Creamy Hummus Lentil Soup

The first time I tried hummus I did not like it. Let me explain. I tried it at a Girl Scout "multicultural night" when I was eight years old. Hopefully now that first statement doesn't seem so offensive! My troop went to a regional activity to learn about the countries of the world. Moms from several different troops had set up dozens of booths in a gymnasium, each one representing a different country. They had pictures, dolls, clothing, pottery, and food at each table and a short speech prepared to give us a brief cultural background. This is something I would thoroughly enjoy now, but sadly my pea-sized eight year old attention span only made it twenty minutes. As my troop was herded from country to country, I feigned interest for the sole purpose of receiving a foreign snack at the end of my visit. Because they were adept at catering to young girls, most of these ethnic bites were cookies. Except Turkey. After sampling wedding cookies in Mexico, we touched down in the Middle East to learn about Muslims and the Black Sea. My gaze soon wandered into Germany and the enticing plate of shortbread-jam linzer cookies there. I prayed my stay in Turkey would be brief. After the presentation I was handed a baby carrot with some strange goop on the tip. Not a cookie. Definitely a vegetable. I ate it while glaring bitterly at the troop in Germany devouring their linzer cookies, greedily licking their jam-smeared lips.

I didn't try hummus again for years, but I'm happy to report that when I did, I fell in love. Today, if I'm offered hummus, veggies (yes, even baby carrots), and Stacy's Pita Chips, I'm on board. So, when I saw this recipe for lentil soup with hummus in Bon Appetit, I knew I had to make it. To make this soup, you start with a basic lentil soup, which is delicious on it's own, but then comes the brilliant twist of stirring in hummus.

The result is a creamy, thick soup that begs to be scooped into your mouth on a steaming piece of pita bread.

Pick through the lentils for small rocks or other non-lentil items and rinse well. Heat the olive oil in a stock pot on medium heat. Add the chopped carrot and onion and saute for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and a good pinch of salt and pepper and cook 5 minutes more, stirring occasionally. Stir in 2 Tbsp curry powder and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant.

 

Add the rinsed lentils, 4 cups of water, and the bay leaf. Bring soup to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes until the lentils are soft. 

Meanwhile, make the hummus. Drain and rinse the chickpeas. In a food processor, puree the chickpeas, lemon juice, 1/4 cup water, ginger, garlic, pepper, and olive oil until smooth. Adjust lemon juice, ginger, garlic, and pepper to your taste.

Stir the hummus, 2 Tbsp olive oil, and remaining 1 Tbsp curry powder into lentil soup. The soup will be thick, so add water to thin if desired. I added 1/2 cup. Season with a few pinches of salt and pepper according to your taste.

You can actually SEE the creaminess the hummus adds to the soup. Serve with warmed pita bread and enjoy!

Creamy Hummus Lentil Soup 

recipe adapted from Bon Appetit 

Ingredients:

Lentil Soup:

 

3 Tbsp olive oil, divided

1 medium carrot, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped 

2 large garlic cloves, chopped

3 Tbsp curry powder, divided

1 cup French green lentils, picked through and rinsed

Bay leaf 

Hummus:

15 ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

Juice from 1 lemon

1 tsp fresh ginger, grated

1 clove garlic, grated

1/2 tsp pepper

4 Tbsp olive oil

Instructions:

In a large stock pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the carrot and onion and cook for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and a good pinch of salt and pepper and cook 5 minutes more, stirring occasionally. Stir in 2 Tbsp curry powder and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant. Add the rinsed lentils, 4 cups of water, and the bay leaf. Bring the soup to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes until the lentils are soft.

Meanwhile, make the hummus. In a food processor, puree the chickpeas, lemon juice, 1/4 cup water, ginger, garlic, pepper, and olive oil until smooth.

Stir the hummus, 2 Tbsp olive oil, and remaining 1 Tbsp curry powder into lentil soup. Add water to thin the soup if necessary. Season with salt and pepper to taste.