Socca

Socca, pronounced “sock-ah,” is a street food from the south of France. Traditionally cooked on a fiery grill, it’s served cut up with a drizzle of olive oil and sprinkling of flakey sea salt.

I love it because it is just so dang versatile! This flat bread can be served as a simple appetizer, topped like a pizza, dressed up as a breakfast toast, or drizzled with a bit of honey and passed off as dessert. It only takes 3 ingredients and a cast iron skillet to make socca at home.

Another reason I love socca is because it is gluten-free and is made with chickpea flour (aka garbanzo bean flour.) Chickpea flour is much higher in protein than traditional wheat flour and won’t trigger allergies and is generally well tolerated. It’s high in fiber, folate, manganese, copper, and magnesium.

You’ve got to try it!  I’ve included some add in variations and optional toppings for you to explore.

[lt_recipe name=”Socca” servings=”2-3″ prep_time=”5M + 30M RESTING PERIOD” cook_time=”8-10M” total_time=”40M” difficulty=”Easy” summary=”A versatile flatbread that can be served for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.” print=”yes” ingredients=”1 cup chickpea flour;2 tbls extra virgin olive oil;1 cup water;1/2 – 1 tsp salt, to taste” ]In a large bowl, whisk together chickpea flour, 1 tbls olive oil, water and salt. Allow the batter to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. This gives the flour time to hydrate.;;Preheat the oven to 450°. Once hot, turn the oven to broil.;;Place a 10-inch cast iron skillet in the hot oven to heat up for 5-10 minutes.;;Carefully remove the skillet from the oven. Drizzle in ½ tbls olive oil. Swirl the pan so that the oil coats the bottom. ;;Add the batter to the pan and broil for 8-10 minutes or until the edges have browned and the top has blistered. The socca should be flexible in the middle and crispy around the edge. (If the socca is browning too quickly before it has had time to set, move the pan down to a lower rack.;;Remove the socca from the pan to a cutting board by using a flat spatula to work your way around the socca to release it from the pan. Cut into wedges and serve with an extra drizzle of olive oil.;[/lt_recipe]

Socca Variations:

Garlic Leek – ½ cup chopped leeks and 2 garlic cloves minced, sautéed in ½ tbls olive oil and added to the batter after it has rested.

Cheesy Thyme – 1 tbls nutritional yeast and 1 tbls fresh thyme leaves

Gogi Berry & Cinnamon – ¼ cup gogi berries chopped and 1 tsp cinnamon

Optional Toppings:

Avocado Socca – Avocado, pickled radishes, red onion, and black sesame seeds

Smoked Salmon Socca – Vegan cream cheese, cucumber slices, smoked salmon, and capers

Tomato Spinach Socca – Vegan cream cheese or avocado, spinach, sliced tomato, and sea salt

Nut Butter Banana Socca – Your favorite nut butter, sliced bananas, and a drizzle of honey