Crispy Potatoes with Cucumber Lentil Salad & Easy Lemon Dill Hummus
Vegan / Gluten-free / Nut-free
Total comfort food with a bright little twist–crispy potatoes; creamy lemon dill hummus; and crunchy cucumber lentil salad may just be the perfect trifecta of texture and flavor.
Both comforting and refreshing – crispy potatoes smoothered in creamy lemon sauce is precisely what I’m craving on these strangely cool yet sunny days that leave me perpetually wondering whether to go for smoothies or cozy stews. Anyone else have this problem in the fall?
Yellowing leaves and cool evenings leave little doubt that fall is underway. Cozy, comforting food seems right.
And yet – late summer produce still permeates the markets; and pleasant sunny days urge us outdoors for long bike rides and autumn hikes. Vibrant, bright, refreshing food feels no less fitting.
So, I do my best to lean into the juxtaposition. In experience as in food. The change of seasons is a wonderful reminder to seek out new balance.
And that’s how this dish was born. It’s mix of moods: energizing yet comforting. The perfect mix of temperatures: both hot and cold. And the perfect mix of textures: crunchy, creamy, and (last but possibly best) crispy.
And, what makes it even better is that this meal is really uncomplicated. It requires only a few basic ingredients; takes 50 minutes start to finish; and is easy enough that you’ll have plenty of time to sit back and sip a good German Ale (and I really do recommend you do!) while you wait.
Crispy Potatoes
with Cucumber Lentil Salad and Lemon Dill Hummus
First, pre-heat the oven to 450 F.
Then place 300 grams of baby potatoes, 4 cups water, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a medium pot and bring the water to a boil. Then reduce the heat and allow the potatoes to simmer until fork tender but still quite firm (about 5-8 minutes).
Then use a slotted spoon to remove the potatoes from the water (retaining the water for later). Place the potatoes on a paper towel lined plate, and pat them very dry.
Toss the potatoes with 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil, 1 Tablespoon lemon juice, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Place the potatoes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and leave them to roast for about 40 minutes or until crispy and a little browned.
Prep everything else while you wait.
Next, pour 1/2 cup black or puy lentils into the potato water and cook them for around 30-35 minutes or until the texture is al-dente. You want firm (not falling apart in the water) but soft enough to eat.
Now, you move on to the hummus sauce. Open a can of chickpeas, rinse the beans in the can, strain off the water, and pour them into the blender. Add 1 teaspoon salt, 1 cup tahini, 1/4 cup lemon juice, 1 1/2 cups cold water, and 5 grams of fresh chopped dill (Note that if your blender is very powerful, you won't need to chop the dill, but if you're concerned, just chop it before adding it to the blender).
Blend until the consistency is super smooth. It should take 4-6 minutes. Be patient while the blender works. You want a super creamy texture.
Now, dice the cucumber. Chop your chives and dill. Toss them together in a bowl, and place the bowl in the fridge to chill.
Then take a sip of that tasty beer and sit back for 25 minutes or so. If you really want to keep busy, you could always use this time to make dessert 🙂
When the lentils are finished, drain the water off and let them cool for 5 minutes. Then toss the lentils together with the cucumbers and herbs and add 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil, 2 teaspoons of lemon juice, a 1/8 teaspoon granulated garlic, and salt and pepper to taste.
Finally, serve the crispy potatoes topped with the lentil and cucumber salad and top very generously with hummus sauce and an extra sprinkle of herbs. If you want to pack in a little extra nutrition and probiotic goodness, you could serve this with a fresh crunchy variety of sauerkraut. Natural Grocers and Whole Foods usually sell a dill and garlic variety in the cold section that goes perfectly with this meal.
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Serving Size 1/2 recipe (with 1/8 batch hummus)
Servings 2
- Amount Per Serving
- Calories 520
- % Daily Value *
- Total Fat 20g31%
- Potassium 559mg16%
- Total Carbohydrate 67g23%
- Dietary Fiber 17g68%
- Sugars 5g
- Protein 20g40%
- Vitamin A 2%
- Vitamin C 10%
- Calcium 18%
- Iron 25%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Ingredients
Directions
First, pre-heat the oven to 450 F.
Then place 300 grams of baby potatoes, 4 cups water, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a medium pot and bring the water to a boil. Then reduce the heat and allow the potatoes to simmer until fork tender but still quite firm (about 5-8 minutes).
Then use a slotted spoon to remove the potatoes from the water (retaining the water for later). Place the potatoes on a paper towel lined plate, and pat them very dry.
Toss the potatoes with 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil, 1 Tablespoon lemon juice, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Place the potatoes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and leave them to roast for about 40 minutes or until crispy and a little browned.
Prep everything else while you wait.
Next, pour 1/2 cup black or puy lentils into the potato water and cook them for around 30-35 minutes or until the texture is al-dente. You want firm (not falling apart in the water) but soft enough to eat.
Now, you move on to the hummus sauce. Open a can of chickpeas, rinse the beans in the can, strain off the water, and pour them into the blender. Add 1 teaspoon salt, 1 cup tahini, 1/4 cup lemon juice, 1 1/2 cups cold water, and 5 grams of fresh chopped dill (Note that if your blender is very powerful, you won't need to chop the dill, but if you're concerned, just chop it before adding it to the blender).
Blend until the consistency is super smooth. It should take 4-6 minutes. Be patient while the blender works. You want a super creamy texture.
Now, dice the cucumber. Chop your chives and dill. Toss them together in a bowl, and place the bowl in the fridge to chill.
Then take a sip of that tasty beer and sit back for 25 minutes or so. If you really want to keep busy, you could always use this time to make dessert 🙂
When the lentils are finished, drain the water off and let them cool for 5 minutes. Then toss the lentils together with the cucumbers and herbs and add 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil, 2 teaspoons of lemon juice, a 1/8 teaspoon granulated garlic, and salt and pepper to taste.
Finally, serve the crispy potatoes topped with the lentil and cucumber salad and top very generously with hummus sauce and an extra sprinkle of herbs. If you want to pack in a little extra nutrition and probiotic goodness, you could serve this with a fresh crunchy variety of sauerkraut. Natural Grocers and Whole Foods usually sell a dill and garlic variety in the cold section that goes perfectly with this meal.
Looking for more cozy meals?
[…] I prefer this since I like to drizzle and pour it all over roasted veggies in dishes like these Crispy Potatoes with Cucumber Lentil Salad. It also thickens up quite a bit in the fridge (so I usually end up thinning it out even more after […]