Chickpea Crepes with Creamy Spinach and Mushrooms

These vegan savory chickpea crepes are a healthy, delicious, and faux-fancy weeknight meal or brunch dish.

These paper-thin, savory chickpea crepes (a.k.a. socca) with creamy spinach and mushrooms are a seemingly-highbrow-but-actually-not meal, simple enough for a weeknight. It’s one to tackle when you feel like treating yourself a little and are willing to get slightly more adventurous with dinner than usual. Seeing as we’re dealing with crêpes here (accent added for emphasis), this meal feels fancy-French and that’s always a good idea.

This recipe also works well as a savory vegan brunch dish. And it goes without saying, it’s such a fun way to eat your greens!

What is Socca?

Socca is a savory chickpea pancake made of chickpea flour (ground up dried chickpeas). As such, it is vegan, gluten-free, and full of protein.

Socca (pronounced SO-kah) can be thin like a crepe – cooked in a skillet and served with fillings (like this recipe). Or it can be baked into a thicker flatbread, cut into triangles, and eaten on its own (or sometimes with toppings, like a pizza). Originating from the Ligurian coast, this savory treat sometimes goes by other names, like farinata, cecina, or torta di ceci.

How to Cook This Recipe

This vegan recipe has two components – chickpea crepes and spinach-mushroom filling. To get started, mix up the crepe batter using chickpea flour, water, oil, and salt. (Chickpea flour is available at most supermarkets these days, either in the baking or health foods aisle. I usually get Bob’s Red Mill brand.)

When you’ve got a smooth batter without lumps, set it aside at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. Resting the batter is important for any kind of crepe because it gives the flour time to hydrate, resulting in lighter, more delicate crepes. This batter can also be made in advance and kept in the fridge for up to 24 hours.

While the batter rests, make the filling. Start by cooking the mushrooms until they’re nicely browned. Then stir in the flour and cook it for just a few seconds to eliminate the chalky flavor (the flour will thicken the sauce). Next, stir in a mixture of non-dairy milk, veg broth, and miso, and cook it for a few minutes until it thickens into a creamy gravy. Finally, wilt in the spinach and turn the heat off.

Tips for Cooking Chickpea Crepes

If you’ve ever made any kind of crepes, you know the process requires a bit of practice and patience to get it right. Here are some tips to guide you along!

• Socca should be thin, lightly crispy around the edges, and delicate and chewy in the center.
• It is very important to use a non-stick pan that’s well-greased, but doesn’t have so much oil that you could swirl it around. I recommend brushing the oil on with a pastry brush or a folded paper towel.
• Use moderate heat. The batter should sizzle as soon as it hits the pan, but the pan should not be hot enough to make the crepes brown.
• When the top of the crepe looks dry, run a small offset spatula or butter knife around the edges to loosen the crepe. Then slide the spatula underneath the crepe and quickly flip it.
• Avoid browning chickpea crepes, as they will take on a funky bitter flavor.
• The first 1-2 crepes are practice; they never turn out right since you’re still figuring out how much batter and what temperature to use. Consider these chef snacks and move on with the remaining batter.

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Mushrooms: Caramelized mushrooms give this filling its foundational flavor. Feel free to use other types of mushrooms, like shiitake or oyster. I don’t recommend white button mushrooms since they don’t have any flavor.
• Flour: To make this filling gluten-free, use an all-purpose gluten-free flour blend instead of regular all-purpose flour.
• Non-Dairy Milk: Be sure to use a neutral-flavored milk, like unsweetened cashew or oat milk. Do not use almond milk, since its nutty flavor will overpower and ruin the sauce.
• Miso: Miso gives this sauce a savory, slightly “cheesy” flavor. If you don’t have any, use a tiny amount of soy sauce (start with 1/2 teaspoon) instead.
• Spinach: I like mature spinach in this dish because it retains some texture after cooking. But you can use baby spinach if it’s all you have.

How to Serve These Savory Chickpea Crepes

You can serve these family-style – kinda like tacos! Put out the stack of crepes and the skillet with the filling and invite people to fill their own crepes. Or you can serve them pre-assembled. Fill the crepes and roll them into cigars, fold them into triangles, or in half like tacos.

Chickpea crepes are best eaten right away, since they lose their crispness and get a little stiff after being refrigerated.

If you like these chickpea crepes, check out…

• Vegan Shakshuka with Eggplant and Tofu
• Chickpea Spinach Curry
• Curried Chickpea Salad
• Chickpea Chocolate Chip Cookies

Let me know if you try this recipe! Give it a rating below and leave a comment, and don’t forget to tag your creation with #TheNewBaguette and @thenewbaguette on Instagram.

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