Lentil Hummus |Cooking With Amanda

Your snack-food loving self all cozied up with some salty, crunchy tortilla chips and a MASSIVE bowl of the creamiest Mexican-spiced hummus, bursting with fresh cilantro and tangy lime juice.

Can you imagine it? OF COURSE YOU CAN.

I mean, like, I might be a little bit of a biased opinion here, but I kinda sorta L-O-V-E with a capital LOVE this hummus and its super-easy-made-in-one-bowl healthy, ULTRA creamy goodness.

Put it on a chip. Put on a cracker, heck put it on YOUR FACE. You're getting the hummus-loving vibes,

And don't even think about saving some for snack tomorrow. Hummus leftovers? That is NOT a thing that exists in this universe.

BUUUUUUUT, I might have forgot to mention on, teeeny tiiiiny thing that is actually really, really big and quite important:

Lentils.

Like, this hummus is made out of 'em. No chickpeas were blended up and harmed in the making of this velvety-smooth thick dip that is bursting with SO MUCH flavor in so little prep-time (uh huhhhh you like it!)

I can feel your cold-unfriendly-questioning vibes right through the screen. I can see you being all "ERHM HOLD DA PHONE NOW? Lentils? In HUMMUS? I can get on board the Lentil Stew train, but this spreadable, dip-able lentil shenanigans? I'M JUST NOT SURE ABOUT THIS."

Press on my food-doubting friends. HEALTHY FOOD CHAMPION GOALS will be reached at the end of this post. I pinky promise.

Exhibit one: You can make pumpkin hummus , roasted beet hummus and black bean hummus, so why can't you make lentil hummus?

You know I'm right.

Exhibit 2: If you cook lentils WAY too long, they turn into mushy things that are basically just subconsciously YELLING at you to let 'em go for a ride in the food processor.

Exhibit 3. Umm, the health yo'. Protein, fiber, calcium…these tiny little circles of crunchy-turned-creamy texture deliciousness have got it ALL.

Exhibit 4. I just recently learned that I love lentils and really need to eat more of them. Lentils are just dang tasty.

1+2+3+4 = Valid argument for the necessity of a new, AND IMPROVED, slather-it-on-e'rythang-for-all-the-evers-left-in-your-life.

Heads up: I looked out for you because I already KNEW you would be wondering about the validity of a chickpea-less hummus.

I made it with a little pop of cilantro, zesty lime and spicy-kick of cayenne and cumin powder. I know how your heart jams along to anything that spouts off a little Mexican flavah.

On that note: Don't try to add roasted corn to please the inner-multi-texture loving person that I know you are.

It was a thought that came into my brain that I didn't really think about it...I JUST DID IT.

Still picking crunchy corn out of my teeth and trying to sort out the odd combo of textures that happened to my taste buds.

Easy. Healthy. SIMPLE. Keep it that way.

It's perfect for when ALL the people come over for Game Day. ß Like, I'm just straight up telling you to serve it then. No beating around the bush.

Can we high five for healthy Game day eats that require, like, no work?

Just be careful not to crush my creamy-hummus-coated tortilla chip mmkay?

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Lentil Hummus Recipe

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Ingredients

1 cup yellow lentils, uncooked
2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped and tightly packed
3 tablespoons tahini paste
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons garlic, minced
2 limes, juiced, large
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cumin
1/4-1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, to desired level of spiciness
black pepper, to taste

Directions

Combine the lentils, water, and salt in a large pan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, turn the heat down to medium/low and cook until the lentils are very soft, and the water is absorbed, about 40 minutes.
Add the cooked lentils into a large food processor, along with all remaining ingredients and blend until smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides as necessary.
DEVOUR.