Easy Lentil Hummus – add almonds to make it delightfully nutty… and even more nutritious!
Yes, you can make Hummus with red lentils… and numerous other beans and legumes too! Naturally, each type of bean/legume brings its own unique flavor profile, so that the taste will be a bit different from the traditional, chickpea-based Hummus.
So what? More variety just means more fun for your taste-buds, right? Also, regardless of which part of the world you live in, you can probably find some beans and legumes in the local stores. The way I see it, why not try some fun, non-traditional approaches to make Hummus? Most of the variations I have tried have turned out delicious; some still need a bit more tweaking… and yes, I’m working on it!
Red Lentils – widely available & fast-cooking
The red lentil Hummus I’ve shared here is one of my favorites – for multiple reasons. First of all, red lentils are widely available across the globe… I always have some stocked in my pantry. They also cook really fast, especially in a pressure cooker – just 7-8 min at full pressure and they are done, soft and creamy as can be!
Even without a pressure cooker, they’re done in 20-25 min on the stove-top. By comparison, many other legumes take much longer to cook. For cooking soaked chick peas (Garbanzo, Kabuli Chana), for instance, you would have to pressure-cook them for about 35 min or so… And if you don’t use a pressure cooker? Well, that might take a couple of hours!
So… You can see why I can whip up this particular Hummus variety, from scratch, on fairly short notice…!
Hummus – from Canned beans or Dry beans?
I’m sure some of you are thinking, Why not simply use canned beans? You don’t have to cook them at all! Sure, I do that sometimes too, it is definitely super-convenient… If I get a sudden craving for home-made hummus, I’m certainly grateful for that can of beans sitting in my pantry.
However, I’d much rather not use canned beans, for multiple reasons. Freshly cooked beans are not just more tasty, they’re also more nutritious. Just compare the nutritional information for canned beans and dry beans… and you’ll see what I mean right away!
Then there is the availability issue…. and the cost issue…. While many types of canned beans are easy to find in the US, that’s not true in many other parts of the world. They also work out to be more expensive, overall…. sometimes quite significantly! A pound of dry beans (16 oz/450 g) yields a whopping 12-14 servings, compared with just 3-4 servings from a standard 14 oz can. Cost-wise, at least in my general experience in the US, you pay roughly the same amount for a can of beans as for a pound of dry beans. Need I elaborate further?
In India, cooking beans and legumes – many different varieties – is simply part of everyday routine, and almost nobody buys canned beans… In fact, you might get some funny looks if you ask where you might buy such a thing!
Lentils: loaded with protein, fiber, and lots of micro-nutrients
Folks everywhere seem to really like lentils… whatever variety is locally available to them. I’m utterly fascinated by the wide variety of lentil-based dishes in different culinary traditions.
It’s funny to think back to my early days in the US… Until I came to the US, I didn’t even know there were so many varieties of lentils! Or that folks outside of India even knew what they were! I simply assumed only Indians ate beans and legumes…. Such were the days of the “pre-world-wide-web”… Nowadays, with all kinds of information instantly delivered by the “google-machine”, such ignorance seems almost laughable!
Indian folks typically use a commonly availabl lentil variety – the pretty, pink-red Masoor Dal (Muss-oor Daal; Hindi/Marathi) … Easy to see why one might call it “Red” lentils. For an everyday healthy and nutritious meal, one might have spicy Masoor Dal with rice or Chapaati/Roti. Maybe not a fancy meal, but delicious and wholesome, for sure!
So… what “bag of tricks” do lentils come with? Like all legumes… almost no fat, lots of high-quality protein, vitamins, minerals and various other micro-nutrients…. And, of course, energy-giving carbs – who doesn’t need lots of energy to get through their everyday hustle and bustle?
Just imagine… all of these things, packed into these tiny little “seeds”… pretty impressive!
Lentil Carbs – Healthy Soluble & Insoluble fiber
It’s too bad that “Carbs” have gotten a bad rap in recent years… They are widely accused of being “the bad-guy” when folks get on their “I need to lose weight” campaigns….. That’s somewhat misguided, though, because it’s just not the whole story… There are many different kinds of carbs, including fiber – which actually supports weight-loss.
A portion of the carbs in all beans and legumes is fiber: some of it is ‘soluble’ and some is ‘insoluble’. It is well-known that both kinds of fiber support our overall health in several ways. So, it would be rather disastrous, in fact, to stop consuming fiber-rich foods.
How to make Lentil Hummus?
How to make lentil Hummus? Cook the lentils till soft, then grind to a thick paste in a chopper or food processor. Add the remaining ingredients: Tahini, garlic, lemon juice, almond flour, a little sesame oil, salt…. garlic, if you like… Process again until everything is incorporated and the mixture starts looking smooth and fluffy. Stir in some Zaatar… or maybe some mint…. and that’s it! The quantities used in this recipe yield about 1 1/4 cups of Hummus… that’s about 6-8 generous servings.
Serve it up…. right away if you wish…. with warm pita wedges, crudites, crackers…. Or, maybe you’d like to spread it on sliced bread as you assemble your favorite sandwich… It’s a great way to add protein to a veggie sandwich.
More Middle-Eastern Recipes
If you like middle-Eastern style food… perhaps you’d like to try some of these recipes too… they are also vegan, gluten-free, nut-free and soy-free…
- Hummus : traditional chick-pea based, easy, fast and delicious
- Roasted Eggplant with Pomegranate Molasses : roasted eggplant “fingers”, tossed with a pomegranate dressing
- Tabouli with Steel-cut Oats: a refreshing Middle-Eastern style, parsley salad – the steel-cut oats, swapped for traditionally used cracked wheat, makes it gluten free.
I’m also planning to post more recipes from this culinary tradition soon… so be on the lookout!
Special Diets
This easy hummus, made with red lentils, is vegetarian, vegan, soy-free and gluten-free. To make it nut-free, use powdered sunflower seeds (simply grind some sunflower seeds…) instead of almond flour.
Go ahead, make this unique-tasting lentil hummus to surprise your friends and family… Put out some warm pita wedges, maybe some rye crackers, baby carrots, bell pepper strips, etc. …. and just watch… Your bowl of Hummus will empty out, pretty darn fast!
Do leave a review and star rating… much appreciated!
Enjoy!
Easy Lentil Hummus – Add Almonds To Make It Nutty
Equipment
- Pressure cooker preferred if not available, see Recipe Notes for cooking without pressure cooker
- Chopper/Food processor A blender will work too, but may need to be done in smaller batches, using pulse action and frequent mixing. Otherwise you will need to add too much water, which will give you a soupy, runny hummus.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Red lentils skinless; check for and remove small stones, etc., before using
- 2 tbsp Almond flour if not available, use whole almonds and or other nuts; For nut-free hummus, use sunflower seeds; see Recipe Notes for details
- 1 tbsp Tahini If not available, see Recipe Notes for how to use sesame seeds instead
- 2 tsp Sesame Oil or Extra Virgin Olive Oil, or other mild-flavored oil of your choice
- 1/4 tsp Cayenne pepper – ground (red chilli powder) (spicy) dried red chillies, ground; use paprika instead, if you do not want it spicy
- 3/8 tsp Salt adjust as per preference – add up to 1/8 tsp more, if you like
- 1 tbsp Lime/lemon juice – freshly squeezed preferred if not available, bottled juice is OK
- 1/2 tsp Garlic (optional) – grated – about 1 medium clove
- 2 tbsp Water as needed, to adjust consistency of Hummus
Add-ins – Optional
- 2 tsp Dried mint leaves
- 1 tsp Zaatar seasoning
- 1 tsp Dried parsley
Instructions
- Wash the red lentils 3-4 times with water, until the water runs clear. Use a fine strainer to drain the water after each wash. Transfer to a small bowl/insert container that fits inside the pressure cooker pot.. Add 1/2 cup fresh water to the lentils and set aside.
- Prepare the pressure cooker for pot-in-pot cooking: place the rack/trivet in the pressure cooker pot and add 2 cups water. Place the container with the lentils on the rack. Close the lid and pressure cook for 7-8 min at full pressure. Allow natural pressure release – it may take 10 – 15 min. Do not force release the pressure, since the lentils continue to cook during this time.Notice that the color changes from pink-red to yellow.
- Mash the lentils with the back of a sturdy spoon.
- Add the Almond flour and stir it in.
Prepare the Hummus
- Transfer the lentil-almond mixture to a chopper/food processor. Add the Tahini, salt, lemon juice, red chilli powder (cayenne) and garlic (optional).
- Add sesame oil and process until smooth, creamy and fluffy. If it looks too thick/dry, add a little water (about 1 tsp at a time… up to 3-4 tsp) and process to incorporate evenly.Note:To use as a sandwich spread, I recommend keeping it a bit on the "dry" side, so your sandwich does not become soggy. When you want the Hummus to be a bit more "wet", such as for dipping pita wedges or crackers, simply stir in a little water till you get the consistency you want.
- If you wish, add some dried mint (or finely chopped fresh mint leaves)
- A quick swirl to mix it in.
- Serve it with pita wedges, pickled olives, gherkins, etc. Shown here topped with a little chilli oil, dried parsley and Zataar. See Recipe Notes for how to make and store chilli oil.Can also put out crudités – red/yellow/orange bell pepper strips, carrot sticks, celery sticks, etc.See Recipe Notes for more serving ideas.
- Enjoy!
Notes
No Almond flour available? Use whole almonds instead:
- Pour boiling water over 8-10 almonds in a small bowl. Cover for about 1 min.
- Transfer the almonds to a plate to cool a little;
- while still warm, rub the almonds a little between your fingers- the peels slip right off.
- Wipe excess moisture from the surface of the almonds with a clean dry kitchen towel/paper towel.
- Grind the almonds, using short 3-4 second pulses, till powdered
- if you let the grinder run continuously, it will all clump together
- a slightly coarse powder is fine.
- Use as directed in the recipe.
No almonds available?
Use other nuts instead: chill the nuts in the freezer, then pulse-grind till powdered; use as directed instead of almond flour.- Cashews
- Walnuts – will darken the color of the hummus because of the brown skin
- Hazelnuts
For Nut-free Hummus
- Sunflower seeds (or pumpkin seeds):
- chill in the freezer, then pulse-grind till powdered; use as directed instead of almond flour.
No Tahini available? Use Sesame Seeds instead:
- Lightly roast 1 tbsp white sesame seeds (hulled) on a heated skillet for 1-2 min Do not over-roast. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
- Brown sesame seeds OK too; do not use black sesame seeds
- Boil 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan, or in a cup in the microwave.
- Add 2 tbsp boiling water to the roasted sesame seeds in the bowl. Cover and set aside for 5 min.
- Place the soaked sesame seeds, garlic and 1/2 cup of cooked lentils in the food processor and blend until smooth.
- the sesame “skin” may not become super smooth- that’s OK- the hummus still tastes great!
- Add a little warm water if the mixture becomes too stiff while processing. It should become fluffy while blending.
- Now add the remaining lentils and seasonings, as directed, and blend until smooth and fluffy.
- Hummus is ready!
How to make chili oil:
- In a small glass bowl or bottle, place 1 tsp red chilli powder (cayenne) – with good color
- do not use old, dark colored chilli powder.
- Kashmiri Chilli powder and Byadgi chilli powder are both excellent for color and flavor, and are not overly spicy
- use Paprika if you want good color and flavor, but without the spicy-kick
- do not use old, dark colored Paprika
- you can also use crushed red pepper instead of chilli powder
- the color will not be as intense as with chilli powder
- you can also use 2-3 whole dried red chillies – break each into 2-3 pieces
- do not use old, dark colored chilli powder.
- add 2-3 tbsp edible oil – I like to use Peanut oil.
- Stir, cover and set aside.
- Chilli oil is ready to use in a couple of hours; the color and flavor will be better the next day
- Keep the chilli oil away from direct sunlight –
- it is good for 3-4 weeks at room temperature, possibly even longer.
- I usually make a small batch ( 2-3 tbsp), then make more as needed.
- If the oil begins to smell rancid, please discard!
- it is good for 3-4 weeks at room temperature, possibly even longer.
Other ideas for serving Hummus:
- Use as a spread for sandwiches, burgers, etc.
- Spread on a tortilla before adding filling, when making quesadillas.
- Spread on a tortilla/thin wrap; add finely shredded cheese (sharp cheddar is excellent), finely shredded lettuce, finely chopped pickled jalapenos; roll up tightly and slice, pinwheel style. Serve as an appetizer or snack.
Storing leftovers:
Refrigerator:- Place in a covered glass/ceramic container (avoid plastic)
- Use within 2-3 days
- Stir well and add fresh garnish before serving
- Use within 2-3 days
- Place in a shallow, covered glass/ceramic container (avoid plastic)
- shallow container makes it easy to thaw
- good for up to a month, possibly longer
- To thaw frozen hummus:
- Remove container from freezer, loosen the cover and set on the counter for about an hour.
- stir, if thawed, to mix well.
- if not yet thawed, place container in the microwave, and heat on defrost setting (30% power) for 3-4 min, till thawed and can be easily stirred.
- Stir well, whipping it a little (with a whisk or a fork) and add fresh garnish before serving.
- Remove container from freezer, loosen the cover and set on the counter for about an hour.
Healthy recipe that tasted super yummy 😊😊
Thank you, Rohini; I’m so glad you enjoyed it. 🙂
Lip smacking good! The addition of mint takes it to a whole other level.
Lip smacking good! The addition of mint takes it to a whole other level.
Thanks, Sreelatha! I guess you must be a mint-lover too, just like me! 🙂
Delicious! Looking forward to seeing how other lentils taste
So glad you liked it! will be posting new hummus recipes from other beans/legumes soon… They all taste great!
The flavors are melting on my tongue <3 this never misses the mark
Thank you Kiran. So glad you like it.
Definitely the best hummus I’ve ever had! One of my favorite recipes from the blog!
Thanks, Alyssa. Enjoy!
Made this for a little party a student group was hosting and they absolutely loved it! It was quick and easy to make. We did supplement with smoked sunflower seeds, extra garlic and roasted bell peppers. The students pretty much emptied the bowl (thankfully I kept some at home).
Thanks Courtney! I hope you shared my website link with your students! It’s fun when you can make some changes to a basic recipe- I often add extra garlic and/or roasted bell peppers (actually, it’s even faster if you simply microwave the peppers for 2-3 min before blending with the chickpeas! You also preserve more nutrients that way – roasting actually destroys many more nutrients)
I have never used smoked sunflower seeds…. where do you even get them? I have seen roasted ones, of course, but “smoked”… never seen that! I’d love to try that.
Btw… maybe you can try stirring in some capers into the Hummus next time… they “hide” in the hummus and give you a little surprise burst of flavor in your mouth! Fun!
We made our smoked sunflower seeds by placing the sunflower seeds in an aluminum pan and putting it in a smoker for about 20 minutes. I’ll definitely try the capers and microwaving the bell peppers next time!
I made this recipe for a class and a classmate told me that this hummus was better than trader joes! I added more of certain ingredients for personal taste and it came out delicious! Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Yayyy! So glad you liked it, Rheana! Of course you should customize the ingredients to you personal prefernces…. why not?! Thanks for the lovely review and star rating! 🙂