Recipe Things to do with Sprouts: West African Spiced White Bean and Sprouted Lentil Dip
January 21, 2020
Zest up your week with this make-ahead, versatile dish. Prepare our West African Spiced White Bean and Sprouted Lentil Dip on Monday. You can serve it at Book Club on Tuesday as an appetizer, spread across our sprouted ancient grain The Queen’s Khorasan™ toast, make a tasty sandwich to take for lunch on Wednesday, and polish it off as a satisfying snack on Thursday.
Sprouted for Easy Digestion
Lentils are high in protein and fibre, and this recipe calls for sprouted lentils, which are easier to digest—just like the sprouted whole grains in Silver Hills Bakery breads! This tangy, spiced spread is balanced and full of flavour—sure to leave every tummy satisfied.
Sprouting is Easy!
We’ve included simple instructions for sprouting the lentils for this recipe below. But lentils are far from the only tasty seeds, beans, or grains you can sprout at home!
Learn what—and how—to sprout. Check out part 3 of our free Why Sprouted Handbook to find everything you need to know about sprouting at home. Sign up here to get yours!)
Spice as You Like!
Spice it up or cool it down: check out our tips at the bottom of this recipe and learn how you can adjust the spices for an extra kick or a kid-friendly option.
In a bowl or on a piece of toast? How do you think you’ll serve this West African Spiced White Bean and Sprouted Lentil Dip?
Ingredients
For the White Bean and Sprouted Lentil Base Dip:
- 1 cup cooked white beans (we cooked dry beans)
- 1 cup sprouted white or green lentils (try One Degree Organic Foods Organic Green Lentils)
- 4 Tbsp olive oil
- ½ lemon , juiced (or 1 Tbsp lemon juice)
- 1 ½ tsp onion powder
- 2 tsp salt (or to taste)
- 2 tsp fresh ground pepper
- ¼ cup non-dairy sour cream
- ¼ – ½ cup vegetable stock (as needed for thinning)
For the West African Spiced Seasoning and Texture:
- ½ cup sprouted lentils , chopped
- ½ cup shredded carrot
- 1 Tbsp fresh cilantro stems , chopped
- 1 Tbsp onion , finely chopped
- 1 lemon , zested, plus juice of half the lemon (or 1 Tbsp lemon juice)
- 1 – 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 Tbsp fresh ginger , grated (1-inch piece, peeled)
- ½ – 2 tsp chili flakes (or to taste)
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp ground pepper (or to taste)
For Serving:
- 4 – 6 slices Silver Hills Sprouted Bakery The Queen's Khorasan™ bread (or your favourite Silver Hills Bakery sprouted whole grain bread), toasted
- 1 Tbsp fresh cilantro leaves , roughly chopped
- 1 tomato , sliced into wedges
- 1 small handful sprouted lentils (whole)
Featured Product The Queen’s Khorasan®-Ancient Grain
Instructions
For the White Bean and Sprouted Lentil Base Dip:
- Begin by sprouting the lentils. Soak dry lentils in ½ cup of water for 4 – 8 hours, then sprout for 2 – 3 days using your preferred sprouting method (e.g., a mason jar with a cheesecloth lid, or a sprouting tray if you have one). Whatever sprouting method you use, rinse at least twice a day with cool water, allowing lentils to drain completely each time.
- If using dried beans: Soak dry white beans 8 hours or overnight. Drain soaking water, then transfer soaked beans to a pot. Cover beans with 2 inches of cold water, add a generous pinch of salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until beans are tender, about 1 – 1 ½ hours, stirring occasionally. Drain and rinse cooked beans. (If you have one, beans cook faster in an Instant Pot or pressure cooker—follow appliance directions.)
- Combine sprouted lentils, cooked white beans, olive oil, lemon juice, onion powder, salt, pepper, and sour cream in your food processor or high-powered blender. Add vegetable stock slowly to thin the mixture until the base dip reaches desired consistency.
For the West African Spiced Seasoning and Texture:
- Transfer base dip mixture to a bowl and stir in seasoning and texture ingredients until well combined.
To serve:
- Garnish with cilantro leaves, tomato wedges, and whole sprouted lentils. Serve immediately or store in fridge.
Try these handy tips!
- Increase the heat by adding an extra teaspoon of chili flakes. For a pickier palette, divide the seasoning and texture ingredients in half and let the base dip flavours shine alone.
- For faster preparation, you can also use canned white beans. Drain and rinse well before using.
- Other optional garnishes: - 1 handful of peanuts - 1 teaspoon of lemon zest, or - 1 small handful of fresh parsley.
