This recipe is due entirely to popular demand. The story goes: Every week I try to make sure I have a fresh batch of hummus along with baggies of prepped vegetables so that when my husband opens up the fridge looking for a snack he hopefully reaches for the healthy option because it’s already there and made. We are all creatures of convenience, but I really like the guy so I’m always doing what I can to help him live as long as possible.
I normally make hummus using chickpeas, but when I went to whip up a batch one afternoon, all I had were lentils on hand. I love lentils and love switching things up, so I made this batch of hummus with the lentils, plated it with some herbs and gomasio, snapped a few quick photos, and posted it to Instagram. I thought it was pretty enough, but I never expected how much attention it got! It appears to be the most popular photo I’ve ever posted on social media and got re-featured multiple times. You never know what will get people excited I guess! Who would have thought the humble “Lentil hummus with lemony, herby vibes” would be the best seller? But I got flooded with comments and direct messages of people looking for the recipe on my site but unable to find it. This is a good problem to have.
Truth be told, making something just to eat it and making something to blog about it are not the same process. The first time I made the hummus, it wasn’t with the view to sharing the recipe so I didn’t bother measuring or keeping track of my steps, or taking any additional snapshots of the process or ingredients, something that is typically expected on blog posts.
So I remade it and actually recorded the recipe this time for the express purpose of sharing it with you fine folk.
Without further ado, here it is!
WHAT YOU'LL NEED
1 (400 gram) can cooked lentils, drained & rinsed
(or 1 1/3 cup cooked lentils)
2 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
1 tsp kosher salt
1.5 Tbs fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 Tbs tahini
1 Tbs good quality olive oil
1/2 Tbs water
Optional Toppings :
Roughly chopped fresh herbs (I used basil, dill, & green onion. Use what you have or love)
Gomasio (toasted sesame seeds + sea salt)
extra lentils
a good glug of olive oil
WHAT YOU'LL DO
Combine the cooked lentils (reserving a spoonful for garnish if you desire), tahini, lemon juice, salt, and garlic in a food processor. Pulse a few times until it is a consistent, thick mash and most of the lentils are smashed. Then add your olive oil, running the machine now on a setting that will puree it thoroughly. Scrape down the sides and blend once more. Add the water and blend on high speed until light and airy. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired.
I personally like to serve the hummus slightly chilled before serving (about 30 mins in the fridge), but be prepared for the mixture to firm up substantially if completely cold. When ready to serve, pile on a plate and use the back of a spoon or offset spatula to spread the mixture out in a circular motion, leaving deeper swoops to create small ravines for toppings. Garnish as desired with any or all of the toppings mentioned.
Keeps well in the refrigerator for at least a week and in my opinion, only improves in flavor with time.