Red Lentil & Sweet Potato “Hummus”

The unimaginable happened last week: I ran out of chickpeas.

It felt unnatural, traumatic and impossible for me not have any chickpeas in the house, but it’s true.

I imagine most vegans feel the same way.  Chickpeas are a delicious staple in vegan diet and are extremely versatile.

In a way, I’m glad I ran out of them because if I didn’t, I wouldn’t have made this wickedly creamy “hummus”.

I started to look for recipes online but most comments on red lentil hummus were “bland” or “I prefer the original” so I decided to make my own recipe. The most popular comments of all were in regard to calling it a hummus.

Traditional hummus is made from chickpeas, ground sesame seeds, lemon and olive oil. The majority of people know this.

Although substituting red lentils for chickpeas doesn’t technically classify it as a hummus, I still refer to this recipe as a “hummus” because it automatically informs people of the basic ingredients used in the dip.

The reaction towards the naming issue amazed me. I understand that people love their hummus; I too think extremely highly of the chickpea but for it to cause an issue other than having none left, took me by surprise.

I searched for other similar comments towards food substitutes such as, banana nice-cream and cauliflower “rice” but no one questioned their name. Just the hummus.

I think the lesson here is to never underestimate the passion one has for hummus, and secondly if you substitute chickpeas for another bean or lentil always use inverted comers when calling it a hummus. When saying it out loud perhaps curl to figures in the air (like Doctor Evil in Austin Powers) to save you from this dilemma. Or better still just say this thing is freaking awesome; because it is.

Ingredients

½ cup red lentils (uncooked)

1 small sweet potato (or half a large)

3Tb tahini

1 garlic clove

¼ cup lemon juice

Pinch of salt (I used Pink Himalayan)

Directions

1. Soak lentils for 6-8 hours.
2. Rinse the split peas and transfer into a saucepan with the chopped sweet potato and boil for 15-20 mins.
3. Once cooked, drain and give it a quick rinse with cold water.
4. While the split peas and potato are still warm transfer them into the food processor and give it a quick mix. It’s important to do this while they are warm because this how you get a creamy consistency.
5. Add the rest of the ingredients and process until it is completely mixed through.
   You may need to add some water or olive oil if you want a thinner consistency.
6. Store in an air tight container for 4-5 days.

This “hummus” (please note the inverted comers used) is anything but bland. I also found that using red split peas made it creamier and smoother.

I’m positive you all will love it!

Be kind to yourself,

Lisa x