Brown Lentil Hummus: a chickpea alternative

Brown lentil hummus is delicious and is so easy to make! This dip is made in the exact same way and with the same ingredients as a traditional hummus only you substitute brown lentils for the chickpeas. I’ve been told that the word hummus actually means chickpeas, but I like to call this brown lentil variation a hummus as well. Like regular hummus, it has a creamy texture which makes a delicious dip for pita chips, pita bread, crispy crackers, and fresh veggies. It can also be used as a sandwich spread on some bread or in a wrap, just like you would use a classic hummus of chickpeas.

Hummus Ingredients

A basic hummus recipe is made with simple ingredients. The main ingredients include chickpeas, tahini, fresh garlic, and lemon juice. Other ingredients often included in a hummus recipe are extra virgin olive oil and cumin.

Brown Lentil Hummus uses the same basic hummus ingredients only you substitute brown lentils for the chickpeas!

Types of Brown Lentils

There are several varieties of brown lentils to try. I’ve made hummus with both the smaller Spanish brown Pardina variety, and the basic brown lentil variety you can find in every grocery store which is just usually referred to as lentils.

The smaller brown Spanish variety hummus is creamier and thicker when pureed. I just add a bit of water to loosen it up a bit. These brown lentils are tasty though!

The brown lentil variety sold in grocery stores is what I use most often to make this hummus. I always have a bag around it seems to use in other recipes. When comparing the brown lentil hummus side by side made with both varieties, my family prefers this common grocery store lentil.

How to Make Hummus Using Brown Lentils

I use dried lentils for this recipe.

Start by sorting through 1 cup of dried brown lentils, making sure there isn’t any debris, and place them in a colander. Rinse the lentils thoroughly, place them in a medium saucepan, and cover with 2-3 inches of cold water.

I like to throw a bay leaf in the water for extra flavor. This is optional.

Turn on the stove and bring the water and lentils to a boil, skimming off any excess foam while they cook. It takes about 30 minutes from start to finish and then you’ll have a pot of cooked lentils!

While the lentils are cooking, assemble the other ingredients for the recipe.

After the lentils have cooked, drain off any excess water, discard the bay leaf if you used one, and let the lentils come to room temperature. This will take 30 minutes or less.

Pureeing the brown lentils into the hummus.

To make good homemade hummus, and puree all of the ingredients well, you’ll need a food processor. If you don’t have one a high-speed blender will work.

Place all of the ingredients, the lentils, cloves of garlic, cumin powder, kosher salt, lemon juice, tahini, and olive oil into the food processor and pulse until it reaches a creamy hummus consistency.

The important thing about making good hummus is tasting and adjusting the flavors. You may prefer to use more lemon juice or more tahini in this recipe and so on. It’s a personal preference.

Hummus-making tip: You can always add a bit of water to smooth out the consistency if you like the taste of the hummus you’ve made and don’t wish to add more flavor!

Hummus garnish ideas-

Serve brown lentil hummus in a small serving bowl. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil and a sprinkle of paprika.

Za’atar, parsley, cumin, crushed red pepper flakes, and sumac are tasty garnish options as well.

Store brown lentil hummus in an airtight container and in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Hummus without Garbanzo Beans

Aside from brown lentil hummus, here are some additional bean options to try:

• Green Lentils
• Black Beans
• Red Kidney Beans
• Pinto Beans
• White Beans

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