The easiest, quickest dinner or lunch recipe today! Speedy vegan socca, or farinata, with some spring veggies. This is a recipe I turn to over and over again, relying on whatever seasonal vegetables are available to fill my pancake. Socca is about the easiest, protein-rich vegan dinner you can make.
It’s essentially a sheet pan dinner, because you roast the veggies while making the pancakes and then you’re ready to go. This makes a great transition dinner into the lighter meals that make up summer diets, because it’s still cozy and filling but doesn’t take too much time when you want to be doing things outside.
Socca is made from chickpea or gram flour, which is easy to find at most supermarkets and definitely in Indian or other South Asian grocers. It’s quite a bit more expensive here than it is back in Canada, but still very affordable compared to animal protein sources or even other types of flour.
The batter does need to rest for at least an hour, so you can either mix it up in the morning, or if you get home at five or six and mix it up then you’ll still be eating at a reasonable time. You can top it with fruit and have it for breakfast, eat it plain with caramelized onions (one of my favourites), or just roast up whatever’s in your crisper and top it with a mix of vegetables. That’s pretty much what I did here.
The possibilities are endless – check out my cucumber lentil salad socca, or try adding dried or fresh chopped herbs into the mix, topping with a simple spring salad, any roasted veg, or an easy tahini sauce.
I love making it as a protein packed main dish that doesn’t have the texture of beans or lentils (no tofu here, so this is a nice change). This spring socca serves as both a satisfying carb and high energy protein but feels like you’re just eating crêpes. It’s something I often make when I’m alone because it’s so low effort and makes the perfect weeknight meal.
If you’re going to be working late, you can mix the batter in the morning and pop the bowl in the fridge, then cook when you get home and just toss some lettuce and vinaigrette over it. I’m a big fan of this. Really healthy, really easy, and if you make it in the oven, virtually no active time needed at all. So you can wind down while your dinner cooks instead of standing over the stove or having a chocolate bar for dinner. We’ve all done it. (Right?)
A couple quick tips. Resting is very important here, so don’t skimp on that full hour. Use a good non-stick pan, like a well seasoned cast iron pan, or make sure you use a decent amount of oil. If you’re flipping the pancakes and not oven baking, make sure they’re well browned on the bottom beforehand, or they’ll break. Keep the leeks chunky as they tend to brown quickly. And, some tahini pesto wouldn’t go amiss here!
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Adapted from my Cucumber & Lentil Salad Topped Socca
Roasted Vegetable Socca
Ingredients
Socca
- 150 grams chickpea flour
- 310 ml water
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper to taste
Roasted Vegetable Filling
- 2 leeks sliced into 2 cm rounds
- 1 bulb fennel roughly chopped
- 1 bulb kohlrabi roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 150 grams frozen peas
- 50 grams greens* chard, spinach, etc.
- Juice of half a lemon per person
- Fresh basil for topping
Instructions
Socca
- Whisk all of the ingredients together in a mixing bowl, making sure that any clumps are incorporated. Cover and let the mixture sit for a minimum of one hour, or up to 12 hours (refrigerated*).
- Once you’re ready to make the pancakes, heat a large frying pan over medium heat with a little coconut oil. Pour 1/4 of the batter into the pan and swirl it to fully cover the bottom of the pan.
- Cook for about a minute, or until it starts to look dry at the edges, then carefully flip and cook for a further 30 seconds or so. Both sides should be golden. Repeat until all the batter is used, then serve the pancakes hot with the filling.
Roasted Vegetable Filling
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the leeks, fennel, kohlrabi, oil, and spices onto the baking sheet and toss with your hands until coated.
- Bake for 20 minutes, or until lightly golden. Stir the peas and greens into the hot vegetables to thaw/wilt. Top each of the pancakes with an equal amount of filling, and serve hot with a squeeze of lemon juice and fresh basil.
Notes
This recipe was originally shared in March 2017. It has been updated with improvements to the recipe, text, and photos as of May 2019.
Alexandra Daum says
Thanks, Hilary! Socca is such a great weeknight meal, I go through my chickpea flour in the blink of an eye!
Alexandra Daum says
Thank you, Tiffany! Oh no, not spring snow! Warmer weather will be here soon enough 🙂
Alexandra Daum says
The thing I like about pancakes is how quick they are – this batch only makes 3, so it's perfect for the two of us, and I don't have to worry about the oven. I hope you love them, Lisa!
Alexandra Daum says
Thanks, Dana! It's the strangest thing watching spring happen here. In Manitoba spring is a month of slush and mud and then it's summer, so there doesn't seem to be a spring season! 🙂
Alexandra Daum says
It's the best! Chickpea flour is really easy to find – you can get it in most supermarkets and in any South Asian grocers (it might be called besan or gram flour).
Hilary says
This looks so delicious! I actually have a bag of chickpea flour in my fridge that I've been meaning to use up- I was scouring the Food52 website as they often have great ideas, but I think I might just give this one a try! It looks heavenly 🙂
Lisa Solonynko says
This is awesome! I make socca pizza all the time. I have not ventured into pancakes though. I am trying this weekend. Thanks so much for the inspirations!
Tiffany Mayer says
Such gorgeous photos, wow. I love the sound of this recipe especially today when it's snowing here and spring is taking a time out. This will remind me it will be back.
Dana Sandonato says
This dish is so incredibly beautiful, Alex! I love the use of leeks. This seems like the perfect kind of food to phase into spring with. I've been really happy to see more green in the trees lately — nothing feels better than bidding winter adieu!
And congrats on the opening of your online shop! That's fantastic!
Jo and Sue says
I'd never heard of socca before but it looks amazing! I'm going to see about getting some chickpea flour so I can give these a try. 🙂