You know how much I love chickpeas, and you know how much I love hummus, but today I’m going out of my chickpea comfort zone with this red lentil hummus recipe! It’s creamy, tangy, and nicely spiced with turmeric and other curry spices, because sometimes you run out of chickpeas, but you still want a dippable snack. We’ve been enjoying this lentil hummus with veggies, naan, pita chips… I’ve also been caught sneaking spoonfuls straight from the fridge.
Red Lentil Hummus Ingredients
Don’t let this ingredient list intimidate you – it’s all spices – hopefully you have most of them on hand in your spice drawer already. If you don’t, they’re worth investing in. This mix of spices – cumin, coriander, turmeric, cardamom, and cayenne – will add a big punch of flavor to so much more than this dip! You’ll use them in curries, soups, and beyond. Aside from the spices, this recipe calls for these basic ingredients:
Red lentils make up the creamy, protein-rich base. Coconut oil and tahini add richness and contribute to the luscious texture. Lemon brightens it up! And ginger and garlic add a nice kick and extra depth of flavor.
How to Make Red Lentil Hummus
To make this dip, start by cooking the lentils. Add water to a medium saucepan, and bring it to a boil. Add the lentils and simmer until they’re tender, about 15 minutes. For more lentil cooking tips, click here!
Then, drain the cooked lentils and allow them to cool for 10-15 minutes. When they’re almost at room temperature (it’s ok if they’re still a bit warm), add them to a blender with the other ingredients, and process until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed.
The first time I made this, I tried it in a food processor, but I was able to get the red lentils to be much creamier in a blender. See up there? So luscious.
This red lentil hummus is delicious straight from the blender, although it’ll keep well in the fridge for 4 to 5 days. If it gets a little thick, stir in some water before serving.
Here’s another tip: when you have just a little bit of red lentil hummus left at the end, thin it to a drizzle-able consistency and pour it over a roasted veggie bowl with some quinoa. That was our quick dinner a few nights ago, and the lentil dip really pepped up an otherwise boring bowl.
More Favorite Dips
And if you love hummus, you’ve gotta try these creamy dips next:
Classic Chickpea Hummus Butternut Squash Hummus Tzatziki Sauce Beet Hummus Baba Ganoush
