Alison Roman's lentil dip with toasted garlic and crispy herbs

Name: Alison Roman's lentil dip with toasted garlic and crispy herbs recipe
Yield: 480ml
Ingredients: 250g yellow lentils; 40.00 ml fresh lemon juice, plus more, to taste; 80ml olive oil; 4 garlic cloves, 2 finely grated, 2 thinly sliced; 8-10 sage leaves, or 1 tbs thyme or oregano leaves; Freshly ground black pepper or chilli flakes, to serve

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480ml

Lentil dip with toasted garlic and crispy herbs — Chris Bernabeo

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by Alison Roman

WRITER

Nov 24, 2025

“This is my best interpretation of ‘fava’, the classic Greek dip you’re able to get at any taverna across the country. Each version I’ve had, made with yellow lentils (not favas), lots of lemon, garlic and olive oil, is wonderful, and I love them all. I suspect they’re using a different technique, as the ones I’ve had in Greece were sublimely smooth, and this version is charmingly lumpy (intentional). The best part about this dip is that you don’t need a food processor or blender: the lentils cook in just enough water to fully break them down into mush. Season aggressively, and – if making this ahead – know it’ll firm up as it sits. You can always thin it out with more lemon juice, olive oil, or a touch of water as needed.” – Alison Roman

This is an edited extract from Something from Nothing by Alison Roman, published by Quadrille.

250g yellow lentils
2 tbs fresh lemon juice, plus more, to taste
1/3 cup (80ml) extra virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, 2 finely grated, 2 thinly sliced
8-10 sage leaves, or 1 tbs thyme or oregano leaves
Freshly ground black pepper or chilli flakes, to serve

Method

1.

Bring 650ml water to the boil in a medium saucepan. Add the lentils. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the lentils are completely tender and cooked through and then pass into total mush. As they cook and break down and the water evaporates, stir them pretty constantly to encourage them to further break down into what looks to be a coarse paste (not watery or soupy). This whole process should take 20-25 minutes (but can take longer, depending how old the lentils are).
2.

Once the lentils are the perfect mush/dip texture, remove them from the heat. Add the lemon juice, 2 tbs oil and the grated garlic. Season with salt flakes, plus more lemon juice, if you want. Let cool while you make the topping.
3.

Heat the remaining 2 tbs oil in a small frypan over medium-high heat. Add the sliced garlic and herbs. Cook, swirling occasionally, for 2-3 minutes, until the garlic has toasted, crisped and browned, and the herbs are crispy. Remove from the heat and season with salt flakes and the pepper of your choosing.
4.

To serve, transfer the dip to a bowl, spooning the toasted garlic-herb mixture over.

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Recipe Notes

DO AHEAD: Lentil dip can be made 5 days ahead, stored wrapped and refrigerated.

EAT WITH: As a snack, I like this as a dip with any sort of bread and/or with raw or blanched vegetables. I also find it a delightful side, sitting somewhere between a starch and a sauce.