper hummus, avocado hummus, pesto hummus, beetroot hummus, green pea hummus, etc.

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Ingredients

Metric US

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Red lentils

1 cup

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Water

2 cups

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Garlic cloves

1 piece

or 2 cloves if you want more flavour :)

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Lemon juice

3 tbsp

adjust to taste

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Tahini

1 tbsp

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Salt

1 tsp

to taste

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Extravirgin olive oil

2 tbsp

Step by step

Step 1

Wash the dry red lentils with water, in 2-3 rinses, then drain well.

Step 2

Fill a small saucepan with 2 cups of water and bring to a boil.

Step 3

When water comes to the boil, tip into the lentils, stir and boil over low heat for 10-15 minutes, stir occasionally.

Step 4

Notice how the lentils will quickly grow in size, but make sure you cook them long enough to absorb water and until they are soft and tender.

When lentils are cooked, let cool for a bit, maybe transfer from the hot saucepan to a plate - to cool down faster.

Step 5

Now we follow the same steps as for the classic hummus recipe.

In a deep bowl, place the lentils, add in salt, lemon juice, garlic and tahini paste.

In addition, you can season with a little ground cumin (not too much, it's very strong), curry powder and a little paprika - only if you have and if you like.

Step 6

Puree using the hand blender until you have a creamy smooth paste.

Usually for chickpea hummus you need to add some more warm water - not for lentil hummus, though, as lentils are a bit more watery. Still, check the consistency and try to reach the desired one.

Step 7

Transfer the hummus to a deep plate or bowl, use the spoon to form a wave pattern on top.

Step 8

Sprinkle generously with olive oil, and the waves will hold the oil at the surface in an interesting and nice looking pattern.

Step 9

You can season on top with turmeric, curry, paprika, ground cumin, sesame - lately, I discovered sumac and I liked it a lot, with its tart taste and flavour it's a perfect match for hummus.

I usually like to keep it in the fridge for a couple of hours, for all the flavours to blend, but it can also be served right away.

Enjoy!