Let me be honest here and tell you that I’m not really all too wild about lentils. Brown and green lentils, when cooked, look yucky … and although my kids and husband love them, I feel indifferent about them.
However…. red lentils, on the other hand, I absolutely adore. They are a gorgeous, beautiful, creamy red color and when cooked, they tend to get mushy so much faster than green or brown lentils. Because they cook quite a bit different, they are wonderful to add to hearty Marinara Sauce to sneak in some protein, or… to vegetarian chili.
Related: Easy Instant Pot Marinara Sauce (with 2 secret ingredients!)
Red lentils have a smoky, earthy flavor that works wonderfully for dips and spreads – full of protein, this hummus is great to spread on pita bread, or serve with chips, or smear on a sandwich. Yum!
Even better, this hummus is relatively easy to make if you have an Instant Pot, because they can cook up in just a few minutes.
Hummus is usually made with tahini – but in this case, we were out and a trip to the store wasn’t in order; we substituted chickpeas that we made in our Instant Pot the day prior. To make it easier, use a can of garbanzo beans instead.
Add the juice from a few limes, a little olive oil, smoked paprika, cumin, salt and pepper and you have a generous dip that will wow everyone in the family.
Related post: How to make Chickpeas in the Instant Pot
Your kids might not even realize it’s healthy. That’s huge! 
This recipe makes enough for a crowd – if you have enough leftover, refrigerate in sealed containers. To serve, top with some extra virgin olive oil and a few dashes of smoked paprika. It’s a wonderful way to create a last minute appetizer or dish to pass if you are in a pinch.
The best place to stock up on lentils and garbanzo beans/chickpeas is Vitacost – they always have wonderful sales and you can score $5 OFF your first order.
Whip up this smoky and delicious Red Lentil Hummus with just a few ingredients and serve with chips or pita bread for a healthy, protein filled snack.
Ingredients
- 1 C. red lentils, rinsed and sorted
- 2 C. water
- 1/2 C. garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
- 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil + more for drizzling
- 1/4 C. lemon juice
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp salt (or more, to taste)
- 1/2 tsp black pepper)
Instructions
- In your Instant Pot, combine the lentils with the water.
- Place the lid on the Instant Pot, and seal the valve.
- Set the timer for 9 minutes on manual (high) pressure.
- Once the timer beeps finished, release the pressure.
- Add the contents of the Instant Pot to the food processor with the rest of the ingredients and puree until smooth.
- Add more extra virgin olive oil and/or lemon juice as needed.
- Season with additional salt/pepper as needed, and pour into serving bowl.
- Drizzle with a little extra olive oil and a few dashes of smoked paprika.
- Serve with chips, pita bread or spread on sandwiches.
How long is the shelf life for this hummus?
Eat immediately or, refrigerate and eat within 4-5 days. It doesn’t usually last that long here though, our family of 7 usually has it demolished in a few hours.
How might you revise this recipe to use split dried chickpeas (chana dal), in place of cooked chickpeas? Maybe add ¼ C to the red lentils along an extra ¼ C water? Let me know what you think.
You could definitely do 1/4 C. though chickpeas usually follow a ratio of 1:4 (chickpeas to water). I’m wondering if maybe you would need to up the water a bit, though you don’t want to go too much either or you’ll have a soupy mess. Maybe 1/4 C. dried, spit chickpeas along with 3/4 to 1 C. water? (just to be safe?)
Let me know how it works for you, I’d be interested to know!