Sweet & Smoky Caramelized Onion Hummus

This caramelized onion hummus comes together easily by topping rich and creamy hummus with sweet and smoky caramelized onion.

Recently we were hosting some friends for a board game night and I wanted to make hummus, but I wanted to add a twist. As I was pondering what kinds of toppings I could add to the hummus to give it a pop, I remembered Romanian white bean dip.

In Romania we make a very well known garlicky white bean dip with caramelized onions on top called fasole batuta or Romanian whipped beans. The contrast of spicy garlic and sweet caramelized onion is so tasty.

So why not with hummus? Having tried it now I can confirm the result is delicious.

Ingredients

There are two components that make up this dish: the creamy hummus and the sweet and smoky caramelized onion.

You can make both yourself with just simple, whole food ingredients as shown below. You can also use store-bought hummus if that makes things easier for you!

Rich and creamy hummus

• Canned chickpeas: Canned chickpeas make the whole process much faster. Plus, you can reserve the canning liquid and use a bit in the hummus if it's too thick. You can also start with dry chickpeas but you'll need to soak and cook them yourself before you're ready to make the hummus.
• Garlic: Garlic is a key flavor note in hummus.
• Tahini: Tahini or tahina is a Levantine condiment that's a paste made from roasted sesame seeds. Nowadays you can find it in most supermarkets or buy some online.
• Olive oil: Hummus needs a bit of oil for lubrication and to make it extra smooth.
• Lemon juice: Lemon juice adds a bright acidic note to balance the richness of the other ingredients.
• Seasoning (ground cumin, cayenne and salt): Along with the garlic, ground cumin is a really characteristic flavor of hummus. A pinch of cayenne brings a sharper, slightly bitter note that enhances the garlic. Finally, salt to bring it all together.

Sweet & smoky caramelized onion

• Yellow onion: The Romanian white bean dip this recipe is inspired by is traditionally made with yellow onions but you can also use white onions or even red if that's what you have on hand.
• Vegetable oil: The oil helps the onions to caramelize to a nice golden brown.
• Tomato paste: Tomato paste deepens the flavors and adds an umami note.
• Seasoning (smoked paprika, summer savory and salt): Smoked paprika and summer savory are a classic Romanian flavor combination.

Equipment

To make the caramelized onion topping you'll need a skillet - cast iron or non-stick are ideal since they reduce the chance of the onion sticking to the pan.

For the hummus you'll need a food processor.

Instructions

Since the caramelized onion topping takes a bit of time to cook down, it's best to start with that element. While the onions are cooking you can quickly whip up the hummus.

Step 1: Start the caramelized onions

Making the caramelized onion topping is very simple.

You add everything to a skillet and cook over medium-low heat until reduced and nicely browned. The key to making caramelized onions is that you really need to stir constantly - almost continuously.

If you have a lot of different things on the go in the kitchen at the same time, then keep the heat on low so the onions don't burn in case you lose track of time.

The onions will seem to cook really slowly at first, but then once the water has reduced out of them they can go from soft to burnt very quickly.

This is the only part of the dish that is a bit challenging but as long as you keep an eye on it and stir as necessary, you shouldn't have an issue.

Step 2: Make the hummus

Hummus is really easy to make - it's just a matter of adding all the ingredients to a food processor and whipping it up until super smooth.

If it's a bit too thick, add some of the reserved canning liquid one tablespoon at a time until the hummus is smooth and spreadable / dippable.

Taste and adjust the seasoning to you preference - it could be it needs a bit more acid (depending how concentrated your lemons are). It could also be that you like it a bit spicier, in which case just add a bit more cayenne.

Since hummus is made in the food processor, the only element that can make a big difference in the execution is how good your food processor is.

My food processor isn't the best so my hummus is not as smooth as I'd like, but it's still very nice and (in my opinion) homemade hummus is always tastier than store-bought even if it isn't as smooth.

Serving Suggestion

I served this caramelized onion hummus as a starter along with garlicky white bean dip topped with kale stems, crispy sage and hazelnuts.

A nice fresh bread is the best way to enjoy hummus and other bean dips. Homemade bread is even better. Good options include:

• Garlic Butter Naan with Herbs & Chili
• No-Knead Sesame & Olive Loaf
• Easy Braided Whole Wheat Loaf

Related

Looking for more recipes with beans and legumes? Maybe you want to try one of these:

Recipe