August 2, 2010

CREAMY LENTIL HUMMUS


I am always searching for ways to cram more fiber into my diet. Any place I can stick in some lentils or some good cruciferous veggies... well, it's a good place. Today I was craving hummus and I just happened to notice that I had a half a cup of uncooked lentils sitting in my pantry. So a light bulb went on! Why not cook those high-fiber bad boys up and add them to the hummus? I wasn't sure how it would taste, as lentils can sometimes dampen the flavor of a dish. But my hunch was a good one. It tastes yummy! Try it for yourself...

1/2 cup uncooked lentils
1 cup water
1 15.5oz can garbanzo beans (do not drain)
3 cloves garlic
1/4 cup lemon juice (or less, to taste - I like it tangy)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tsp salt (or less, to taste)
A few shakes of sesame oil, to taste (I did 5 or 6)
Dash cayenne pepper
Garnish with freshly ground black pepper (optional)
  • Bring the lentils and water to a boil. Cover and simmer on low heat until lentils are soft and water is gone. Allow to cool.
  • In a blender, combine all ingredients (except black pepper) and blend on high until nice and creamy, occasionally stopping to scrape the sides. It can take up to three full minutes to reach the creamiest consistency. Just keep stopping and scraping and tasting until you get it where you want it.
  • Sprinkle some freshly ground black pepper on top before serving. This is optional, of course, but it looks nice and gives that top layer a little extra "bite."
  • Tastes great with carrot sticks or tortilla chips. Enjoy!

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4 comments:

Jess - The Domestic Vegan said...

Ooh, this looks so delicious!

J said...

I agree! I'll have to try this sometime.

laura said...

i made this today & it is divine! i made a couple of changes that you might like to try! i roasted the garlic with olive oil, used the garlic soaked oil for the olive oil, and used the roasted garlic. i also used smoked sweet paprika. can't stop eating it.

Jennifer M. said...

That does sound good!!