Red Lentil Hummus

Dreena Burton's Dreamy Alternative to Traditional Hummus

Red Lentil Hummus is a sample recipe from Plant Powered Families, Dreena Burton's latest cookbook.

I've seen many hummus variation recipes, but I've been reluctant to deviate from traditional hummus - until now.

Red Lentil Hummus is delicious! I'll be making it regularly for my chickpea hater husband (still a kid). He'll now eat hummus. Bonus Points for me!

Judith Kingsbury, Savvy Veg

Prep & Cook Time: 30 minutes

6 Servings

Nutrition Data, 51g Serving: 174 cal, 51 fat cal, 22g carb, 6g fat, 394mg sodium, 4g fiber, 10g protein, low Cholesterol, good source Iron, Thamin, Folate, Copper, Manganese. Estimated glycemic load 10

Ingredients:

1 cup dried red lentils, rinsed (see note)
2 cups water
1-2 medium-large cloves garlic (see note)
3 1/2 - 4 tablespoons tahini
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 - 1 teaspoon lemon zest (see note)
1/4 teaspoon paprika
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

Directions:

Place lentils and water in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to very low.
Cover and let cook until all the water is absorbed and the lentils are fully softened, about 20 minutes
Remove from heat and allow to cool for 1/2 hour or longer
In a food processor, add the cooked lentils, garlic, tahini, sea salt, coriander, lemon zest, paprika, vinegar, and lemon juice. Puree until smooth.
Add more garlic or salt to taste. This mixture is much looser than a traditional hummus. When refrigerated, it thickens considerably. So, you can enjoy it a little thinner, or wait until it is chilled.
Serve with whole-grain pitas or tortillas

Lentils Note:

You can make the lentils a day or two in advance, and then refrigerate until ready to use. They will already be chilled for this dip, and therefore the puree will be thicker.

Garlic Note:

Adjust garlic to taste. I use one clove when serving for the family, but you can use more for adults.

Lemon Zest Note:

While zest may seem like an unusual addition here, it truly adds some lovely flavor.

Ideas:

Try adding 1/2 teaspoon of cumin to this puree for extra spice. You can bump up the garlic quotient for adults, and also try adding a punch of heat with hot sauce. If you want to add fresh herbs like cilantro, basil, or parsley, wait until the dip is cooled and then puree through.

Kitchen Tip:

You can always make a double batch if you think you'd like to store portions of this dip in the freezer!

Savvy Veg Recipe Notes:

I reduced the salt to 1/2 tsp for our low sodium tastes. I skipped the vinegar (not vinegar lovers here) and added extra lemon juice.

I also fried the garlic and spices in 1 Tbsp oil to mellow the flavors - not a necessity except for our tastes.

I accidentally added too much lemon zest, so the hummus was a bit on the zesty side. So be careful! I think this recipe would be fine without zest if you wanted to skip that step.

For grown up kids, I agree with Dreena. Add all the garlic you want, and definitely consider adding a pinch of chipotle powder or a dash of hot sauce. Adding cumin is also a good idea, as is making a double batch and freezing half. It's that good!

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