Macadamia Free Pesto-Walnut Red Lentil Dip with Veggie Dippers
This vibrant, creamy dip brings together earthy red lentils and a punchy walnut-basil pesto into something that feels way more impressive than the effort involved. The lentils simmer down until completely soft, then get blended right into the rough, herby pesto for a texture that's smooth, rich, and totally scoopable. Walnuts stand in as the nut of choice here, delivering that satisfying buttery depth without any of the tropical tree nuts that can be tricky to avoid in store-bought dips and spreads. A hit of fresh lemon juice and a little garlic keep things bright, while turmeric gives the base a warm golden hue that looks stunning on the table. Arranged alongside crisp carrots, celery, cucumber, and red bell pepper strips, this is the kind of spread that disappears fast at a party — or makes for an incredibly satisfying afternoon snack. Every ingredient is straightforward and easy to source, so you can feel confident about exactly what's going into the bowl.
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Learn more →Ingredients
6 servings
For the dip
- 1 cup red lentils, rinsed
- 2 ½ cups water
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- ½ tsp fine sea salt, plus more to taste
For the pesto
- ½ cup raw walnuts
- 1 ½ cups fresh basil leaves, loosely packed
- 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
For serving
- 2 medium carrots, cut into sticks
- 2 medium stalks celery, cut into sticks
- 1 medium cucumber, sliced into rounds or spears
- 1 medium red bell pepper, sliced into strips
Instructions
- 1
Combine the rinsed red lentils, water, turmeric, and 1/2 tsp salt in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, until the lentils are completely soft and have absorbed most of the water, about 15–18 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes.
- 2
While the lentils cool, add the walnuts, basil, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, black pepper, and red pepper flakes (if using) to a food processor. Pulse 8–10 times until the mixture is finely chopped and cohesive but not completely smooth — it should look like a rough, thick pesto.
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