Quick & Easy Lentil Hummus

Hummus my love!

 

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A post shared by Haggai Leffler - Vegan Athlete (@haggai_leffler) on Jul 27, 2019 at 3:18am PDT

Yes, it's a real addiction.

So much has already been written about this wonderful spread:

That it's accessible, cheap, delicious, and of course, very nutritious.

But, making hummus spread properly requires advance prep: like soaking in water for several hours, peeling, long cooking, etc.

If you're craving fresh, tasty, and quick-to-prepare hummus, you can simply swap the chickpeas for red lentils.

Red lentils don't need soaking at all, they require very short cooking, and their flavor is delicate.

Red lentils are rich in dietary fiber and protein, which create a feeling of satiety and fullness for a long time.

And if you pair a serving of hummus with one (just one!!!) whole-wheat pita, you've created a complete, nutritious meal with a sane calorie count.

Interested in some nutritional values of red lentils?

100g of red lentils before cooking contains:

300 kcal, 25g protein, 58g carbohydrates, 1.7g fat, 12g dietary fiber

So next time you feel like "wiping" some proper hummus and didn't have time to soak chickpeas, just make red lentil hummus.

I promise you no one will notice, and the nutritional values are nearly identical.

So what are you waiting for? It's easy, delicious, and satisfying.

A bit about lentil hummus:

I used red lentils, but you can also swap them for yellow lentils (slightly less common) or green lentils, which also don't require soaking and cook quickly.

To make the lentil spread creamy and indulgent, I used tahini. If for any reason you want to replace the tahini, swap it for the same amount of almond butter.

The characteristic hummus flavor comes from the cumin, as well as the garlic and lemon. If you want to swap any of these spices feel free, but know the taste will be slightly different.

Nutritional values by clinical dietitian and fitness coach Noam Bechar:

One serving of hummus out of 6 (80g) contains:

198 kcal

8g protein

13g carbohydrates

14g fat

Addition of one whole-wheat pita:

266 kcal

10g protein

55g carbohydrates

3g fat

Want the real deal? Here is a recipe for classic chickpea hummus

Print

Lentil Hummus

Red lentil hummus that you can whip up in no time

Keyword Hummus, Lentils, Protein, Legumes, Tahini

Prep Time 2 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Servings 6 portions

Calories 200 kcal

Ingredients

• 2 cups split red lentils 340g
• 1/2 cup raw white tahini 75g
• 3 tablespoons olive oil 30 ml
• 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
• Juice from half a lemon
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• Water
• Salt to taste

Instructions

1. Rinse the lentils thoroughly under running water

2. Drain and transfer to a pot

   

3. Pour in water until covered, cover the pot, and bring to a boil

4. Lower the heat and cook for about 10 minutes

5. After 10 minutes, stir and check if any liquid remains in the pot

6. If the liquid seems to have evaporated too quickly, add a little more water, stir, and cook for another 10 minutes until the lentils are very soft and the mixture is stable and not too watery

   

7. Transfer the cooked lentils to a deep bowl

8. Using an immersion blender, blend the lentils thoroughly until a smooth, uniform paste is formed

   

9. Add the tahini and mix well

10. If the texture is too thick and not creamy enough, add a little more water

    

11. Add the olive oil, lemon, garlic, cumin, and salt to taste, and mix well.

12. That's it, the hummus is ready! You can transfer it to serving plates

    

13. Serve each bowl of hummus topped with tahini, a pinch of cumin, olive oil, and some parsley for garnish