Roasted Garlic Lentil Dip

In a medium saucepan or Dutch oven, heat ½ tablespoon oil over medium heat. Add onion, celery, carrot, dried herbs, bay leaf, and a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Cook until vegetables are just softened, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add lentils and stir often for 2 minutes to toast. Add wine, adjust heat to a simmer, and cook until wine is almost evaporated. Add stock or water and increase heat to a boil. Reduce heat so lentils simmer gently and cook until tender, about 25 minutes.

Cool the lentils slightly in any remaining liquid, remove the bay leaf, then transfer to a food processor with the roasted garlic and lemon juice. Puree until nearly smooth. With the machine running, drizzle in remaining ½ cup olive oil. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper, and more lemon juice. Serve warm or refrigerate up to a few days, then serve cold or room temperature.

Note:
Prep and cook time does not include roasting the garlic. You can do this ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator or freezer. See the blog post for a link to instructions on how to roast garlic. I don’t recommend substituting raw garlic in this recipe.