I’m really excited about this post for two separate reasons – first, because I’m finally using a little bit of the cookery I learned during my time in the south of France. And secondly, because this socca is the perfect vegan answer to my breakfast dreams.
You’d never be able to tell from the recipes here, but I’m a total breakfast gal. Well, at least I was in my pre-vegan days. I’d eat toasts, omelettes, scrambles, and breakfast sandwiches with the best of them. And I suppose that ever since I went completely vegan, I lagged behind on my breakfast transformation. I was actually in Whole Foods the other day when I had that thought… I was feeling a bit wistful at the things I couldn’t eat anymore. But as I was looking at the myriad of foods around me (I think I was in the pasta aisle, of all places), I realized that I shouldn’t look at it as “missing out”, but instead an opportunity to try NEW things and reinvent my old favorites. There is SO MUCH STUFF in the world, a mind-blowingly large amount – foods, ingredients, cultures, ideas, techniques – and to get caught in my own insular idea of “breakfast” is exactly the kind of thinking I want to avoid.
So here we go, folks – a new spin on breakfast. Socca is said to have originated in Italy, where it is known as farinata or cecina. In France, however, it is called socca, and I’ve prepared this version with a sauté of garlic and onions, inspired by the piperade I learned how to make in Toulouse, France. Now, to make things more confusing, but in the spirit of gastronomical accuracy, I must mention that piperade is a dish of Basque origin made with peppers and tomatoes. In Toulouse, our cooking class centered around making a piperade with garlic, onion, pepper, tomato, and eggs, omelette style. However, since it’s November now and tomatoes and peppers aren’t in season, I made do with onions, garlic, and herbs. But I’ll definitely be back in eight months or so with the summery version!
Socca | Provençal Chickpea Flatbread
Ingredients
Socca
- 1 Cup Chickpea Flour besan
- 1 Cup Water
- 2 Tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1/3 Cup Fresh Parsley minced
- 1/2 Tsp Salt
- 1/2 Tsp Black Pepper
- 1 Tsp Dried Basil
Vegetables
- 1/2 Medium Yellow Onion chopped
- 6 Cloves Garlic minced
Instructions
- In a bowl, mix chickpea flour, water, olive oil, parsley, salt, pepper, and dried basil. Stir until evenly combined, then let sit for at least 20 minutes, so batter can set.
- Prep vegetables - chop onion, mince garlic.
- Cook socca in batches, omelette style. To start, bring a skillet to medium heat with a drizzle of olive oil. Once pan is hot, add in some of the chopped onions and garlic, as much as you like. Sauté for a few minutes, until garlic is just before browning.
- Split the batch of onions and garlic in half or in thirds, depending on how many socca you want to make. Remove from the pan. Then, add in a portion of onion and garlic back into the pan, and spread out evenly in preparation for the batter. Also, make sure your pan is well-oiled - socca can be notoriously sticky.
- Then, add some of the socca batter, enough to cover the onions and garlic. Cook for about 3 minutes on each side, or until slightly browned. This will depend on the temperature of your pan.
- Repeat with the remaining onions and garlic and socca batter. Make sure you add in a little oil to the pan between batches, so socca won't stick.
- Serve socca with a sprig of fresh parsley, and any sauces or accoutrements that you like. Enjoy!
Notes
Song of the Day:
God Only Knows – The Beach Boys
27 Comments
Katrina
November 8, 2015 at 1:43 pmThis version of socca looks SO good!! Definitely need to try this. I am dreaming up fun things to dip in it :)
Sarah
November 8, 2015 at 7:26 pmOoh let me know if you come up with any good combos! ;)
danielle is rooting the sun
November 8, 2015 at 2:56 pmoh sarah! i’m such a gigantic fan of socca – there is something so comforting and equally delicious about it. it’s really lovely to hear about your cooking experiences in france, i’m ever thirsty to know about cooking in other lands. I love the addition of garlic and onion, and i definitely can’t wait until the piperade ingredients are back in season. wishing you well lovely lady! ♥
Sarah
November 8, 2015 at 7:28 pmThank you Danielle!! <3
Laura&Nora @Our Food Stories
November 8, 2015 at 3:01 pmthis looks and sounds SO good!! and totally love your thoughts on focusing on all the other possibilities, totally agree <3
Sarah
November 8, 2015 at 7:31 pmThank you!! <3 <3 So glad you stopped by! :D
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
November 8, 2015 at 5:11 pmO perfect Socca for breakfast is a great idea! I do adore chickpea flour!
Sarah
November 8, 2015 at 7:31 pmIsn’t it magical!! ;)
Jodi
November 9, 2015 at 8:26 amOh I just love socca! Chickpea flour is magical isn’t it! It’s buttery and savory and everything you need – this totally reminds me of an omelette and I have to try it for a warm + cozy breakfast soon – a little harissa + avo might be the perfect toppings :) Gorgeous recipe Sarah! Even though sometimes it’s easy to think of all the things that you can’t eat – really there are so many different ways to be creative – often times people say to me – what is that? or – I would never think of that! So I guess we’re the lucky ones who get to be so creative xxx
Sarah
November 9, 2015 at 10:59 amHarissa and avocado sound amazing as toppings!! :D :D
Emilie @ The Clever Carrot
November 9, 2015 at 4:05 pmSarah I Loooooooooooooove Socca, well anything chick pea for that matter. How great you turned your wistful breakfast longing into this satisfying dish!
Sarah
November 9, 2015 at 6:07 pmThanks Emilie!! :D
Susannah (Lemon and Coconut)
November 9, 2015 at 9:38 pmYes I totally agree about reminding ourselves that there’s a whole world of culinary adventure out there, we get so stuck in our routine’s and daily demands in can be hard to branch out. I’ve been eating a lot of chickpea pancakes recently, I’ll definitely give this recipe a try it looks delicious :)
Sarah
November 10, 2015 at 9:33 amThanks girl!! :D
Grace @ FoodFitnessFreshAir.com
November 9, 2015 at 10:11 pmSocca is my favorite! I really love, love this idea of putting garlic and onions right into the batter. Usually I save all the texture for the topping, but I’m definitely going to have to try this!
Sarah
November 10, 2015 at 9:33 amThank you Grace!! :D
Jess | Urban Alchemy
November 10, 2015 at 5:25 pmI’m a total breakfast lover too! This recipe looks great. I actually just ordered a 2 pound bag of organic chickpea flour so I’ll have to try it out:) xo!
Sarah
November 10, 2015 at 7:49 pmTwo pounds of chickpea flour!! Alright!! I like your style girl ;)
Christine @ Cooking with Cakes
November 11, 2015 at 10:17 pmI SWEAR I thought this was an egg and potato frittata from the pics, this looks beyond delicious! love your outlook on your vegan transformation, so inspiring! and so jealy of your time in france, too ;)
Sarah
November 12, 2015 at 11:22 amIt does look like a frittata, right?? Chickpea flour is sneaky sneaky! ;)
thefolia
November 15, 2015 at 3:02 pmIt looks like a Spanish tortilla. Happy feasting!
Sarah
November 15, 2015 at 6:54 pmI agree, I saw Iron Chef Jose Garces make one on and episode of Iron Chef America and the resemblance is uncanny! :D
CHICKPEA PANCAKE | lemon and coconut
November 18, 2015 at 8:31 am[…] flour, or besan, amongst other things I’m sure) posts recently, including Sarah’s, and Danielle’s socca recipes, which look just beautiful. And as I’ve also been eating […]
Sara | The Driftless Gourmet
February 9, 2016 at 7:48 pmI’m with you there on being a breakfast gal. I’ve never heard of socca but it sounds absolutely delicious! I’m always on the lookout for gluten-free recipes and this is one I definitely will need to try.
Sarah
February 9, 2016 at 8:03 pmThanks Sara! Hope you like it! :D
Savory Freekeh Pancakes | Well and Full
August 31, 2016 at 9:41 am[…] pancakes – is another one of my savory vegan breakfast creations. It’s similar to my socca recipe in that it uses chickpea flour, but this version is made with smoky and hearty freekeh, one […]
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February 26, 2019 at 2:13 pm[…] recipe for the chickpea pancake. She has a different take on it. Definitely must be tried 🙂 Socca | Provençal Chickpea Flatbread “This socca is inspired by the south of France, made with sautéed vegetables and served […]