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.
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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?
This reminds me of a “masala lentil dip” I bought at a Trader Joe’s. It wasn’t blended, but it sure was delicious!
I am obsessed with this recipe! Thank you so much, hummus is one of my favorite foods but for some reason tends to bother my stomach. I cannot wait to make this recipe!
This looks great. Cant wait to try it.
I’d like to know something, Angela. Does being vegan actually help in any way in overcoming eating disorders? Does it make crap food less tempting?
I make my red lentil hummus with an Indian twist, as you suggested. I throw in PUMPKIN SEED butter instead of tahini (but tahini works fine too), and add some cumin, graham masala, and a wee bit of cinnamon. I’ve even done a curry one with curry powder and some cayenne for extra heat.
My hummus keeps getting eaten too! My husband used to think it was the healthy crap and now he eats it all the time! Which means I always have to restock. These wraps look so fresh and delicious!
All I can think is why haven’t I tried this before?! I love making a black bean, cilantro, lime, and jalapeno dip when I get sick of hummus and I’m in the mood for something spicy. :-) Have a good weekend!
I went through a lentil addiction a month ago where I was putting it in everything – salads, curries, soups, stews…etc. They are delicious!
Your spread looks amazing! I know what you mean about a hummus addict always needing a “stash”. My local Publix has the most amazing cilantro-jalapeno hummus!
All the recipes I’m seeing lately call for tahini, which is something I never have. In fact, my local Kroger store doesn’t carry it. The closest Whole Foods is an hour away! Is there a way to make it, or is there a substitute for it?
Thank you for your blog and recipes.
Katie
Yea..can’t wait to try!
Will be watching the excitement on tv…need to rest up for my sprint triathlon on Sunday!!! Might be whipping up some wraps for after the race :)
Thanks Angela
Angela! I actually made this a few weeks ago, I had bought red lentils and had no idea what to do with them so I made hummus, it’s really yummy and it was so creamy, lovely flavour!
Great idea! These look so delicious and full of colour (I love when food is so vibrant in colour!)
This looks delish. I wonder if you could possibly make hummus out of black beans? Hmm.
I like that idea to use lentils instead of chick peas. Lentils have more protein?
This wrap looks amazing! I am will defiantly have a hummus wrap today for lunch now.
I also seem to have the same problem with the hummus disappearing. I make a double batch and when the boys find it they eat all but leave me 2 tablespoon.. so thoughtful of them….
Mmmm as long as you have the right base on a wrap, everything else tastes great! I have green lentils, i wonder if it will taste similar ? :)
Pretty much the best wrap I’ve seen in along time. This could go for $15 at any health restaurant. Awesome recipe and great hummus idea. :-)
I would like this for a midnight snack. Please + thank you! xo
Looks Amazing! Could you come and live with me for a week?
What kind of wraps do you use?
I cant think of the brand name but they are large whole wheat wraps.
It’s like you were reading my mind. I have leftover cooked red lentils in the fridge and I didn’t feel like doing much with them. Thanks for the great recipe! I plan to add some spice :)