Caramelised Onion Hummus

Alright guys, I have a confession to make.

I only really fell in love with hummus as a student living in the UK, circa 2009.

I know, it’s appalling. An entire childhood spent growing up in the Arab world and Tesco’s was the gateway to my undeniable love affair with pureed chickpeas and tahini. But you know what they say, sometimes you just don’t appreciate the things that are right under your nose all along.

Needless to say, I’ve long graduated from sourcing my hummus in supermarket aisles – however I am still to this day inspired to recreate some of the flavours I sampled during my university years. Case in point – this incredibly moreish, savoury yet sweet caramelised onion hummus.

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Caramelised Onion Hummus

Inspired by one of my favourite store-bought hummus brands in the UK, this dip is the perfect combination of sweet and savoury and is dangerously moreish! Spread on rice crackers, pile on top of salads or frankly - eat it right out of the container. I won't judge you.

Course Hummus

Cuisine Middle Eastern

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 10 minutes minutes

Author Nada E.

Ingredients

• 1½ cups of chickpeas or one can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 small red onion chopped
• ½ tbsp olive oil or cooking oil of choice
• 1 tbsp brown sugar or coconut sugar
• ¼ cup tahini
• Juice of half a lemon around 1-2 tbsp
• 1-2 tbsp of water
• Sea salt and black pepper
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar reduction optional

Instructions

• Saute onions in olive oil until softened for about 3-5 minutes on medium heat. Then add in the sugar and cook for an additional 3 minutes on low heat until nicely caramelised
• Add all of the ingredients (but the water) to a food processor and blend, stopping from time to time to scrape down the sides.Add in the water one tbsp at a time as needed, this will help get the mixture moving and thin out if you prefer your hummus to be of a thinner consistency
• Taste and adjust seasoning - I typically add a little more lemon juice and a squeeze of balsamic vinegar reduction to help bring out the sweetness in the onions
• Store in the fridge in a sealed container for up to 5 days

Notes

If you're feeling extra bougie, cook up some extra caramelised onions to top for presentation along with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar reduction

This has become my go-to hummus to top Middle Eastern bowls, devour with rice cakes and take with me to potlucks lately.

It’s a surefire crowd pleaser (unless any of your guests have an unfortunate aversion to onions, of course).

If you’ve never made homemade hummus, I implore you to. Not only is it incredibly simple and straightforward – you can make a double or triple the portion of those tiny supermarket pots for a fraction of the cost, and sans the unnecessary plastic packaging too. If caramelised onion doesn’t sound like your cup of tea, check out some of my other favourite hummus recipes:

• Red Lentil Hummus
• Roasted Red Pepper Hummus
• Hummus Beiruti
• Sweet Beet and Sumac Hummus

Until next time, dear readers.