Soccas with Mushrooms and Spinach

Socca, or farinata, is an Italian thin and unleavened pancake (or crêpe) made with chickpea flour.  Can’t you tell I’m on a crêpe mission these days?  I hope you didn’t miss the luscious Simple Sweet Crêpe recipe from my previous post (please click here for the recipe).  Since Soccas are made with chickpea flour, they are naturally gluten free.  So, if you, or know anyone who’s on a GF diet, these would be wonderful savory crêpes to add to the menu.  Even if you're not on a GF diet, these are too scrumptious to pass up!



I love the nuttiness from the chickpeas (also called garbanzo beans) flour in these soccas.  Below is a picture of the one that I used.  The chickpeas flour is widely available in most health food stores and supermarkets these days.  If you can’t find yours in the local market, please click here for the product online.  Hm…after checking, I noticed it’s even cheaper online than the one I got from the market.  Guess I’ll be taking advantage of the online one next time.



These Socca turned out soft and tender with a hint of spice and earthy flavor from the cumin.  They really stand up to strong flavors so I paired them with sautéed crimini mushrooms, oyster mushrooms and spinach.  I dolloped some Fresh Thyme Crème Fraîche on top for a little creaminess.  



There’s no right or wrong way on how to enjoy these soccas.  But I do like to get a little bit of everything all in one bite; soccas, mushrooms, spinach, fresh thyme and Crème Fraîche.  These soccas are decadent and satisfying.  Yet, they are also low in carbohydrates, and a great source of protein and fibers.  I say, they are the perfect healthy savory crêpe to enjoy without scarifying flavors.



Want to follow me to the kitchen to make these soccas?  Come on in!

1) In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the chickpea flour, water, the olive oil, salt, and the cumin. 
2) This is how the batter looks after whisking.  Very smooth and not too thick.
3) In a 10-inch nonstick skillet, heat 1 teaspoon of the oil over medium-high heat.  With a measuring cup, pour around 1/3 cup of the batter into the pan.  Lift and tilt the pan to coats the batter evenly onto the bottom of the pan. 
4) Cook until the edges begin to bubble and the bottom side turns golden, about 3 to 4 minutes.  With a heat-proof silicone spatula, flip the socca and continue to cook the other side until golden, around 3 more minutes.  Repeat with the remaining batter.



5) Now, we’re ready to prepare the fillings.  In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and garlic and cook until slightly golden brown and fragrant. 
6) Add the mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, or until the mushrooms begin to soften. 
7) Then, add the thyme leaves and wine.   Cook until the liquid is almost evaporated, about 3 minutes.
8) Remove from heat and add the spinach.  Gently toss the spinach and the residual heat will wilt the spinach.  Then, fill each socca with fillings and enjoy!



Super easy, right?  They look more complicated and sophisticated than they actually are.  The beauty of these soccas is that they are very versatile, you can fill them with whatever fillings you like.  Since mushrooms and spinach are my family’s favorite, so those were what I used.   You can even make the batter or even the soccas and fillings ahead of time.  Simply fill and roll them right before you’re ready to enjoy.  They really make a wonderful brunch, or great for a light dinner as well.  I hope you’ll give this recipe a try soon.







Soccas with Mushrooms and Spinach: (Printable Recipe)

Servings: 4

Ingredients for the Soccas:
1 cup chickpea flour (garbanzo bean flour)
1 1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for cooking
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

Ingredients for the Filling:
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 large or 2 small shallots, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
10 ounce of crimini mushrooms, sliced
6 ounces of oyster mushrooms, cut into bite size pieces
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 cups baby spinach

Ingredients for the Thyme Crème Fraîche:
1/2 cup Crème fraîche
1/2 teaspoon agave
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves

To Prepare the Soccas:
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the chickpea flour, water, the olive oil, salt, and the cumin.  In a 10-inch nonstick skillet, heat 1 teaspoon of the oil over medium-high heat.  With a measuring cup, pour around 1/3 cup of the batter into the pan.  Lift and tilt the pan to coats the batter evenly onto the bottom of the pan.  Cook until the edges begin to bubble and the bottom side turns golden, about 3 to 4 minutes.  With a heat-proof silicone spatula, flip the socca and continue to cook the other side until golden, around 3 more minutes.  Repeat with the remaining batter.

To Prepare the Filling:
In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and garlic and cook until slightly golden brown and fragrant.  Add the mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, or until the mushrooms begin to soften.  Then, add the thyme leaves and wine.   Cook until the liquid is almost evaporated, about 3 minutes.  Remove from heat and add the spinach.  Gently toss the spinach and the residual heat will wilt the spinach.

To Prepare Thyme Crème Fraîche:
In a small bowl, whisk together the Crème fraîche, agave, lemon juice, cumin, salt and thyme leave until smooth.

To Assemble:
Spoon the filling onto the center of each socca. Roll up the socca like a crepe to encase the filling. Spoon the topping on top and serve.

Vegan Friendly Version:

***If you are on a vegan diet, simply skip the crème fraîche, or replace it with coconut cream for the topping.