Caramelized Onion Hummus

Slice the onion. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a fry pan on medium-low heat and add the sliced onions. Stir them frequently so that the onions caramelize evenly. Let the onions cool to room temperature.

Drain the canned chickpeas, reserving some of the liquid, and then rinse the chickpeas under cold water.

Purée onions, chickpeas, tahini, garlic, and lemon juice in a food processor until very smooth, adding the reserved chickpea liquid as needed to thin the hummus to a medium-thick paste. If you need to, you can use water to thin out the hummus some more. Season with salt, add remaining extra-virgin olive oil and process again. Transfer the hummus to a shallow bowl, drizzle with more olive oil, and sprinkle with paprika or cayenne (if you want to add some heat!).

Serve with pita bread wedges, toasted pita chips, tortilla chips or raw vegetables. The hummus will keep for about a week.

Note: You can also garnish the hummus with some frizzled onions. Just slice up about 1/2 a small onion into thin slices and fry in vegetable oil until brown and crisp. Lay the onions on a paper towel to remove the excess oil and then use as a garnish.