A word on sprouting and soaking your legumes. This practice will make them more user-friendly by leaching out the complex, indigestible sugars and the phytic acid that are found in most of them. These are the most difficult forms of vegetables for the human digestive system to break down. When you don't soak them, these sugars remain intact in the large intestine where bacteria ferment them and create carbon dioxide and hydrogen - the two main components of gastrointestinal gas.
There a few kinds of legumes that do not need to be soaked, however. This includes lentils, aduki beans and split peas. These varieties are perfect for sprouting though, which enriches their nutritional profiles by increasing their protein content while decreasing starch and shortens their cooking time.
To properly soak hard beans, rinse well and soak overnight in enough filtered water to cover the top by at least 1|4 inch. Drain the soaking liquid off and cook them in fresh water. This will also make the minerals more bioavailable. For this recipe, I sprouted the lentils for 24 hours, then cooked them in a little salted water until most of the liquid was absorbed, and drained the rest.
INGREDIENTS
1 cup green lentils
1 large tablespoon of raw tahini (sesame butter)
1|2 lemon, juiced
1 large clove of garlic, minced
1 - 2 T good quality olive oil
1 T filtered water
cumin
smoked paprika
freshly chopped cilantro (parsley is a fine substitute if you prefer it)
SERVE WITH
toasted pita wedges or your favorite chips
assorted crudite
crumbled feta cheese
fresh greens
DIRECTIONS
Cook the sprouted lentils at a 2:1 ratio for about 20 - 25 minutes, until tender. Drain off any excess liquid that remains. Let them cool for 15 minutes. Add them to your blender with the remaining ingredients and season with sea salt at the end. Blend until thick and creamy. Garnish with extra smoked paprika and some whole leaves of cilantro. This makes a perfect appetizer dip or on a sandwich with your favorite embellishments.
ENJOY!
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