Caramelized Onion and Roasted Garlic Hummus

This recipe was inspired by Wegman's Caramelized Onion Hummus, which I absolutely love, so I decided to try making it from scratch.  What could be bad?  Combining two of my favorite ingredients, hummus and caramelized onions, could only yield good things.  Not only did it turn out delicious- a creamy, garlic-y, savory hummus with a mild sweetness from caramelized onions- but it was also fairly easy to make and I'm sure will be a very forgiving recipe.  

One important thing I learned, however, is that there is no way to take a picture of hummus and make it look appealing.  Let's be real.  It's a bunch of chickpeas and other stuff all mushed together in a food processor.  I'm not saying it's not delicious, and it has a great personality, but it's not much to look at.

A blob only a mama chickpea could love.

However, if you can get past the non-photogenic qualities of hummus, I highly recommend it.

Ingredients:

Note- Everything here is approximate.  No measuring tools of any kind were used, or harmed, in the making of this hummus.  So take all measurements with a grain of salt (pun intended) and add whatever amount feels right to you.

• 1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 6 cloves of garlic, peeled
• 1 medium onion
• olive oil
• Smart Balance
• Salt
• Pepper
• 2 tsp brown sugar
• Turmeric
• Garlic powder

Hummus: the hats of choice for baby carrots everywhere

Directions:

1. Cut the onion into thin slices.  Heat a pan on medium-low.  Add about 1 1/2 Tbs each of olive oil and Smart Balance.  Melt in the pan with the 2 tsp brown sugar, and a pinch of salt.  Add in the onions and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.  Turn the heat down to low, cover the pan, and cook for about another 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are very soft and lightly browned.  Note: Don't rush the onions! The longer and slower they cook, the more deliciously caramelized they'll get.
2. After throwing the onions in the pan, combine the peeled garlic with a drizzle of olive oil and salt and wrap in a foil pouch.  Cook in a 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes- or just take them out of the oven when the onions are done.
3. While the onions and garlic are doin their thing, drain the can of chickpeas and puree in a food processor.  Add in a decent drizzle of olive oil, some salt, pepper, turmeric, and garlic powder, and keep pureeing.  The mixture will be a bit thick but don't worry, we'll fix that when we add the onions and garlic that are so diligently cooking at this time.  
4. Once the onions and garlic are done, let them briefly cool and then dump them into the food processor.   Let the food processor do it's job, mixing and blending, until everything is incorporated and you have a creamy, delicious (if not aesthetically-challenged) mixture.  Taste and add whatever you think is necessary.  Make sure you add enough salt to really bring out the flavor of the onions.
5. Eat right then with your favorite hummus dippers, or if you can wait (I didn't, but I have no willpower when it comes to hummus) put it in the fridge and let it cool down before eating.  Enjoy!

You're probably tired of pictures of hummus.  So here's something cuter. She also likes hummus.