This Lentil Hummus recipe is creamy, smooth and loaded with earthy, warm smoky flavors. It’s a creative, healthy appetizer for casual entertaining, and it’s a fantastic addition to wraps and sandwiches.
Red Lentil Hummus is somewhere in between the seasons for me — the smoky warm flavors are reminiscent of fall, but it’s light enough to work beautifully as a summer appetizer, served with veggies and pita bread.
Unlike classic hummus recipes, this one is made without tahini and lemon juice. And there’s a secret ingredient that gives it a delicious smoky kick.
Ingredients for Lentil Hummus
- dry split red lentils – While they’re called red, they are actually orange.
- smoked paprika – This adds nicely to the smoky flavor, though regular paprika works well too.
- chipotles in adobo sauce– The secret ingredient. With a touch of heat, this is where the smoky flavor comes in. It blends beautifully with the nut-like flavor of the lentils.
- extra virgin olive oil – I like this one.
- garlic – Raw garlic is best.
- honey – Just a touch to bring out the natural sweetness of the ingredients.
- salt – I almost always cook with Kosher salt. (It’s coarse and salts foods in a subtle way that enhances their flavor without making them taste salty.)
- water – To cook the lentils.
- garbanzo beans – Just enough to add their creamy texture.
How to Make it
(More detailed instructions are in the recipe card below.)
– Coat the bottom of a medium-sized pot with olive oil and add the honey, chipotles, garlic, paprika and to the oil and mix. Then add in the dry lentils and mix to coat them well.
– Pour the water over the lentils and mix. Bring to a boil, turn the heat to low, cover, and simmer just until almost all of the liquid has been absorbed, 10 to 15 minutes. Let them cool for about 15 minutes.
– Add the mixture to a food processor and blend until smooth. Mix in remaining olive oil and salt.
– Let the lentil hummus cool completely and then add it to an airtight container with a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the hummus, beneath the lid. Refrigerate for up to 5 days.
Recipe Tips and Substitutions
- The lentil hummus will become slightly thick once refrigerated, so it’s best to keep it at room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving.
- For more of a heat kick, add more of the chipotles in adobo sauce– up to 1½ tablespoons or so. And for less heat, use less than instructed or remove the seeds.
Serving Suggestions
- Red Lentil Hummus is an excellent appetizer dip served with chips, pita bread or vegetables (carrot sticks, jicama, broccoli, tomatoes, etc.).
- This recipe also makes for a delicious spread on burgers or in sandwiches and wraps.
- And if you thin it a bit with extra virgin olive oil (to the desired consistency), you’ve got a tasty, creamy salad dressing.
I hope you love this smoky Red Lentil Hummus as much as I do!
More interesting hummus recipes:
Red Lentil Hummus Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil plus extra for drizzing, divided
- ½ teaspoon honey
- 1 tablespoon chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, roughly chopped
- 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, plus extra for sprinkling
- 1¼ teaspoon salt, divided
- 2 cups dry split red lentils
- 4 cups water
- ¼ cup garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
Instructions
- Cook the lentils. Coat the bottom of a medium-sized pot with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Add the honey, chipotles, garlic, paprika, ¼ teaspoon of the salt and the lentils and mix to coat them well. Pour in the water and mix. Bring to a boil, turn the heat to low, cover, and simmer just until the water has been absorbed, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the stove and let it cool for about 15 minutes.
- Blend. Add the lentils and the garbanzo beans to a food processor fitted with the blade attachment and blend until it's as smooth as possible. Then mix in the remaining olive oil and salt.
- Cool/serve. Let it cool completely and then add it to an airtight container with a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the hummus, beneath the lid. Refrigerate for up to 5 days. Serve at room temperature, drizzled with a touch more extra virgin olive oil and a sprinkle of paprika.(If it's been refrigerated, let the hummus sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before serving. If it's still not as soft as you'd like, heat it in the microwave for a few seconds.)
Notes
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Patricia@FreshFoodinaFlash says
Valentina, this looks easy to make and changes up our love for hummus. Thanks for sharing. Patricia
valentina says
Thank YOU, Patricia! Hope you try it. 🙂
Deb|EastofEdenCooking says
We’re in the middle of heat wave, the California Indian Summer! But I’m ready for fall too and this wonderful lentil hummus sounds so enticing!
valentina says
Thank you, Deb. Hope you try it. It’s SO hot in LA also.
bob says
awesome stuff
valentina says
Thank, Bob! 🙂
David says
This sounds so perfect for us. Lots of great flavor and a great way to use a very underused legume! Can’t wait to try it!
valentina says
Awesome way to look at it, David. Those red lentils are underused! I might just use them even more now! 🙂 xo
allie says
what are ‘chipotles in adobo sauce’? Never heard of these.. sounds obscure and hard to find. Im in the UK. Any realisitic, easy to find alternative?
valentina says
Chipotles are dried & smoked jalapeños peppers. It’s actually quite common in the US to find them canned in adobo sauce. Adobo sauce is a mixture of a variety of spices, onion, vinegar and sugar. Here they are on the UK Amazon site. Enjoy! And thank you for asking and checking out my recipe. (Without them, for the smoky flavor you can use a bit more of the smoked paprika and maybe smoked sea salt.)
Frank | Memorie di Angelina says
What a lovely recipe. I love classic hummus but I seem to be the only one in my household who does. This, on the other hand, might win them over. That chipotle especially could just do the trick…
valentina says
Hi Frank, Thanks so much. Hope you win them over. 😀 ~Valentina