Lentil Hummus
By: Anonymous
Published: Monday, November 30, 2009 - 1:48pm

Ingredients




1/4 cup olive oil plus
more for garnish
1 small carrot peeled, diced
1/2 Spanish onion diced
3 garlic cloves chopped
1 small celery stalk diced
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes - (to ½)
1/2 cinnamon stick
5 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 cup brown lentils rinsed, picked over
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves
(or 1/2 tbspn dried rosemary)
4 cups water
1 teaspoon honey - (to 1 ½)
(depending on how sweet you like it)
1 tablespoon sesame tahini
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped scallions for garnish

Preparation

1 Place a medium-size saucepan over medium-high heat and when it is hot, add 2 tablespoons of the oil. Add the carrot, onion, garlic, celery, pepper flakes, cinnamon stick, and 2 tablespoons of the cilantro, stirring well after each addition. Cook until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. 2 Add the lentils, rosemary, and water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and cook until the lentils are very soft and the mixture is thick, about 1 1/2 hours. 3 Remove the cinnamon stick and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the honey, tahini, salt, and black pepper. Transfer the mixture to a food processor fitted with a steel blade and puree until completely smooth. Place the mixture in a fine-wire-mesh strainer and strain into a bowl, pressing with the back of a wooden spoon. Discard the solids. 4 Place in a serving bowl and drizzle olive oil over the top. Garnish with the remaining 3 tablespoons cilantro and the chopped scallions. 5 This recipe yields about 1 cup. 6 Comments: Serve this as a dip with pita toasts or crudites or as a spread for a grilled swordfish or salmon sandwich. 7 Wash lentils in a colander or a strainer under cold running water. Be sure to get rid of any pebbles and dust - keep rinsing the lentils until the water runs clear. 8 Yield: 1 cup