Asparagus and Pepper Wrap with Tomato Basil Lentil Hummus

 

I know hummus is pretty popular and healthy and I have even made a few versions of it myself.  I don't know what it was about it but I just couldn't fall in love with it, although I really, really wanted to, it was not my favorite thing to eat. 

 

Then I stumbled upon hummus with a totally different flavor profile; tomatoes and basil.  Well,  I was sold at basil, I didn't even care what else was in it.  Turns out this was absolutely delicious .  The original recipe had a white bean base instead of chick peas, but when I went to make it, what do ya know, the can I thought was in my pantry was not!  So I quickly improvised and cooked up some lentils and used that as a base instead and I couldn't have been happier.

 

I made the hummus for my lunch wrap early last week and got to nibble on the leftovers the next few days after that. So yummy!  I used sweet baby bell peppers. carrots and asparagus, along with the fresh baby spinach, but you could use whatever veggies you had on hand.

 

 

Asparagus and Pepper Wrap with Tomato-Basil Lentil Hummus

For the hummus:

3/4 cup uncooked lentils + 1 1/2 cups water

1 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves

1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes (feel free to use oil-packed from the store)

1/3 cup water

2 tbsp.balsamic vinegar
Juice from ½ of a lemon (about 2 tablespoons)
2 cloves fresh garlic, chopped
1/4 tsp.onion powder
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

For the wrap:

any kid of flat bread or wraps

sweet bell peppers, thinly sliced

thin, tender asparagus (blanch 1-2 minutes in boiling water then chill, if desired)

carrots, thinly sliced

fresh baby spinach

 

Rinse and sort lentils and place in  a small pot.  Add water and bring to a boil.  Cover, reduce heat and cook about 15-20 minutes (the older the lentils, the longer they will take to cook). When lentils are finished cooking, drain and allow them to cool.  Once cooled, place them in a blender or food processor with a chopper blade.

While the lentils are cooking, place sun-dried tomatoes in a shallow pan and cover with water.  Boil about 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and cool.  Use the water as part of the 1/3 cup called for in the recipe.  Add more as needed.

Add tomatoes to the lentils, along with the rest of the ingredients and blend until smooth. Store in an airtight container.

To assemble wrap, lay flatbread out on counter and spread hummus on the inside.  layer with baby spinach and veggies.  Roll up and enjoy!

 

 

 

SOURCE: Adapted from Perry's Plate