Protein-packed Curried Red Lentil Dip

Feeling snacky? This cold, creamy red lentil dip is deeply craveable and packed with plant-based protein: 12 grams per serving! Plus, it’s ridiculously easy to whip up with cooked red lentils, tahini and a handful of spices.

If there is one thing I know, both as a registered dietitian and well, as a human who eats, it is that we all could use a few more vegetables in our life. Yep, even I don’t eat enough sometimes.

My top tip for making that happen? A freaking delicious dip…or two! Why? Because dunking those veg in a dip for snack time is one million percent guaranteed* to help you gobble them up (*results may vary, ha!). It’s a perfect Sunday prep situation: make a couple of dips (this 5 minute creamy dill dip is a solid candidate) and chop some veg. Then, when the hangries hit, you can march all zombie-like to the fridge and find yourself a tasty + balanced snack.

I know you’re thinking: yes, but isn’t EVERYONE on the internet telling me that what I actually need to eat more of is protein? Well, this ridiculously easy, cold and creamy red lentil dip is gonna help you crush both those goals. Because each serving of this red lentil and tahini dip packs in 12 grams of protein. So you can love your veg…and hit those protein targets too.

Looking for more fun and flavourful plant-based recipes? Grab a copy of my latest cookbook Plant Magic.

How to make this simple and satisfying curried red lentil dip

Just a few base ingredients plus spices, this quick and easy curried red lentil dip is awesome for dipping crackers and veg or as a nutrient-dense sandwich spread.

First things first: grab those ingredients! Budget-friendly, quick cooking red lentils (sometimes labelled as split red lentils) are the star of this show along with a host of pantry staples: tahini, lemon juice, garlic and oil, salt, curry powder, turmeric, and cumin.

• Step one: cook up the lentils. Cook the lentils in a medium pot with enough water to cover them by 3 inches (7.5 cm). Bring it to a boil and then reduce to medium and cook until soft, about 4-6 minutes.
• Step two: drain the lentils into a fine mesh sieve and rinse very well with cold water to help them cool a bit.
• Step three: add the cooked lentils to a food processor or bullet blender with tahini, lemon juice, oil, garlic, curry powder, salt, cumin and turmeric and blend – scraping the sides as necessary – until it’s silky smooth, about 2-3 minutes.

That’s it! Taste, and adjust as you like. Want it silkier? Blend in a bit more oil or water. Brighter? A splash more lemon juice. And, once you’ve got the hang of the base recipe, you can vary up the flavours…maybe coconut milk instead of oil. Or paprika instead of curry powder…make it your own!

Wait, shouldn’t you rinse lentils? Lentils can be notoriously dusty and even contain the occasional stone. I always check my lentils before use and if they look dusty, I rinse before using. Otherwise, my rule of thumb is this: if I’m gonna rinse and drain after cooking, like in this recipe, I don’t bother. If I’m adding the lentils to a soup (I’ll be eating the cooking liquid) I also rinse 100% of the time.

Why red lentils are so, so good for you

I gotta say that while some of us probably aren’t hitting our protein targets…I’m looking at you breakfast skippers and “I’ll just have the salad” diners…but honestly, the dietitian in me is probably more concerned about your fibre intake. Because while most of us actually do get adequate protein, almost NONE of us are meeting our fibre needs. Skeptical? A recent review of the data suggests only 7% of Americans are hitting their fibre targets.

Which red lentils come in. They get top marks for versatility, lightning fast cook time and nutrition: just a measly ¼ cup of dry red lentils packs in 12 grams of plant-based protein. 5.5 grams of fibre and a whopping 3.75mg of iron. They’ve got plenty of folate, zinc, potassium and more…so yep, they’re SUPER nutrient dense.

More easy and yummy cold vegan dips

• Edamame Sesame Dip with Miso
• White Bean and Roasted Red Pepper Dip
• Nourishing Beet Dip with Hemp Hearts

Print

Protein-packed Curried Red Lentil Dip

This cold, creamy red lentil dip is deeply craveable and packed with protein: 12 grams per serving! Plus, it’s ridiculously easy to whip up with cooked red lentils, tahini and a handful of spices.

Course Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine American, Indian

Diet Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Keyword red lentil, tahini

Dietary Preference dairy free, Gluten-Free, nut free, vegan, vegetarian

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 4 servings

Author Desiree Nielsen, RD

Equipment

• Food Processor or bullet blender

Ingredients

• ¾ cup dry red lentils
• ⅓ cup tahini
• 1 – 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice start with one and add more as you wish
• 1 – 2 tablespoons olive oil makes it silky and more flavourful!
• 1 clove garlic minced or grated
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• ¾ teaspoon salt plus more to taste
• ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
• ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric

Imperial – Metric

Instructions

• Place lentils in a medium pot with enough water to cover by 3 inches. Bring to the boil and then reduce to medium and cook until lentils are tender, about 4-6 minutes. Watch closely so they don’t boil over!
• Drain lentils in a mesh sieve and rinse very well with cold water to help cool them off.
• Add lentils to a food processor or bullet blender along with tahini, lemon juice, oil, garlic, curry powder, salt, turmeric and cumin. Blend until smooth, scraping sides as necessary, about 2-3 minutes.

Notes

Allergic to sesame? Try sunflower seed butter!

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