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Red Lentil Hummus – creamy, flavorful and delicious hummus dip, made with split red lentils instead of chickpeas.
Red lentils are not only for soups. Their creamy consistency, when boiled is just perfect for dips and hummus.
These lentils cook quickly and break down, while cooking, this is why they are great for savory dishes like stews and curries or just served on their own with veggies.
Red Lentils:
Split red lentils or whole red lentils?
Red lentils are a legume and among the most versatile and nutritious foods available.
Low in sodium and saturated fat, and high in potassium, fiber, folate, and polyphenols. They are also a good source of protein.
They can be found at the store either split or whole and are light orange color.
Whole lentils with husks intact take longer to cook and will retain their shape; split lentils without husks cook very quickly and break down into a puree.
For whole red lentils allow cooking time of 15-20 minutes on the stove top and for split lentils, it takes between 7-10 minutes.
These lentils could be cooked in an Instant pot – for whole lentils – I cook them for 10 minutes on manual high pressure and for split lentils about 7 minutes is enough. As you may notice, pressure cooking does not save a lot of time, because these generally cook quickly.
How to make hummus with red lentils?
Red lentils don’t have a lot of flavor of their own, this is why they are perfect for a recipe like this.
The flavor is mild, earthy and slightly sweet and combines well with different seasonings.
Adding cumin, garlic, turmeric, lemon juice and tahini seems to be a great choice. The addition of fresh ginger to this dip, makes it taste super fresh.
Ingredients:
- red lentils
- lemon juice (preferably fresh)
- olive oil
- tahini ( stirred )
- garlic cloves
- salt
- ground cumin
- sumac (optional)
- ground coriander
- smoked paprika ( optional)
- Cayenne pepper
Directions:
- Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add lentils and cook for 15 minutes. Drain well and let them sit at room temperature to cool down for 10 minutes.
- In a food processor combine the lentils, tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, cumin, sumac, coriander, Cayenne and paprika.
- Blend until smooth. Serve.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
*Alternatively cook red lentils in an Instant Pot (Pressure Cooker).
What to serve with?
Serve as a side dish with steak or chicken, steak or vegetables.
This red lentil hummus goes well with crackers, tortilla chips, sliced cucumbers, carrots, celery, peppers, cauliflower or broccoli.
These Air Fryer Vegetables are the perfect addition to the hummus. You can also make this Air Fryer Ribeye Steak, Air Fryer Boneless Chicken Thighs or Air Fryer Pork Tenderloin.
More red lentil recipes:
More Appetizer Ideas:
- This Artichoke Dip from Meaningful Eats is perfect for a family appetizer.
RED LENTIL HUMMUS (DIP)
Ingredients
- 1 cup red lentils
- 2-3 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup tahini, stirred
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp sumac, optional
- 1/4 tsp ground coriander
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika, optional
- 1/8 tsp Cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add lentils and cook for 15 minutes. Drain well and let them sit at room temperature to cool down for 10 minutes.
- In a food processor combine the lentils, tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, cumin, sumac, coriander, Cayenne and paprika.
- Blend until smooth. Serve.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Looks really good! Thank you for sharing
I think I’ve ruined it. Cooked lentils in IP I didn’t know how much water and it’s just a soupy stinky mess. I’ve tried sieving it but I can’t see it being thick enough to dip. Is it supposed to smell eggy?
No, not supposed to smell eggy. I don’t recommend cooking red lentils for this recipe in the instant pot, for the exact same reason. They cook pretty quickly on the stove top.