Hummus with Caramelised Onions, Crispy Chickpeas & Pine Nuts Recipe created by Tom Walton for Australian Onions.

The flavours that come from the sweet, meaty caramelised onions both through the hummus and over the top, is incredible.

Make extra onions as they are perfect with a steak or chicken and into sandwiches and spooned into soups and broths for an amazing boost of flavour.

This dish has a few components but if you get the chickpeas in the oven and onions on, then you just need to make the hummus and you’re ready. You can also make these components ahead of time and then just bring to room temp and plate it up for a simple entertaining dish.

Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes

Ingredients
2 400g tins chickpeas, drained, rinsed
3 brown onions, finely sliced
7 tbsp olive oil
Flakey salt, freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp each ground cumin, smokey paprika
⅓ cup tahini
Juice ½ lemon
1 tbsp sesame oil, optional
2 tbsp toasted pine nuts
1 tbsp pomegranate molasses
Small handful each dill and flat leaf parsley leaves
Flatbread & crudites, to serve

Method

1. Take half the rinsed chickpeas and place onto a tray with paper towel to dry well for 20-30 minutes.
2. For the caramelised onions, place 2 tbsp of the olive oil into a medium, heavy based saucepan with the sliced onions and a good pinch of salt.
3. Give this a good stir then place over a medium heat, cover with a lid and let them cook for 3 minutes until they begin to sweat and soften then stir and replace the lid, continuing to cook for 3 more minutes before removing the lid and continuing to cook for 10-15 minutes until they begin to caramelise and become golden but still soft. Set aside.
4. Preheat the oven to 210°C and line a baking tray with baking paper. Toss the dried chickpeas 2 tbsp of olive oil, spices and a little salt and pepper.
5. Scatter onto a lined baking tray and roast for 25-30 minutes until crisp then set aside to cool.
6. Meanwhile, place the remaining chickpeas, 1/3 cup of the caramelised onions, garlic, tahini, lemon into a blender or food processor with 1/2 cup water, sesame oil, salt and pepper and blend
   to a smooth, creamy consistency. Depending on your chickpeas and tahini, you may need a little more water. Adjust the seasoning to your taste with salt, pepper, or lemon and set aside.
7. Spoon the hummus over a serving platter and drizzle with the remaining extra virgin olive oil and pomegranate molasses, then spoon over the remaining onions, crispy chickpeas, pine nuts and scatter the herbs. Serve with flatbreads and/or crudites.