Lentils Hummus

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Who doesn’t like Hummus? Hummus is a staple in the Mediterranean kitchen and now taking over the world. So, i decided to make a healthier version from sprouted lentils. The lentils hummus taste the same as chickpea hummus just healthier. Lentils have more fiber and protein so lentils hummus can be a part of a great vegan meal.

Whether it’s lentils or chickpeas sprouting them before eating is important since it makes them a lot easier to digest. In addition, sprouting makes them healthier. You can read more about sprouting here.

Although lentils and legumes, in general, have more carbs than a strict low carb diet allow, i do eat this every once in a while to enjoy the great health benefits of leguames. If you’re on a strict low carb diet you can still enjoy the excellent cauliflower hummus i posted a while ago.

Making the lentils hummus is super easy. I enjoy have it as a starter dip. I like dip veggies like cucumber and carrots in the hummus. In Mediterranean countries, people like eating hummus for breakfast or lunch mostly with pita bread. Since we stay away from unnecessary low-quality carbs we replace the pita bread with veggies.

Preparing the lentils hummus

Although not mandatory I highly recommend you sprout the lentils before. The sprouting process of red lentils is relatively short, just make sure you have whole lentils beans and not halved. To sprout start by soaking the lentils in water for about 12-24hrs. After, discard the water and keep the lentils in a bowl covered with a damp cloth and make sure you wash them every few hours until they sprout. Depending on the weather the sprouting can take anywhere between 1/2 a day to 2-3 days.

Once the lentils have sprouted you can make the lentils hummus. The lentils can be kept in the fridge for 3-5 days. First, put 1.5 cups of lentils in a strainer and wash under cold filtered water.  In a medium-size bowl, cover the lentils with water about 1 inch above the lentils and boiled the water. Once boiled, lower the heat and cook the lentils without cover until softened. This can take anywhere from 15min to 25 min. Just make sure you don’t overcook them.

Strain all the remaining water from the lentils and add them to a blender with about 2 TBSP of olive oils. Blend well until you get one smooth texture.

Move the mash lentils to a bowl add minced garlic, lemon juice and about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of Tahini (sesame paste), high-quality salt and ground black pepper. stir everything together until you get one smooth texture and then add more olive oil, about 2-3 TBSP slowly and stir it to the Hummus.

If the texture of the hummus is too liquid add some more tahini (When moving the bowl if the Hummus moves it’s too liquid).

If the hummus is too thick add a little water and stir until it softens.

Taste the lentil hummus and if needed add more lemon juice, garlic, salt or pepper. You can keep it in the fridge or serve immediately with some veggies to dip.

When served, I like to add some olive oil, paprika, cumin and even some chickpeas it looks and taste so good.