Cooked lentils can blend beautifully into a puree that is nutrient-dense, smooth and packed full of flavour.
How to make lentil puree:
- Pour 2 cups (500 mL) of cooked lentils into your food processor.
- Add ½ cup (125 mL) of water water and process until a smooth purée resembling canned pumpkin forms, about two to three minutes. If the texture seems too thick, add another tablespoon or so of water.
- Add to recipe or freeze until needed. Yield: 3 cups of lentil purée.
Notes
- Lentil purée may be kept in the fridge for up to a week or frozen in plastic bags for several months.
- As a general rule, you can substitute up to half the fat or butter in most baking recipes with lentil purée.
- Substituting lentil puree does have some effect on the final texture but nothing too noticeable.
Try adding lentil puree to:
- Dips– add protein and fibre to your favourite dip.
- Smoothies– blend in lentil purée… it disappears so fussy eaters wont even know it’s there.
- Burgers or meatballs- combining lentils and beef is a winning combination for building a better burger. According to research funded by Lentils.org and Pulse Canada, substituting one-third of a lean beef patty with cooked lentils results in a blended burger that is more sustainable, nutritious and cost-effective.
- Chili or soups– create a thick and creamy soup or chili with the addition of puréed lentils
- Energy bites or brownies– using lentil purée in your favourite dessert is a great way to add protein and fibre.
- Falafels– instead of using chickpeas, try using lentils when you make falafels.
- Baking– replace half the butter or oil with puréed lentils in baking.