Seed Oil Free Pesto-Walnut Red Lentil Dip with Veggie Dippers
This vibrant dip brings together creamy red lentils and a rough-chopped walnut pesto in a way that feels both rustic and genuinely impressive on a snack spread. The lentils simmer with turmeric until completely soft, giving the base a golden hue and a silky texture once blended — no cream cheese or mystery additives required. Every drop of fat in this recipe comes from raw walnuts and extra virgin olive oil, so you can feel confident about exactly what's going into the bowl. That matters more than it sounds, because so many store-bought dips and pestos quietly rely on refined vegetable or seed oils as cheap filler. Here, the olive oil carries the bright basil and lemon forward while the walnuts add a subtle richness that makes the dip feel satisfying rather than just virtuous. Fresh carrot sticks, celery, cucumber, and red bell pepper strips round it out into a full snack plate that's as colorful as it is craveable. It's the kind of thing you'll make for guests and then quietly eat the leftovers straight from the fridge the next morning.
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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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