Yesterday, I somehow found myself depleted of my hummus stash, which let me tell you, I rarely let happen. Hummus addicts must have a stash at all times! Normally, I wouldn’t be able to blame Eric for this one, but he has recently fallen in love with hummus after years of me pestering him to try it. Now, I’ve created a monster who eats all my hummus. It’s karma, clearly.
I was also out of dried chickpeas and canned chickpeas, so making the hummus that changed everything was out of the question. That was when the red lentils caught my eye hidden in the back of my messy cupboard.
Knowing how fluffy and soft red lentils get when cooked, I figured that I could use them for a base in a spread, very similar to hummus. Red lentils have a fairly neutral taste (although a bit earthier than chickpeas), but I figured they would blend well into the other ingredients. Plus, they cook extremely fast so I knew it wouldn’t set me back much time.
It looks just like hummus, right?
After adding some lemon juice, tahini, sea salt, garlic, and a touch of olive oil, I had a spread that was very similar to hummus. It doesn’t taste exactly the same, but it’s delicious in its own unique way. Best of all, this dip took me about 15-20 minutes, and that includes cooking the lentils. Not too shabby!
I now had a lovely base for my wrap! I gathered some random veggies in the crisper (green onion, tomato, avocado, kale, red pepper, pea shoots) and went to town.
You can use this recipe below as the “base” recipe and leave it as is (think of it as a classic hummus) or have fun playing around with mix-ins. I could see Indian and Mexican flavours working very well here. I added in a couple sun-dried tomatoes and some smoked paprika, but to be honest I preferred it best plain.
Sneaky Red Lentil "Hummus"
Yield
1 heaping cup
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Make this spread as a fun alternative to chickpeas! It’s not only similar in appearance, but taste too. Red lentils also tend to be easier to digest, so if you have problems with chickpeas I encourage you to give this a try.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup uncooked red lentils + 1 & 1/4 cup water
- 1 garlic clove, peeled
- 5 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tbsp tahini
- 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 tsp fine grain sea salt, or to taste
- water to thin out, if needed
- Herbs & seasonings of choice, if desired
Directions
- Pick through the lentils to make sure there are no pebbles and rinse in a small colander. In a medium-sized pot, add the lentils and 1 & 1/4 cup water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and cover, simmering until the water is absorbed or about 10-13 minutes. Stir the lentils frequently to prevent them from sticking to the pot.
- With the food processor running, drop in the clove of garlic to mince. Add the cooked lentils, along with the lemon juice, tahini, and olive oil. Process until smooth. Add a touch of water if necessary to thin out.
- Add salt to taste and other herbs and seasonings if desired.
Nutrition Information
(click to expand)
Have a great weekend and goodluck to Nik Wallenda tonight! Anyone going to watch?
What a cool idea! I could see this being really good with some miso and nori flakes for an Asian twist!
that’s a great idea Laura. Let me know if you try it out.
I had a vegan wrap similar to “sushi” once. It had a thin layer of rice, lots of veggies, avocado, pickled ginger (!!!) and a ginger miso dressing. SO GOOD, I still need to recreate.
I’m on a lentil kick right now, so I can’t wait to try it out! Looks like a perfect summer lunch.
Thank you for this recipe. Now I have a use for those red lentils I keep looking at in my pantry. :)
they’ve been lurking forever in my pantry too. I tend to only think of them for curry or soup, but this is a great way to use them in the summer.
Oh my gosh, you’re always a step ahead of me! Just yesterday I wondered what hummus would be like if I used lentils, you beat me to the punch. Good to know though, now I don’t have to waste any ingredients. Will definitely, most certainly be making this tomorrow.
Also, karma for getting Eric addicted to hummus – I feel you on that. I have Kevin addicted to carrots. He goes through BAGS of them in a week. Every time I go to make a salad and want a carrot, it seems were fresh out. I planted a garden this year and all I planted were beets and carrots. I don’t doubt that once the tops start popping out of the soil, he’ll be the first one picking out all the carrots. Sheesh!
Have a good weekend, Angela!
hah I don’t think I’m the first one to use red lentils in a dip. I wonder if other types would work though? Eric is a huge carrot fan too…the other night I grated a bunch for some muffins and I came downstairs and half the carrots were gone and he was eating a plate of plain shredded carrots. Normal…
I love hummus in wraps too, I will have to try this out!
I don’t think I mentioned this, but I love how you say “flavours” instead of flavors.
Also, I love red lentils! They are such an underestimated little legume. The first time I made them, I was surprised that they no longer were red, but yellow. Delicious, protein packed, & versatile.
Love your step-by-step wrap tutorial, btw!
Love it! Red lentils with roasted red peppers and roasted garlic blended makes a great wrap spread as well!
mmm that does sound good
Love this alternative. I always have lentils on hand but always run out of chickpeas. Thanks! Have a good weekend. We’re going to have nice weather :)
This is such a great idea! I don’t normally buy dry red lentils because it seems whenever I try to cook them, they just turn to mush. However, that’s ideal for this recipe!! Come onnnnn lunch time! :)
yeah, mine turned to mush today when i made this! can lentils go bad? i may have just overcooked them because i didnt notice it was boiling for probably a few minutes, but after processing the lentil mush, it was way too watery for hummus. i added in a cup of canned chickpeas though and adjusted the seasoning.
Red lentils cook a lot faster than other lentils. Maybe just keep an eye on them and be prepared to take them off the stove early? I’ve made some really yummy things with red lentils!
Every time I make a wrap for my boyfriend he requests I slather it in hummus first – I’ll have to sneak this in one day and see if he notices :D
Mmmmmmm!! Love this idea!! I have sprouted lentils (from Costco) in my cupboard, I wonder if it will work!
My Newfoundland In Laws make Peas Pudding – which is yellow split peas – I made it a bit thinner and it’s awesome as a dip or a spread!! SUPER high in protein.
PS. Thanks for the cupcake recommendation, I’ll be making them today!!
I am always looking for more recipes using the colorful lentils in my pantry. I love this one and since Have tahini in the fridge right now, I may be making this for lunch. What a great looking and creative sandwich!
What a great idea! I can’t wait to try it. I keep buying lentils and then realizing when I put them in the cupboard that I already have a bunch of them…!
oh, good idea on the lentils! i love the earthy/peppery taste that they have!
Such a good idea. I have SO many lentils I need to use up!
Hmmm, I have some red lentils at home. That looks delicious.
What brand/kind of wraps do you use? I have such a hard time finding a whole grain wrap that doesn’t crack when I roll it up!
Have you tried lightly steaming your wraps before using them? I dampen some paper towel to sort of ‘sandwich’ my wrap, then microwave for no more than 30 seconds (too much time makes it gummy and chewy).
I haven’t tried that!! Thank you :)
I love hummus in my wraps! I never would’ve thought to use lentils but it looks delicious! Thanks for sharing. :)
That is SUCH a brilliant idea! I babysit for a two-year old, who LOVES hummus, but does not like lentils and beans. I have a feeling his Mum would be super pleased, if I would make this for him! Plus, then I could eat a whole bunch, too!
This wrap is so chalk full of goodness and I love that red lentil hummus!