I haven’t made anything with lentils in a long time even though I had bought a bag for cheap a while ago. Normally I only put lentils in a soup, which is awesome and super-healthy. This time though – I decided to make a hummus-like dip! This dip not only has a tang and a bite to it, but it is just a different way to make a dip! No beans needed. Who doesn’t have an old or unused bag of lentils in their cupboard? Use ’em up in this vegan and gluten-free Kale Lentil Dip.

You know me – new, innovative ways of making hummus or dip. Or at least I think I’m innovative. Anyway, I had bought a bag of lentils for cheap at Marshall’s (I love their food section!) and it sat around for a while mainly because I don’t cook with lentils that often, and I only bought them because they were cheap. Well since I didn’t have any beans and I wanted to make a protein fueled snack, I decided to try my hand at lentil hummus. So – lentil’s don’t get creamy like beans do, so don’t go thinking this will get all smooth and glorious – which pretty much means this didn’t turn into my beloved hummus that I had in mind. It has a little chunk to it which is great and is totally perfect for scooping up with crackers or sliced cucumbers – or just spoon eating. The Dijon mustard and balsamic add the perfect bite and tang. It was awesome; I literally just spoon-ate the portions I brought to work with me, then ate the veg after. As for the kale – well, it was on sale at the store and I bought it to make the Slow Sauteed Garlic and Kale Pasta. However, since I didn’t know that lentils weren’t going to get soft like beans – unfortunately my first attempt at lentil dip didn’t workout right. I still ate it, but it wasn’t right. And the flavors I had used did not come through at all. So I had to make the dip again – I had to beat the lentils! I had originally boiled the entire bag of lentils and only used half of the cooked bits for the first dip attempt and froze the leftovers. I defrosted them and bought another cheapo bundle of kale and changed the spices and seasonings – mainly because I had some almost-empty bottles of mustard and vinegar – and whipped and chunked everything up. It turned out awesome!

~

~!

~

~

Start by boiling your lentils until soft then drain and set aside to cool completely. Once cooled dump lentils, pepper, mustard, balsamic, smashed garlic, and halved shallot into the food processor. Pulse a couple of times then turn on and pour a half cup of broth through the spout. Stop and scrape the sides a few times. Wash and tear kale off the stem and dump in FP. Turn on high then pour in rest of broth. Let spin until it gets moving and grooving, stopping periodically to scrape the sides. Enjoy this chunky dip with sliced veggies or crackers!

Kale Lentil Dip,

2 1/2 C Cooked Lentils
1 Tsp Black Pepper
3 Tbsp French’s Dijon Mustard
4 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
6 Cloves Garlic, smashed
1 Shallot, halved
1 – 1 1/2 C Veg Broth
2 C Kale

1. Cook lentils as directed on package. Let cool completely.
2. Dump everything except broth and kale into food processor and pulse.
3. While pulsing pour in 1/2 cup of broth.
4. Use a spoon or spatula to scrape the sides of the FP a few times and pulse a little more.
5. Add in kale and turn FP on high and pour in rest of broth.
6. Process until roughly chopped.
7. Enjoy!