Caramelized onion hummus

It seems as though summer is coming early this year. I’ve already gotten a sunburn. Maybe if I’m lucky, I’ll get enough freckles over this extended summer to form something that looks like a tan… but that’s just wishful thinking.

As the weather gets warmer, I find that my appetite shrinks. Perhaps it’s due to the fact that my body is too focused on trying to keep itself at homeostasis and regulate its temperature rather than concerning itself with digestion and satiation triggers. Regardless, this means that I need to pay more attention to what I’m eating so that I make sure that I’m eating enough to fuel my workouts. This is where snacking is key. The challenge: easily-packable, nutrient-dense, and filling snacks that are ideal for pre- or post-workout, or to tide me over during work. Solution: caramelized onion hummus with chopped up veggies.

The hummus is loaded with protein, healthy fats and fiber (plus the additional fiber from the veggies). Be aware of how your stomach responds to it and maybe save it for after a hard workout. It can also be added to any salad, as a wrap/sandwich spread, or as a dip for chips and veggies. In this recipe, I spiced it up with caramelized onions. It takes about 30 mins to perfectly cook the onions, but it’s totally worth it. Any balsamic vinegar works for the onions, but I used my espresso flavoured balsamic from the Sunshine Coast Olive Oil Co. (You can order products online and I’ve never had a bad flavour!). It turned out wonderfully. Adjust the quantity of the ingredients for your taste preference, but this is what I used:

Balsamic Caramelized Onion Hummus

Prep time: 30 mins

Total time: 30 mins

Yields: about 2-2.5 cups

Ingredients:

– 2 teaspoons olive oil

– 2 medium yellow or sweet onions, thinly sliced

– 1 ½ teaspoons brown sugar, divided

– ¼ cup + 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, divided

– 1 (540mL) can chickpeas

– 3 tablespoons reserved liquid from can of chickpeas

– 3 tablespoons tahini

– 1 clove garlic, minced

– 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

– ½ teaspoon salt

– ¼ teaspoon pepper

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a large, non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add onions and stir to coat with oil. Cook for about five minutes, then season with a bit of salt.

2. Spread onions out evenly across the pan and let cook on med-low, stirring about every three minutes, until softened, about 20-30 minutes total.

3. In the last five minutes of cooking, add a teaspoon of brown sugar and one tablespoon of balsamic vinegar. Stir to coat. Once they are caramelized to your liking, remove from pan. Save a small amount of onions to top the hummus later, if desired. Add the rest to the large bowl of a food processor.

4. As the onions are cooking, save about three tablespoons of liquid from the chickpea can and drain and rinse the rest of the chickpeas.

5. Add the chickpeas, liquid from the chickpea can, tahini, garlic, lemon juice, half teaspoon of brown sugar, salt, and pepper to the food processor. Process until smooth.

6. Serve hummus topped with reserved caramelized onions.