Easy Lentil Hummus Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Is hummus made from lentils? ›

Hummus means chickpeas in Arabic and Hebrew, but it's also the name of a Middle-Eastern spread and dip recipe made with cooked chickpeas, tahini, olive oil, and lemon juice. This lentil hummus recipe is a thick creamy lentil dip similar to traditional hummus, but where we substitute lentils for chickpeas.

As I'm sure you're aware, chickpeas don't have a lot of flavour to them, so they need some pretty punchy ingredients to make it what it is. Yes, adding things like cumin or paprika will make it more interesting, but at the end of the day, if there isn't enough salt and lemon (acid), it will taste bland and insipid.

You might need more tahini, garlic, lemon and/or salt and very likely more chickpea water. Add a bit of each as you need, the recipe explains. "Blitz the hummus until very smooth, a few minutes at least. Don't worry about the hummus being too loose; it will thicken as it sits."

Add salt, lemon juice, cumin, paprika, and cayenne to taste. Maybe that grocery store hummus is not quite seasoned to your liking. It might just need a touch more of the flavor-boosters you'd normally use to season hummus (salt, lemon, spice)—start slowly and taste as you go.

Chickpeas have the thin film covering, takes longer to cook. Lentils are smaller, the outer skin has been hulled, so faster to cook. Garbanzo or chickpeas become lentil when the outer cover is hulled it's called gram, used in India cooking ( channa Dal) also made into powder basen, used in Indian cooking fo pakora.

Chickpeas are one of the main ingredients in hummus. Hummus is commonly made by mashing chickpeas into a paste with lemon juice, olive oil, and tahini (sesame paste.) While hummus is delicious, Biena Snacks focuses on making yummy, crunchy chickpeas you can eat straight from the bag.

You're Not Using Enough/The Right Tahini

The one ingredient that gives hummus its undeniable richness, depth of flavor, and subtle nuttiness is tahini. This means that the final product depends on the amount of tahini that you add and the brand of tahini that you're using.

In this hummus recipe, adapted from "How to Cook Everything," tahini is essential, as are garlic and lemon. But this dip is also flexible: cumin and pimentón are optional, as are herbs or blends like za'atar. Hummus can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to one week.

Dried chickpeas provide better flavor than canned. Overcooking the chickpeas in water with baking soda makes them easier to blend. Puréeing the chickpeas while they're still hot lets you use a blender instead of a food processor for smoother texture.

The Ice Cube Trick for Hummus

For extra light and fluffy hummus, adding an ice cube to the hummus mixture before blending helps incorporate air into the mixture. Only add an ice cube if you're using a heavy-duty blender or food processor that can handle chopping ice.

Why does hummus need tahini? ›

Does hummus need tahini? You bet! In fact, tahini is one of hummus' main ingredients, along with chickpeas and olive oil. That's why our favorite dip can be so rich and delicious—in hummus, tahini adds smoothness to the texture, as well as a wide variety of vitamins and minerals.

Tahini is sesame butter, and to make creamy hummus, the secret is to first turn that into sesame cream! To do that, you need to emulsify the tahini in a water based liquid first. This will not happen if you just put everything into a food processor all at once!'

You can roast a whole head of garlic and drop a few whole-roasted garlic cloves over the top of the finished hummus, or even sauté rinsed canned chickpeas in olive oil, seasonings, and parsley to place over the top for a more jazzy display.

Garlic: Fresh garlic cloves are always superior to garlic powder, and it's especially true in homemade hummus! Baking soda: Adding baking soda to the chickpeas helps make the legume easier to digest, softer, and makes them easy to peel. Don't skip this ingredient!

Hummus is a smooth and creamy puree of cooked chickpeas (garbanzo beans), tahini and an acid, typically lemon juice. While hummus usually has garlic now, centuries ago it did not. Olive oil isn't a requirement either, but most modern recipes list it as an ingredient.

Say farewell to mediocre store-bought hummus—my hummus recipe guarantees a creamy, whipped, flavor-packed spread, ideal for scooping with pita or as a standout on any Middle Eastern table. Hummus is a Middle Eastern spread made from a blend of chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, and spices.

The name chickpea comes from the Latin word cicer, referring to the plant family of legumes, Fabaceae. It is also known by its popular Spanish-derived name, the garbanzo bean. Kidney beans, black beans, lima beans, and peanuts are other familiar foods found in this legume family.

The base ingredient is of course garbanzo beans – also known as chickpeas, bengal grams, Egyptian peas, and ceci beans. While it derives much of its nutritional value and signature creamy texture from garbanzo beans, the other ingredients give hummus its unique and versatile flavor.