Gluten-Free Italian Socca: Chickpea Flatbread
French Socca is a flatbread made using chickpea flour. Top socca with a vegan Roasted Garlic White Bean Spread and steamed spinach for a delicious dinner for one. Naturally gluten-free and full of plant-based protein!
- Medium
- Servings: 2
- Ready in: 1 hour
- Yield: 2 Flatbreads
What is Socca?
Socca is an French flatbread that uses chickpea flour. It’s traditionally made in the northern part of Italy and southern part of France, where wheat is harder to grow. Also called farinata, it is a cross between a pancake and a crepe.
How to Eat Socca
Socca is often flavors with savory herbs that are mixed into the batter. Rosemary, thyme, garlic, and chives are all delicious, healthy add-ins. You can enjoy socca on its own as a delicious snack. Or serve with hummus for a vegan appetizer.
To make this Socca a meal, I topped with a Roasted Garlic Spread and steamed spinach. This quick cooking turned my socca snack into a satisfying dinner for one! You can use another spread like Garlic Shallot “Buttah”, Roasted Red Pepper Hummus, or use your favorite store-bought hummus. My favorite oil-free brands are Oasis and Engine 2.
What is Chickpea Flour?
Chickpea flour is made by grinding chickpeas until you get a fine flour. It is also called Garbanzo Bean Flour or Besan (often in Indian markets and recipes).
Naturally gluten-free, chickpea flour is a healthy source of plant-based protein and fiber. Besides using it for this socca, you can also use chickpea flour to replace eggs for vegan baking. You can find it in the baking section of most groceries. Or, you can order it online.
Chef Katie’s Plant-Based Cooking Tips:
Freezer-Friendly: Double or triple this socca recipe to make a big batch. After baking individually wrap the flatbreads in foil and seal in a plastic zipper bag or plastic wrap. To reheat, place in a preheated 375F oven for 8-10 minutes. Top with your favorite toppings, then bake another 8-10 minutes.
Get your Greens: Top these Socca with your favorite green vegetables. Instead of spinach, you can use sauteed kale, chard, shaved Brussels sprouts, or steamed broccoli.
No Time to Roast Garlic? For a quicker version of the Roasted Garlic Spread recipe, skip the step for roasting garlic. Use Penzey’s Roasted Garlic granules instead. Puree 1-2 teaspoons (depending on your tastes) with the white beans.
Oil-Free Pancakes: Pancakes are one of the few recipes I find incredibly challenging to cook without oil. If you have a good-quality non-stick pan and pre-heat it for at least 10 minutes, you may be fine without oil. However, I usually use a light spray to ensure no sticking.
Nutritional Yeast: Nutritional Yeast adds cheesy, umami flavor to many vegan recipes. Use it sauces, soups, stews, dressing, mashed potatoes, and stuffed sweet potatoes. Besides great flavor, it has healthy protein and essential vitamins like B-12.
French Socca – Gluten-Free Chickpea Flatbread Pizza
If you love this recipe, you’ll also love: Quick Whole Wheat Flatbread, Pumpkin Almond Flour Grain-Free Panckaes, and 5-Minute Vegan Cashew “Parm”.
French Socca – Gluten-Free Chickpea Flatbread Pizza
Ingredients
For the Socca Gluten-Free Chickpea Flatbread:
- 1 cups Chickpea Flour aka Garbanzo Bean flour or Besan
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 1/2 cups water
For Topping:
- 1/2 cup Roasted Garlic White Bean Spread
- 4 cups Spinach chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F.
To make the Socca Gluten-Free Chickpea Batter:
- In a large bowl, combine the chickpea flour, dried rosemary, garlic powder, and salt. Add the water and whisk together.
- Cover with plastic wrap and set in a slightly warm place (like on top of your fridge or on the counter by the stove) for about 30-40 minutes. During this time you can prepare the Roasted Garlic White Bean Spread and desired toppings.
To prepare your Toppings:
- Make Roasted Garlic White Bean Spread according to that recipe’s directions. If using a store-bough hummus, bring it out of the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature for at least 20 minutes.
- To steam the spinach: Heat a non-stick pan with a couple of tablespoons of water. Add the spinach, cover, and cook until wilted, 3-5 minutes. Remove spinach from the pan and let cool.
- Squeeze out any excess water from the spinach. Set aside for topping your pizza.
To make Socca Gluten-Free Chickpea Flatbreads:
- Once the chickpea batter has set for about 30 minutes, it will be a little bubbly. It is ready! Make sure your oven is set to 375 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment, foil, or a non-stick baking mat.
- Using a small non-stick pan, coat it lightly with canola, coconut, or another high-heat oil. Heat pan over medium-high heat. Pour about 1 1/4 cups of the chickpea batter mixture into the preheated pan. Swirl around the pan, like you would for a pancake or crepe, evenly coating the pan.
- Cook for about 7-8 minutes, until bubbly and nearly dry. If you try to remove from the pan too early, it will be too wet and fall apart on you. You can reuse the batter — just wait longer when cooking the next one!
- Remove the flatbread from the pan and place on the pre-lined baking sheet.
- Repeat with remaining chickpea batter.
- When your flatbreads are ready, it’s time to start topping. Spread on a couple of tablespoons of the Roasted Garlic White Bean Spread. Then, top with the steamed spinach.
- Bake at 375 F 8-10 minutes, until lightly darkened around the edges.
- Serve immediately.
Nutrition Facts
** Does not include calories from spray cooking oil. This would add another 40 calories per serving.
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings 2.0 | |
| Amount Per Serving | |
| calories 266 | |
| % Daily Value * | |
| Total Fat 5 g | 8 % |
| Saturated Fat 0 g | 2 % |
| Monounsaturated Fat 1 g | |
| Polyunsaturated Fat 1 g | |
| Trans Fat 0 g | |
| Cholesterol 0 mg | 0 % |
| Sodium 378 mg | 16 % |
| Potassium 738 mg | 21 % |
| Total Carbohydrate 40 g | 13 % |
| Dietary Fiber 9 g | 34 % |
| Sugars 5 g | |
| Protein 14 g | 28 % |
| Vitamin A | 282 % |
| Vitamin C | 17 % |
| Calcium | 68 % |
| Iron | 5 % |
| * The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA. | |
Watch the Cooking Video:
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