5-ingredient High-Protein Red Lentil Dip & Spread is quick, easy, and cheap to make. Doubles as a creamy hummus-style filling for sandwiches, and a dip for veggies. Oil-free option.
This is a perfect meal prep side. Make it on Sundays, and use it to add protein and heart-healthy fats to your meals throughout the week. It stores well and is very versatile.
Try using this dip in place of hummus in my Main Dish Salad. Or double down on protein and serve it with my 5-ingredient Lemon Basil Chickpea Patties.
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👩🏼🌾 Ingredients
- Red lentils are a nutrition powerhouse. These tiny gems are packed with protein, iron, and fiber. Plus, they take just 15 minutes to cook. (Read my Vegan Protein Guide with Recipes for more high-protein plant-based foods.)
- Tahini is made from roasted and ground sesame seeds. I use Seed + Mill, and Soom brands. They are made with 100% sesame seeds with no added ingredients.
- Ground ginger is associated with better blood glucose control. Plus, it is an easy way to add flavor to a sauce, dressing, or dish.
See the recipe card for quantities.
📖 Instructions
Rinse the lentils in a medium bowl until the water runs clear. Cook them for about 15 minutes, or until just tender. Do not overcook.
Process until smooth and creamy.
Garnish with chopped parsley or cilantro.
🍃 Substitutions
- Lentils - instead of red lentils, use brown or green lentils
- Tahini - substitute with almond butter, peanut butter, cashew butter, or SunButter
- Cayenne - omit for nonspicy
This Roasted Red Pepper Dip (Muhammara) is another delicious, quick, and healthy snack. I recommend keeping these dips on hand for when hunger strikes! Visit my Vegan Side Dish Recipes page for more easy, budget-friendly ideas.
🔪 Equipment
Make sure to use a food processor to pulse the ingredients. A blender does not produce the right consistency.
⏱ Storage
Refrigerate any remaining spread in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Stir in water or oil as needed if it becomes too thick.
To freeze for later use, transfer the dip to a freezer-safe container. Drizzle a thin layer of olive oil over top. Freeze for up to 4 months. Thaw fully in the refrigerator. Mix in the oil before serving.
💡 Top tip
Allow the lentils to reach room temperature before blending them with the other ingredients. This is optional, but it gives the dip a creamier texture.
Peanut butter, almond butter, cashew butter, or SunButter will all work. Thin it out with some oil or water before adding it to the other ingredients.
Yes! Make this dip up to 5 days in advance. Either refrigerate in an airtight container or freeze for later use.
This dip is not technically hummus because 'hummus' means 'chickpeas,' and this recipe does not contain chickpeas. However, serve as you would hummus, with pita chips, crudités, crackers, tortilla chips, or in a sandwich. It is also a great addition to veggie bowls or pasta.
👩🏽🍳 Made This Recipe?
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📖 Recipe
High-Protein Red Lentil Dip & Spread
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Ingredients
- 1 cup dried red lentils
- ¼ cup tahini
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice (about 1 small lemon)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or water
- 1 clove garlic
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Salt & black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Wash and cook the lentils: Rinse the lentils under cold water until the water runs clear. In a medium saucepan, cover the lentils with water to a depth of about 2 inches. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook covered for about 15 minutes, or until the lentils are just tender. Drain any excess water using a sieve.
- Blend ingredients: Place the lentils, tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, ginger powder, cumin, turmeric, onion powder, and cayenne into a food processor. Pulse until smooth, adding water as needed until the desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper.
Notes
- For oil-free, substitute the olive oil with water.
- Cook the lentils until just tender. Do not overcook.
- Use a food processor to make this recipe. A blender does not produce the correct texture.
Nutrition
This information is provided as a courtesy and is an ESTIMATE only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased can change the nutritional information in any given recipe.
Lara says
Wow! This is better than I hoped it would be. I made this tonight and enjoyed it with some curried cauliflower, potatoes and peas that I made. It was smooth, creamy and so tasty! A new favorite for me.
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
So glad it was even better than you anticipated! Thank you.
Birgit says
This spread has been my weekly staple for a good couple of months now. It is on my lunch list several times a week together with cruditees. I especially love it with freh cilantro.
Gave my usual roasted pepper hummus a run for the money.
Thank you very much for your work!
Love from Germany!
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Yay! So glad you are enjoying this spread on repeat! Lot so of protein too!
Aru says
So I really messed up in many ways - overcooked the lentils, used a blender (immersion) instead of a food processor, forgot to add lemon and olive oil. However it still ended up absolutely amazing! Literally foolproof lol. (I think the lemon would definitely help make it pop more, so next time I will make sure to have one on hand.) It goes really well with steamed kale. Awesome recipe, thanks for posting it!!
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Truly happy to read this! Thank you for sharing your story!!!
Daisy says
I tried this recipe to use up some red lentils, not thinking it was going to be as great as it turned out to be. WOW is it good. I never have lemons so I used True Lemon packets, 4 of them and 2 tablespoons water. My husband and I weren't even hungry and we couldn't stop eating it on crackers. He told me to save the recipe so I can make it exactly the same way again. It was so easy to make and I think I like it better than the chickpea hummus I usually make. Thanks for the great recipe!
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Yay! So glad you gave this spread a try and enjoyed it. Thanks for letting me know:)
Beth says
Dear Nisha, thank you for for the recipe , it is out of this world .
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Oh my this made me smile so much! Thank you.
Hannel Moon says
Made it for the second time today! It is very delicious and easy to make. Thank you for the recipe
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
I'm so glad you are enjoying it. Thank you for letting me know:)
Lisa Kushner says
This was delicious. I did add more than 1/2 hot water and a tsp. of salt..
Thank you!
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Thank you for sharing. I'm so glad you enjoyed it.
Maria says
So good!!! Had to make it immediately - always looking for dips using lentils instead of garbanzo beans. Used fresh ginger, half tahini half almond butter. Hesitant about cayenne but it adds a subtle kick. I ended up adding even more than the 1/4 teaspoon.
I used my immersion blender which worked well, keeping the dip thick.
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
So glad it worked out! Thank you for leaving a comment. Have a great weekend.
Sara says
Could you use canned lentils here? For an even faster prep time?
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Yes!
Allison Rollins Stoby says
Thank you I will enjoy it blessed 🫶🏾
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Enjoy! Thank you for being here.
Jane says
Can this be refrigerated for a few days? Wondering if I could make ahead for a gathering.
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Hi. Absolutely. This lasts up to 5 days. It tastes great even on day 5! Just add a little water, oil, or lemon juice to thin as needed.
Nivedita says
This was good, but makes way more than 4 servings. It made about 3 or 3.5 cups. We'll be eating it for days.
Nisha Melvani says
Glad you enjoyed it. You can freeze some for later use.
Gabriela Zaneva says
Great taste, so easy and fast to make.
Nisha Melvani says
So glad you enjoyed it!
Rory says
Very yummy!
Can you substitute canned lentils for this recipe? If so how many cans are equivalent to the cup of dry lentils? Thanks!
Nisha Melvani says
Hi. I'm not sure if red lentils come in a can. They cook very quickly (10-15 minutes). One cup dry makes about 2 (to 2.5) cups cooked lentils.
Hetti says
This recipe is a winner. Have made it twice already and also froze a full batch (well, almost full - many heaped spoonfuls only got as far as my mouth on route to the storage container🫙 😋).
I was hesitant to buy another vegan cookbook (have over 300 🤫), but after tasting this dip I did’t hesitate to buy it. I’m sure Practically Vegan and I will become good mates in the coming weeks.
Thank you Nisha.
Nisha Melvani says
Hi. I'm so happy to hear how much you liked the dip. Thank you for your comment and support. Enjoy the cookbook.
Neena Chandiramani says
Fabulous tasting dip. Wonderful!
Nisha Melvani says
Thank you.
Amina Sirry says
Delicious and quick to make. Love a high protein dip and this one is a nice change with red lentils instead of chickpeas for a satisfying dip.
Nisha Melvani says
Yes! Thank you. Red lentils have even more protein!