Hummus with Caramelized Onions

This recipe is the star of the show at any dinner, or a potluck party. The hummus is creamy and moist, and the flavors of the caramelized onions with Ras-el-Hanout are insanely delicious. 

Yields: 6 servings

Prep Time: Soaking chickpeas for 10-12 hours
Cook Time: 35-45 minutes
Recipe Type: Spread, Vegan, Gluten-Free
Cuisine: Middle Eastern

INGREDIENTS:

• 250g dried chickpeas
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
  
• 270g tahini
• 4 TBSP fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1/2-3/4 tsp Salt
• 1 large yellow or white onion, sliced to ¼” thick rings
• Extra virgin olive oil
• ½ tsp Ras-el-Hanout, or Allspice
• ¾ tsp cumin
  
• A pinch of Sumac, or crushed red pepper

Preparation:

1. Place the dried chickpeas in a large bowl. Add cold water, twice the volume of the chickpeas and soak for 10-12 hours. 
   2. Drain the chickpeas and rinse well under cold water.
   3. Place chickpeas in a heavy saucepan and stir in 3/4 tsp baking soda. Cover with water, about 2" above the chickpeas. Bring to boil while skimming the white foam. Lower heat to low, and simmer partially covered, for 30-45 minutes. Pinch the chickpea; they should be tender, but not mushy. Scoop up about 1/2 a cup of the hummus water with a ladle and place in cup.
   4. Meanwhile, caramelize the onions. Place a medium sauté pan over medium- high heat. Add 2 TBSP olive oil and the sliced onions. Sprinkle over the Ras-el-Hanout, or Allspice, and a pinch of salt. Cook on medium-high heat for 10 minutes while stirring, then lower the heat to low. Sauté for additional 20 minutes until the onions become soft. 
   5. Put aside some chickpeas for plating

Making the Hummus

1. Drain the hummus water from the saucepan. For the perfect hummus, peal off the chickpeas skin, otherwise skip this step and place the cooked chickpeas in a food processor. Add a few TBS of the hummus water, and pulse until the chickpeas turn into a paste. Add the tahini, a scoop of the caramelized onions, lemon juice, garlic, 3/4 tsp cumin, 1 tsp salt  and a few TBS of the hummus water (based on how creamy you want the hummus to be). Process for a several minutes until the paste becomes creamy. 
2. Transfer the hummus to a bowl. Follow plating instructions below, otherwise refrigerate the hummus in a glass container. Remove from the fridge at least 30 minutes prior to serving. Note that the hummus' texture will be denser after refrigeration, so you may add 1-2 tsp of water to loosen up the paste.

Plating

Place the hummus in a nice serving bowl and create a wavy pattern with a back of a spoon. Spread over some of the chickpeas, and the chopped parsley. Drizzle over olive oil, and sprinkle the sumac, or crushed red pepper on top.