DIY Caramelised onion hummous

I love the current trend for flavoured hummous. Caramelised onion is my favourite, but I do wonder how much sugar goes in to each tub to make it so sweet and tasty. Probably rather a lot, I thought, so I decided to experiment and make my own. The result was delicious and ridiculously easy to make.  It’s perfect for handing round with a pile of chopped veggies or a big bowl of crisps before supper on a chilly December evening.

Start by cooking the caramelized onions first..

1 medium red onion, peeled and sliced as thinly as possible

4 tbsp balsalmic vinegar

1 tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp. honey

Put the onion, vinegar, oil and honey in a small saucepan, stir well and bring to the boil. Turn the heat down to a very gentle simmer and leave for 15-20 minutes, stirring regularly until it is thick and syrupy. Allow to cool, while you make the hummous.

1  X 400g tin of chick peas, drained,  few tablespoons of liquid reserved

20g tahini (sesame seed paste)

1 tbsp lemon juice

2 garlic cloves, crushed

80ml olive oil

Tip all the hummous ingredients into a food processor and and blitz until pureed.

Add the cooled caramelised onions (saving a tablespoon for serving) and blitz again until completely smooth and creamy. If it’s too dry, add chickpea liquid until it’s the right consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve with the tablespoon of caramelized onions sprinkled on the top. Will keep for a couple of days in the fridge, covered with cling film