Warm Caramelized Onion Chickpea Spread combines the creaminess of hummus and the rich complexity of French onion soup for the perfect snack.
I’ve been finding myself making fusion-type dishes more frequently lately.
To name a few, Indian-spiced burgers with tamarind chutney and fresh mint, rolled up in hot naan instead of being sandwiched between a bun.
Greek-flavored enchiladas, with garlicky marinated chicken, feta, tomato sauce, and beautiful briny Kalamata olives.
Boeuf Bourguignon served pot pie-style, enrobed in a melt-in-your-mouth tender, flaky pastry crust.
Up until recently, I never saw the allure of fusion foods. I thought in order for something to be worth eating, it had to be authentic. Oh, how wrong I was. Sometimes the best food marriages are from places that are worlds apart.
Why not take the best of both worlds and combine them in one mind-blowing dish?!
Inspiration for This Caramelized Onion Chickpea Spread Recipe
This spread was inspired by the idea of an affair between Middle Eastern hummus and French onion soup.
Somewhere in between the two, this spread combines the flavor notes of that soup – sweet, soft, complex caramelized onion and bright thyme – with the blissfully creamy texture and slight twinge of tangy flavor that is hummus. They make quite the pair, really.
And although it’s also wonderful cold, served warm, this spread is out-of-this-world.
Can I Eat Canned Chickpeas Raw?
Yes! They aren’t actually raw, canned chickpeas are cooked before canning.
However, if you find that canned chickpeas are a little too hard for your liking or if the recipe calls for warm chickpeas, you can heat them with water on the stovetop before eating. The longer you cook them, the softer they will be.
Is it Ok to Eat Chickpea Skin?
Yes! It’s fine to each chickpea skin. However, if you remove the chickpea skins when you make hummus, you will end up with a much smoother, creamier hummus.
More Recipes That Use Canned Chickpeas
- Falafel-Spiced Roasted Chickpeas
- Easy Chickpea Salad Sandwich
- Roasted Red Pepper Hummus
- Easy Gluten Free Chickpea Pizza Crust
- Vegan Chickpea Pumpkin Curry
- Chickpea Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Roasted Butternut Squash Salad with Chickpeas, Kale, and Pearl Couscous
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xoxo, Faith
Warm Caramelized Onion Chickpea Spread
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large onion halved and thinly sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt divided
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 large cloves garlic crushed or minced
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- 16 ounce can chickpeas skins removed if you want a super creamy consistency
- 3 tablespoons tahini
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons hot water or more as needed
- Cracked black pepper for topping (optional)
Instructions
- Heat the butter and oil in a medium-large skillet over medium heat. When the butter is melted, add the onion, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and black pepper. Cook until the onion is deep caramel in color, about 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add a splash of water or turn the heat down a little at any time if the onion or the pan starts to get too dark. Once the onions are caramelized, add the garlic and thyme and cook 1 minute more, stirring constantly.
- While the onions caramelize, pour the chickpeas along with their liquid into a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, and then drain off and discard the liquid.
- Pulse the chickpeas in a food processer a few times. Add the tahini, lemon juice, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pulse a few times. Add the water one tablespoon at a time with the food processor on, and continue processing until you achieve your desired consistency.
- Pulse in 3/4 of the caramelized onion (you can process it until completely smooth or leave it with some texture), reserving 1/4 for topping. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper as desired.
- Transfer the spread to a shallow dish and top with the reserved caramelized onion.
- Serve warm with a generous sprinkling of cracked black pepper on top, if desired.
Faith’s Tips
- Serving Suggestion: Serve this spread with sliced bread, fresh pita bread, or pita chips.
- Storage: Store this spread covered in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Nutrition
This post was first published on An Edible Mosaic on February 22, 2013. I updated it with more information on May 10, 2021.
I’m Faith Gorsky, the writer, cook, and photographer behind An Edible Mosaic. My goal is to inspire you to get in the kitchen and try something new! Feel free to 
Thank you so much for linking back to my gluten-free chickpea pizza crust! I will have to try out your spread, it looks insanely good :) !
Chahinez, My pleasure, your pizza looks incredible! And thank you so much, I hope you enjoy it if you give it a try! xoxo
This looks like the best-thing-ever! We’re so addicted to caramelized onions over here, and chickpeas aren’t far behind in that category, either!
This sounds absolutely wonderful!! What a great fusion :)
Caramelized onions are such a delicious addition to anything, love how you incorporated them into this spread!
This is a wonderful spread – Both the taste and textures sound wonderful. :)
Love the combination! I’ve actually seen a hummus with caramelized onions in costco and it is one of our favorites. Will have to give this a try! Curious why you boil the chickpeas prior to processing….
i love caramelized onions but i haven’t resorted to eating them by the handful yet. that said, i need new ways to use them in combination with other things, and this looks like a winner!
I have made a sandwich spread as a substitute for butter very similar to this with red lentil dhal and always enjoyed it tremendously. Make hommus at least once a fortnight, so more than game to try the onion version with that: should be greaat :) !
What a great combination – I am going to have to try this for sure!
Caramelized onion with homemade hummus sounds amazing! This would make the best party platter ever.
Oh man, this looks incredible! I love caramelized onions, and I love hummus. Both of them together sounds fantastic!
OH this looks good! We are slowly heading into winter here in Tasmania Australia and as the days cool down my mind is starting to head to warmer foods and this looks like a perfect autumn transition food all by itself! Thank you for this wonderful recipe :)
This is like hummus x’s 10! What a creation!
Caramelized onions are one of my favorites, this spread looks like it will quickly become a new staple!
Mmmmm I could really cozy up to this with some bread right now!
This is a great spread Faith. I know what you mean about eschewing fusion foods. I used to do the same but also love to mix flavor profiles now!
Addictive!
Cheers,
Rosa