Red Lentil Hummus
/
If you’ve been reading my blog or have ever worked with me, you know I have a special place in my heart for hummus.
I love how it is so versatile. It’s a snack. It’s a dip. It’s a sandwich spread. It’s a condiment. It’s whatever you want it to be.
Typically, hummus is made with chickpeas and tahini {sesame seed paste}. For this recipe we used lentils instead of chickpeas for this tasty variation!
Red Lentil Hummus
Ingredients
3 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth
1 cup red lentils
1 bay leaf
3 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup tahini
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
Salt
Cayenne pepper
Sweet paprika, for sprinkling
Pita chips, sliced fennel and veggie crudite, for serving
In a medium saucepan, combine the chicken stock, green lentils and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are tender, about 45 minutes. Uncover and boil the lentils over high heat until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 2 minutes. Discard the bay leaf and let the lentils cool slightly.
Transfer the cooked lentils to a food processor. Add the chopped garlic, tahini, olive oil and lemon juice and puree until smooth. Scrape the hummus into a bowl, stir in the cumin and 2 tablespoons of the chopped cilantro and season with salt and cayenne. Garnish the hummus with paprika and the remaining 2 tablespoons of chopped cilantro. Serve the lentil hummus warm or at room temperature with pita chips and vegetable crudités.
