A lentil hummus recipe that makes a wonderful appetizer or snack. It is gluten free, dairy free, and vegan!
Can you guess who’s hand that is in the picture above? Nope, it’s not mine. It belongs to the culprit who single-handedly devoured two batches of this hummus in only a few days! Yup… it’s Cohl’s. Boy can that man eat some hummus!!
So why make hummus with lentils instead of chickpeas? I have been told that lentils are “healthier” than chickpeas, but does that argument hold true? After doing a little research I found the following results…
- Lentils have ~55 calories less than Chickpeas/cup.
- Lentils have 33% less of the fat than Chickpeas.
- Lentils have 4mg of sodium in 1 cup while Chickpeas have ~700mg.
- Lentils have 50% more FIBER and PROTEIN than chickpeas do.
Hmmm… looks like a no-brainer to me. Lentils are obviously more nutritious than chickpeas on all fronts. By no means am I encouraging you to give up your go-to chickpea hummus recipe, but instead you can add this wonderful alternative to your recipe rotation when you’re feeling in need of a little change! My guess is that you probably won’t be able to tell the difference. (If you are a hardcore chickpea hummus fan be sure to check out my Classic Hummus recipe here!) Hope you enjoy!
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Lentil Hummus
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Ingredients
- 2 ½ c. lentils cooked
- 2 T. lemon juice
- ¼ c. tahini
- ¼ c. olive oil
- 1 ½ t. cumin
- 1 ¼ t. salt
- ½ t. paprika
- ¼ t. garlic powder
- ¼ t. red pepper flakes
- 2 T. water or reserved lentil liquid
Instructions
- To cook the lentils, place ~1 cup uncooked lentils in a pot and cover by 1-2 inches with water. Heat pot to boiling and then reduce to simmer. Simmer for 30 minutes, or until lentils are tender.
- In the bowl of a food processor combine lemon juice and tahini. Process for 30 seconds. Add in olive oil and process for another 30 seconds.
- Add remaining ingredients and half of the 2 ½ c. of cooked lentils. Process for 1 minute.
- Add remaining lentils and 2 T. water or reserved liquid from cooking lentils. Process for 1-2 minutes or until hummus is completely smooth.
- Serve with chips or pretzels and enjoy!
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Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Can you make without tahini?
You absolutely can, Sue! The flavor will be a little different, but not by much. Add a little extra liquid in order to get it to the right consistency. Can’t wait to hear what you think of the hummus 🙂
Good.
Yay! So happy you enjoyed it, Harsha!
Thanks for the recipe. An even healthier option is to use veggies to dip with.
That is such a great idea!! And you’re very welcome 🙂
I absolutely love your recipe! I am writing vegetarian recipe round ups on my blog in 2018 (to encourage people to try meatless monday- everyone has to start somewhere) and would love to feature you. You can check out my blog (for beginner environmentalists) at sunshineguerrilla.com. Is it alright if I share this link to your recipe?
Hi Barbara! I love that you are doing this!! You have my full permission to share a link to the recipe as long as the full recipe is not included on your blog. Thanks so much for asking!
I reduced the salt to half the amount called for and I used smoked paprika, very good.
Thanks so much for letting me know, Darlene! I love the idea to use smoked paprika 🙂
Your hummus is light in color. What lentils did you use?
Hi Jeannie! I used the light brown lentils in this recipe. Thanks for the question!
What is the actual serving size? The nutritional facts show all the info per serving but doesn’t actually give serving size.
Thanks!!
Rachel
The serving size is roughly 2 tablespoons. Thanks for asking!
This hummus is super yummy! Thanks for the recipe.
So happy you like it!! You are so very welcome 🙂
Thank you so much for this recipe! This is beyond easy. I only have a low-power blender, no food processor, which makes whipping up dips a little difficult; but the blender can easily handle lentils! I used French green lentils, which made it a bit darker than your version, but it was still absolutely delicious. I made this a few nights ago, and it is already gone between my boyfriend and me!
What a great idea to put it in a blender, Heather!! So happy it worked for you. I will have to try it out with French green lentils — the color sounds gorgeous. So happy you enjoyed it 🙂
We love lentils! How long do you keep your hummus in fridge?
Yay for lentils!! I honestly have not had hummus last longer than a few days thanks to my hubby’s ravenous appetite. I would say you would be safe for up to 4-5 days.
Thank you! I’m making my own meal plan binder and I am trying to include the amount of time it should be leftover, just to be thorough. I figured about the same amount. Thank you!
That’s great! You’re very welcome 🙂