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?
I need to try this! I always have sooo many lentils and never enough chickpeas. What a great idea Angela!
Also, I watched Nik on TV last night. It was CRAZY. So cool to watch that. Except I did not get how he could answer the questions… I would think that was so distracting! Made me nervous…haha
I know same here, I couldn’t believe it! It was like he was having a normal chat on a park bench.
Wonderful idea!!! Love the hummus!!
What a great idea for a hummus!!
Could you upload a picture of the red lentils?
What a great idea! What is the difference between red lentils and green lentils? Anyone know?
Hi Andrea,
Well, from my experience red lentils are more tender and break down more easily into dals, soups, sauces, dips. Green lentils usually retain their shape after cooking and are great for salads, chilis, or meat substitute (like in shepherd’s pie).
Thank you! I’ve been wondering!
Thanks for sharing this recipe. Now I can do more with the red lentils at home.
This is awesome! I just said, this morning, “Oh, I wanted to make hummus this weekend but we’re out of chickpeas!” And wouldn’t you know it…. we have red lentils! Thanks so much for this recipe.
This sounds delicious! I have lots of digestive issues but I love hummus; maybe this will be easier for me to digest :)
I have a slight intolerance to sesame seeds, and have been advised by my doc to cut back or eliminate sesame seeds–including tahini! Anyone have any suggestions for tahini substitute? Maybe I can just leave it out since it’s such a small amount…?
Red lentil hummus?! Why didn’t I think of that? Can’t wait to try making some, Angela. These wraps look amazing!
This sounds delicious. I wonder, though, if you could make them in advance for a quick grab and go lunch, or if they would get soggy?
Hey Angela! I love your blog, its been a huge inspiration as I’m trying to make changes toward a healthier lifestyle. I’m really excited to try making a bunch of your recipes, but I don’t have a food processor. Any recommendations for a good food processor I should get? :)
Simple, fresh, and requires so little cook time. I love it! I’ve never thought of using lentils before, but will defiantly give this a try.
Yum! My favorite veg restaurant has a divine red lentil hummus.
Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe. I am one of those unfortunate people who can’t digest chickpeas (and I absolutely LOVE them) so I am going to try this asap!! :)
You’re the best!
Let me know what you think Amy!
YUM! I love lentils, especially in soup. They’re definitely creamy & earthy, just like hummus, so I can see how this would work really well :)
I made these today and they were perfect! Your recipes rock my world..and even better my husband loves them and doesn’t even complain about the lack of cheese!
Glad to hear that Allisa!
Yum nothing beats a fresh, healthy and delicious wrap. They are so quick and easy, I love mine toasted in a sandwhich press for an extra crunch ;)
Hi Angela!
The hummus wrap looks beautiful! I have a couple of questions about produce that I thought you may be able to help answer. How do you keep your veggies looking so fresh? I’m particularly interested in how to store greens and herbs and sprouts. Do you go through those pretty quickly or do you have any tips on keeping them fresh longer?
Thanks so much!
Wren
To be honest, I’m quite lazy and don’t do much to prolong their life (though I should sometimes!). I’ve heard that wrapping herbs in a lightly damp paper towel and wrapping them gently helps (put them in the crisper after). My MIL swears by this. I just tend to cram everything into the crisper and hope for the best. ;)
Oh yummy! I really have been wanting to try lentils.. there just sitting in my cabinet! Thanks for putting all the nutrition info!
What a great idea! Thanks, I’ll definitely keep this in mind. :)
Just made your ” favorite pizza” (project food blog challenge) and your strawberry ganache tarts for my parents and grandparents for Father’s Day!!
I love your blog – I am constantly on it and all your recipes are delish!
Thank you for being so awesome!