15-Minute Skillet Chickpea Socca

There have been a few food stories (this and this come to mind) in the news lately that have reminded me that we have made food so complicated! There’s so much choice. So many questions. So much doubt. Politics, emotions and so much more are tied into what we eat now.  When I started this little newsletter, my only goal was to remind you that it doesn’t have to be so HARD to eat SOOO well. You’ve got all of the resources you need – right within your own body, brain + kitchen – to make amazing food that fuels your body whole.

It doesn’t have to be expensive.

Or precious.

OR from a package.

It doesn’t require you slaving over a stove, or spending hours at the grocery store hunting and gathering ingredients.

And while I’m a firm believer that some amount of consideration, mindfulness, and planning will benefit our bodies and beings when it comes to making meals, every morsel that we eat does not require an entire thesis on the energetic or biological value, and the practice of eating does not warrant the depth of scrutiny we’re capable these days.

Sometimes we just need something quick, easy and cheap, and GOOD. And this week’s recipe is just that. These Skillet Chickpea Socca are what I make when there isn’t much in the house, and when I don’t want to go grocery shopping. You make a simple chickpea pancake batter, dig through your fridge, and prep whatever you have on hand to go on top. Then warm a little oil and fry them up, just like pancakes. They’re plant-based, high in protein on their own, and then you zhoosh them up with creamy hummus (store bought is great,) whipped feta (so much easier than it sounds,) and whatever veg you’ve wrestled up. (In my case, these ridiculously adorable radishes that I couldn’t pass up because I just knew they would create happy, tiny little coins of magenta in everywhere I put them, and, by the way, I love a great polka dot. And in about 15 minutes from start to finish, you have a pretty little lunch (or dinner!) that was cheap, easy, salty, fresh, satisfying…these little salad-y pancakes will make you feel good and they taste great.

Let’s do this!

Socca it to me

Before I let you loose with this one, what even IS socca?

Socca is something between a flatbread and a pancake, served predominantly in Provencal France. It’s made very simply – with chickpea flour, water and olive oil. Most often, it’s baked in an oven, but there is no reason they can’t be made in a skillet, which cuts down significantly on their cooking time, making them a lovely lunch or 15-minute dinner.

Socca can be stuffed with anything, or topped with anything, so I highly encourage you to latch into this meal blueprint and make it your own. If you don’t have ridiculously cute radishes (I can’t find any as cute as this again in my life!) you can use any kind of fresh veggie; greens are great, carrots would be divine, peas are perfect…you get the point.

The only rules I personally have around socca are that there needs to be some lube. For me, this takes the form of pesto, or tahini, or in this case whipped feta and hummus. The whipped feta I suggest you make to dollop atop your socca is absolute perfection and really lovely smeared on sandwiches, stirred into rice, dolloped over pasta, or dropped into salads…you get the point.

Of note – because the batter is made with chickpea flour, this is not a meal high in carbohydrates, so I find that on an active day when I’ve enjoyed socca for lunch, my body loves this meal best if I add a little steamed rice to the tops, or I’ll need a little snack in the afternoon to get me through.

The recipe notes make a few clarifying points, but from here get after it! If you’ve got 15 minutes, you’ve got this sweet little dish. Go!