Socca – A Delicious Flatbread That’s Also Gluten-Free & Vegan (And SO Easy To Make!)

I had never heard of “socca” which is a gluten-free chickpea flatbread, a lot like a thin pizza, popular in the South of France. The crust itself has a very mild flavor so it’s best when topped with bold-flavored toppings. This is so easy to make, inexpensive (depending on your toppings,) and can be made in about 30 minutes.

Perfect for a casual family meal as an entrée or at a party as an appetizer. Prepare topping options and let everyone choose their favorites. Slice it, tear it, or just pull pieces off…

Without toppings, this cost me about $2.00 for two socca flatbreads. I used Bob’s Red Mill Garbanzo Bean Flour, which can be found at most grocery stores.

This is what it looks like without toppings. The first picture was the first one I made, the second is crisper because my pan was already hot. I personally prefer it with a bit more crisp.

For toppings I used what I had in the house…roasted cherry tomatoes, cucumber and onions with a splash of olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and homemade hummus.

Other topping ideas –

• pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese, onion & red bell pepper

• scrambled eggs, tomato, spinach, and cheese

• ground beef, taco seasoning, onion, tomato and cheese

• olive tapenade

• pesto

• spinach, artichoke, and goat cheese

• barbecue sauce, shredded chicken, lettuce, tomato and sour cream

Or anything you’d put on a pizza or flatbread. A fun way to use up leftovers too.

(I found this recipe in my Better Homes & Gardens magazine, May 2016 edition.)

ANYTIME SOCCA

Hands-On-Time: 10 minutes         Total Time: 35 minutes       Makes: 4 servings (or more as appetizers)

Ingredients:

1 cup chickpea (garbanzo bean) flour

1 tablespoon finely chopped Italian parsley

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

2 tablespoons, plus 2 teaspoons olive oil

Directions:

In a medium bowl whisk together chickpea flour, parsley, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt, and chili powder. Add 1 cup water and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Whisk until smooth. Let batter stand 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat broiler. Add 1 teaspoon of the oil to 10-inch cast-iron or heavy-oven-going skillet. Place the skillet in upper one-third of oven to preheat 5 minutes (bottom of pan should be 5 inches from heat.) Holding handle of skillet with hot pads, pour half the batter (about 3/4 cup) into skillet, carefully spread the batter evenly using an offset spatula.

Return skillet to oven and broil about 4 minutes or until golden brown and slightly dark brown in some areas. Loosen from skillet with wide spatula and transfer to paper towels. Repeat with remaining batter, preheating skillet with the remaining 1 teaspoon oil 1 minute before adding the remaining batter. Serve at room temperature or reheat socca in 350 degree oven on baking sheet 5 minutes. Cut rounds in half. Makes 4 servings.

Each Serving – 192 calories, 11 g fat, 0 mg chol, 157 mg sodium, 18 g carbs, 5 g fiber, 6 g pro.