Using a Pot of Beans Part III: Lentil Hummus

Posted by Stephanie Meyer on Feb 7, 2011 at 7:42am

lentil hummus

This is the same Creamy, Fluffy Hummus – The Way It’s Supposed To Be recipe I posted a few months ago, except substituting black lentils for the garbanzos. That’s the thing with hummus – you can make it with whatever bean you have on hand and it will always be lovely.

As true as it was when I first posted it, the secret to fluffy hummus is to emulsify the tahini with the lemon juice before you start whipping in the beans. I give a basic outline for the seasoning, but you can adjust it to you suit your own favorite flavors.

Make a meal of it by serving with warm pita bread and a big salad. Spread the hummus on the pita, pile some salad on top of that, take huge bites – serious yum. For those of you avoiding grains, the creamy garlicky goodness that is a properly prepared hummus makes a delicious dip for radishes, cauliflower, and peppers.

You could even saute the vegetables in a bit of olive oil first until tender-crisp, pile the warm vegetables on top of a simple green salad, finish with hummus. You’ll get an incredibly satisfying warm/cool, crunchy/creamy, sweet/salty thing going on.

(Also see Using a Pot of Beans Part I: Poached Egg Over Lentils, Bacon & Cabbage and Using a Pot of Beans Part II: Almost-Instant Vegetable Bean Soup.)

Creamy, Fluffy Lentil (or Any Bean!) Hummus
Makes about 2 cups

1/4 c. tahini
juice of one lemon, about 1/4 c.
1/4 c. water or more
1/2 of a whole preserved lemon, seeds discarded (I find jars of whole preserved lemons at Whole Foods), minced (optional)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 c. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
2/3 c. cooked lentils (or other beans)
2 tsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. smoked paprika
1/2 tsp. ground chipotle chili powder (optional, if you like spiciness; if not, skip it)
salt & freshly ground pepper to taste
toasted sesame seeds (optional)

Add tahini, lemon juice, and water to the bowl of a blender. Blend on high until the tahini becomes very fluffy and pale colored. Add the minced preserved lemon (if using) and garlic and blend until pureed. Add some of the the olive oil and lentils, a little bit at a time of each, blending until completely pureed before adding more. Add a little bit more water at any point if hummus seems too thick. You want it to be creamy and the consistency of mayonnaise.

Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Add cumin and toast for a minute or two, just until fragrant and toasty smelling. Do not burn it. Remove from heat and immediately scrape it into the hummus. Add smoked paprika and chili powder (if using). Blend to incorporate. Taste and adjust seasonings and salt (you’ll need less salt if you used the preserved lemon). Grind in some pepper. Blend again.

Scrape hummus into a serving bowl. Drizzle with additional olive oil and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds. (Can be made ahead; cover and chill, bring to room temperature before serving.)

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Older Comments

  1. By Lacey @ dishfolio on February 9, 2011 at 10:28AM

    Looks delish! We'd love for you to share your recipe at dishfolio.com!

  2. By FreshTartSteph on February 9, 2011 at 9:37AM

    Thanks Cheriney! A nice way to use up leftovers if you have them. Hope you like it :)

  3. By Cheriney on February 9, 2011 at 9:11AM

    I've never tried lentil hummus, sounds so good.
    Thanks for sharing!!

  4. By FreshTartSteph on February 8, 2011 at 5:15PM

    Thank you Brenda! So much fun last night. Crazy fun. Can't wait to see you again soon :)
    And thanks also Xiaolu - definitely any bean works & you have such a cool selection! I'm not a hummus fan if it's not really soft/fluffy. This achieves that right texture.

  5. By Xiaolu @ 6 Bittersweets on February 8, 2011 at 11:31AM

    Oh what a great idea! I've got a lot of lentils at home, brown, puy, red, etc. I love the description of these as fluffy. I can imagine how good this is already!

  6. By Brenda @ a farmgirl’s dabbles on February 7, 2011 at 1:51PM

    I've never made my own hummus - and this looks wonderful! Your photos are BEAUTIFUL!!!

  7. By FreshTartSteph on February 7, 2011 at 8:00AM

    Thank you Alysa!

  8. By Alysa (Inspired RD) on February 7, 2011 at 7:55AM

    This looks beautiful and delicious. I love making hummus, but never would have thought to use lentils. Can't wait to try this. Thanks!