Spicy Lentil Wraps

After a brief reprieve, Spring has returned to Chicago! We've been eating dinner pretty late these days because the weather has been so nice we've been taking advantage of it and running before we make dinner. It certainly makes for a later night, but after a (mild) Chicago weather, we have to enjoy these nice days while we can!

I saw this recipe over on thekitchn and figured it would be a good use of the rest of our lentils. This was not a quick dinner, but it was totally worth the effort to make the red pepper paste and tahini sauce yourself. I recommend making the red pepper paste the night before, it took the full two hours to cook.


Spicy Lentil Wraps with Tahini Sauce
1/2 c red lentils, rinsed
2 c water
3/4 c fine grain bulgur
2 T olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 t ground cumin
1 t red pepper flakes
1 scallion, chopped
2 T chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/2 t kosher salt
6 (approximately 9x12-inch) sheets lavash, white or whole wheat
3/4 c red pepper paste (recipe below)
2 cups shredded cabbage
Tahini sauce to serve (recipe below)

Combine lentils and water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to low. Simmer until lentils are soft, about 20 minutes.

Turn off heat and stir in bulgur. Let stand until water is absorbed and bulgur is soft, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring frequently, until soft and translucent. Stir in cumin and red pepper flakes and cook for another minute.

Add onions, scallions, parsley, and salt to lentil-bulgur mixture and stir until well combined. Let cool before using to make wraps. (If you want a smoother texture closer to the Trader Joe's version, you can run the filling through a food processor, but I like it just as it is.) You can freeze the filling in an airtight container if not using all at once.

To assemble, lay out a lavash sheet with the shorter end closest to you. Spread 1 1/2 tablespoons of red pepper paste across the lower 1/3 of the sheet. Top with the lentil-bulgur mixture, and then the cabbage. Roll from the bottom up, and spread an additional 1/2 tablespoon of red pepper paste across the top end to help seal the wrap. Repeat for remaining wraps.

To serve, cut each wrap in half and serve with tahini sauce on the side.

Red Pepper Paste
6 red bell peppers, cored and chopped
1/2 t cayenne pepper
1 t kosher salt
Olive oil to cover (if refrigerating)

Combine bell peppers, cayenne pepper, and salt in a food processor and puree.

Pour the puree into a skillet over low heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until reduced to a paste. This can take up to 2 hours.

Let cool before using. To store, pack the paste into a jar, pour enough olive oil on top to cover, and refrigerate.

Tahini Sauce
1/4 c tahini
2/3 c or more warm water
2 t lemon juice
2 t finely chopped parsley
1 glove garlic, crushed
1/8 t red pepper flakes
1/8 t kosher salt

Place all ingredients in a small bowl and mix with a fork until well combined. Gradually stir in small amounts of additional warm water until the desired consistency is achieved.