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Lemon Garlic Lentil Hummus

Lemon Garlic Lentil Hummus is an easy, hearty, protein-packed vegetarian side or main dish, bursting with Middle eastern spices and flavors. This lentil hummus dip is great with chips, rice, vegetables or on its own!

I’m sharing one of my favorite vegetarian recipes today! This yellow lentil hummus is actually an older recipe that got some recent photo upgrades.

This lentil hummus recipe is great as protein-packed meatless Monday dinner or side. It also makes for a great party appetizer with chips or pita bread!

Ingredients For Yellow Lentil Hummus

To make this lentil dip, you’ll need:

  • lentils (green or yellow)
  • butter
  • olive oil
  • garlic
  • tahini paste
  • lemons
  • spices – black pepper, cumin, curry powder, rosemary
  • tomato
  • kale or other greens of your choice

Tahini is ground sesame seeds, if you’ve never bought it before. I’ve found this one to be the best tasting and ideal consistency. Sometimes it can be hard to find.

Tahini gives anything a creamy, milky texture so dips with tahini are my favorite.

It’s the star of the show in this basil hummus recipe, and I water it down to make it a dressing for my work salads.

How To Make Lentil Lemon Garlic Hummus

If you’re new to cooking with lentils, they are superb!

They can take on a variety of flavors, complement any dish as a topping or the main ingredient, and obviously, pack quite the nutritional punch.

And this lemon lentil recipe is tastier than any canned lentil dip.

I like to get them in bulk from Whole Foods, or I order these off Amazon and just have them delivered. While I made a yellow lentil hummus, you can use any color or variety of lentils you have for this lentil hummus recipe.

I’ve also made it as a red lentil hummus too!

Lemon garlic hummus made with lentils in white bowl with sprig of rosemary

Once you have your lentils on hand, you’re ready to make this lemon tahini lentil hummus dip. 

Start by boiling your lentils. You will cook the lentils in a 3:1 ratio (3 cups of water per cup of lentils). Once you bring to a boil, cover and simmer for about 15-20 minutes.

While the lentils are cooking, you can start melting your butter in a large pan. Add the olive oil and garlic. Once the lentils are finished, add them to the same pan, along with the tahini, lemon juice, spices, rosemary, tomatoes and kale to make the lemon herb tahini hummus. 

Stir for 3-5 minutes over medium-low heat and you have your lentil dip almost complete!

We love this as a dip, similar to my Pizza Beans recipe, which is ready in under 20 minutes!

Are Lentils Healthy?

Lentils are very healthy and a great vegetarian protein option! Plus, this lentil dip is chock-full of protein and fiber. 

Just 1/4 cup serving of lentils provides you:

  • 20% of your daily iron needs (more about the importance of iron here)
  • 15 grams of fiber
  • 13 grams of protein
  • 15% of your daily potassium needs (potassium is an important electrolyte!)

Furthermore, lentils are naturally cholesterol free and gluten-free, if you’re into that or need those specifications in your lifestyle.

This dip is filling on its own, but we like to have it as a lentil appetizer as well. 

Yellow lentil hummus in white bowl on brown napkin

What Should You Pair This Yellow Lentil Hummus With?

This lemon tahini lentil hummus is delicately balanced with the lemon juice and garlic, and the spices can be customized to your liking. AND it’s a 30 minute vegan or vegetarian dinner option.

Dips are so versatile, whether they be for accompaniments to your main meal, appetizers for group get-togethers (or football games!). Have you tried this avocado bean dip yet? 

We love to snack on this lentil spread dip with veggies, chips or pita bread before enjoying our ground turkey sweet potato burgers, gluten free fish sticks or sweet potato nachos.

You can also use it as a topping for salads or over instant pot lemon rice or quinoa.

Chip dipping into lentil hummus

Also, I’m very partial to just eating it out of the pan. Less clean up. If you try this dip, I hope you enjoy it as much as we did in this household!

Yield: 4

Lemon Tahini Lentil Hummus

Lemon Tahini Lentil Hummus, a protein-packed vegetarian appetizer and meal option

Lemon Tahini Lentil Hummus is an easy, hearty, protein-packed vegetarian side or main dish, bursting with Middle Eastern spices and flavors. This lentil hummus recipe is great with chips, rice, vegetables or on its own!

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup yellow or green lentils
  • 1 tbsp butter (or oil if vegan)
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • ¼ cup tahini paste
  • Juice of four lemons (or 2 Tbsp lemon juice)
  • ¼ tsp black pepper
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • ¼ tsp curry
  • 1 sprig fresh rosemary
  • 1 large tomato, diced
  • 2 cups kale

Instructions

  1. Cook lentils according to package directions. I cooked mine on low for about 20 minutes.
  2. While the lentils are cooking, add the butter and olive oil to a large pan over medium high heat. Once the butter melts, add the garlic and cook for three more minutes.
  3. Add the cooked lentils, tahini, lemon juice, spices, rosemary, tomatoes and kale (or other choice of green). Stir for 3-5 minutes over medium low heat.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 318Total Fat: 18gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 8mgSodium: 230mgCarbohydrates: 35gFiber: 9gSugar: 12gProtein: 10g

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Instagram

Looking for More Hummus and Veggie Recipes?

  • This Sweet Potato Hummus is more like a cookie dough dip and dessert, but delicious none the less!

More veggie recipes to dip into this lemon herb tahini dip:

What’s your favorite way to use lentils?

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  1. I love these types of dips!!! Absolutely delicious and I definitely agree that Mediterranean flavors are simply the best. I bought a new Greek hummus this week (which is garlicky and has chickpea chunks) and I was practically licking the empty container, I can only imagine that this would be even better!

  2. Love lentils and this looks so delicious! Perfect protein party snack. Thank you for linking up with us for Meatless Monday!

  3. I love tahini! My dad was middle eastern and used to purchase it from a local ethnic food market. So good! Fresh market has a really good lentil soup that has a nice ingredient list if you’re ever short on time.

  4. I LOVE lentils! What a great idea to make them into a dip! And oh my gosh! I love rosemary and tahini! Such great ingredients!! I want this dip and chip combo for lunch tomorrow!!
    xoxo Cailee!

  5. Yummm this reminds me of kale lentil lemon tahini salad I cook up – only amped up on the lentils. I would totally make this and just throw it inside a wrap or sandwich. Aren’t these the funniest dishes to experiement with? Just keep throwing things in till it’s right. Well done!!

    1. My mind loves lemon kale and tahini together – as usual, it sounds like we are on the same wave length 🙂 It would be AWESOME inside a wrap, that’s a wonderful idea! I love throwing things together and making it work.

  6. Even though I know their benefits I by far don’t eat lentils often enough but really should. Your dip sounds amazing and kale added in? Bonus! I’ll be over for your next get-together then.
    One of my favourite lentil dish is a traditional dal my uncle who’s been living in India for some time years ago prepares. I tried cooking it myself using his recipe but it didn’t work. There must be some hidden magic ;).

  7. This dip looks so hearty. I just love lentils, but I don’t cook them very much. That needs to change, because this looks like such a filling, hearty nutritious snack for my family. And wow? Ed won that race after sleeping in an airport? I probably would have stumbled through a race like that.

  8. I love lentils and am always looking for new ways to gobble them up! Though Ive never tried tahini before. I know- what kind of food blogger am I? I just never had a reason to buy it before! Guess I do now 😉

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