When it comes to hummus, most people think chickpeas. But truth be told, you can make hummus using any number of legumes. Lentils are a perfect example: grassy and earthier than chickpeas, they lend themselves nicely to this Levantine dip. Typically, chickpeas and other beans require long cooking times and even pre-soaking in baking soda to achieve a soft enough texture for hummus. But lentils cook to the perfect consistency in a flash, no kitchen hacks required, resulting in a super smooth hummus. We keep the flavors in our version classic: plenty of tahini, lemon, fresh garlic, and a dash of cumin. To dress up the dish, we pair our hummus with a simple, bright herb salad and plenty of assorted seeds. Tuck into this hummus with some pita or lavash—the perfect light dinner or party-pleasing appetizer.
Green Lentil Hummus with Herbs and Olives
- 1 ¼ cups (8 ¾ ounces) green lentils, picked over and rinsed
- 1 teaspoon plus 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- 8 cups water
- ½ cup plus 2 teaspoons lemon juice (4 lemons), divided
- 4 cloves garlic
- ⅔ cup tahini
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- ¾ cup fresh parsley, chopped coarse
- ½ cup fresh dill sprigs, chopped coarse
- ½ cup kalamata olives, pitted and sliced thin
- 2 tablespoons plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- Kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons pepitas, toasted
- 2 tablespoons unsalted sunflower seeds, toasted
- Bring lentils, 1 teaspoon salt, and water to boil in large saucepan over high heat, skimming off any foam that rises to surface. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until lentils are very tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Drain lentils and set aside.
- Meanwhile, pulse ½ cup lemon juice, garlic, and 2 teaspoons salt in food processor until coarse puree forms, about 20 pulses. Let steep for at least 10 minutes or up to 30 minutes. Add tahini to processor with lemon juice mixture and process until smooth and well combined, 45 to 60 seconds. Scrape down sides of bowl and add cumin and lentils. Process until mixture is very smooth, about 4 minutes. Season with salt to taste and adjust consistency with up to 2 tablespoons additional water.
- Toss parsley, dill, olives, 2 tablespoons oil, and 2 teaspoons lemon juice together in small bowl. Season with salt to taste. Transfer hummus to large bowl and use back of large spoon to spread hummus, leaving well at center. Place herb salad in center of well. Sprinkle pepitas and sunflower seeds over top and drizzle with remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Serve with whole-wheat pita bread or whole-grain crackers. Leftover hummus can be refrigerated in airtight container for up to 1 week.
Nutrition facts:
¼ cup 169 calories 7 grams of protein 13 grams of carbohydrates 6 grams of fiber 1 grams of sugar 267 milligrams of sodium 211 milligrams of potassium 10 grams of fat ( 2 grams of saturated fat 3 grams of monounsaturated fat 1 grams of polyunsaturated fat )Terms of Use
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