Butterbean Hummus with Spiced Lentil & Walnut Mince and Blistered Vine Tomatoes
Wed, 19 August 2026
Butterbean Hummus with Spiced Lentil & Walnut Mince and Blistered Vine Tomatoes
INGREDIENTS
The Base:
Butterbean Hummus
1 tin butterbeans, drained and rinsed
1–2 tsp tahini
Juice of 1 small lemon, plus ½ the zest
½ tsp ground cumin
1–2 cloves garlic
A few drops of ice-cold water or a couple of ice cubes
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
A good pinch of salt
The Mince:
160g canned lentils, drained and rinsed
80g walnuts
2 good-sized tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 tbsp tomato paste or sun-dried tomato paste or 1 tsp harissa paste ½ tsp ground paprika ½ tsp ground cumin Salt and pepper Olive oil, for frying
The Spice:
1 roasted red pepper
1 large tomato
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
A handful of fresh parsley
Salt
1 tbsp sun-dried tomato paste or 1 tsp harissa paste
The Cherry on Top
Blistered Vine Tomatoes Small clusters of vine-ripened tomatoes Olive oil Salt
METHOD
Make the Hummus:
Add the butterbeans, garlic, olive oil and lemon juice to a food processor and blitz until smooth.
Season with salt, then slowly add the tahini.
Now for the magic trick: add a couple of ice cubes or a splash of ice-cold water and keep blending until the hummus becomes beautifully creamy, light and silky.
Add the lemon zest, taste and adjust the seasoning until you're happy.
Set aside.
Make the Walnut & Lentil Mince:
Drain and rinse the lentils well.
Add them to a food processor along with the walnuts, chopped tomatoes and tomato paste.
Pulse until you have a lovely mince-like texture. You don't want baby food — we're after a little bitof texture here!
Season with paprika, cumin, salt and pepper.
Heat a little olive oil in a frying pan and cook the mixture for around 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until warm and nicely toasted.
Bring in the Spice:
Add the roasted red pepper, tomato, onion, garlic, parsley, salt and sun-dried tomato paste or harissa to a food processor.
Pulse until you have a chunky, rustic mixture.
Taste and adjust the seasoning — this is where you can dial up the chilli, garlic or spice depending on how adventurous you're feeling.
Add this mixture to your warm walnut and lentil mince and stir everything together.
You should now have a beautifully spiced, earthy and savoury topping that's begging to be dolloped onto that creamy butterbean hummus.
Blister Those Tomatoes:
Preheat the oven to 210°C fan.
Place the vine-ripened tomatoes onto a baking tray, keeping them in their little clusters.
Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt.
Roast for 15–20 minutes, until the skins wrinkle, burst and start to char slightly.
That's it. Simple as that.
Build Your Centrepiece:
Now for the fun bit.
Spread the butterbean hummus generously onto a large serving platter.
Spoon the warm spiced lentil and walnut mince over the top, leaving some of that beautiful hummus visible around the edges.
Finish with your blistered vine tomatoes, a scattering of fresh parsley and a final drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
Take it to the table whole and proud.
Serve with warm flatbreads, toasted sourdough or whatever you fancy for scooping
Firefighting Chef's Tip:
Don't be shy with the hummus! Spread it out generously and make a little well in the middle for that gorgeous spiced mince to sit in. And when you're making the walnut and lentil topping, don't over-blitz it. You want texture — that's what gives it that wonderfully savoury, almost meaty bite. It's all about the contrast: cool and creamy hummus, warm and spicy mince, sweet blistered tomatoes and plenty of texture. This is the kind of dish that goes in the middle of the table and says: “Come on then... who's having the first scoop?”
