Chickpea Flour Flatbread with Zucchini

We’ve been making different versions of this Chickpea Flour Flatbread every day for lunch for the last week. In it’s unadorned form, this “flatbread” goes by many names, but I learned of it as Socca, it’s French name. It’s basically a pancake, made from chickpea flour.

In our house, we top it with whatever vegetables we have around. This version is my favorite, with thin shreds of zucchini and specks of red onion and garlic. It’s so simple, satisfying and healthy. It’s also great camping food. You can make the batter at home and store it in the cooler. At camp, it quickly becomes a meal alongside a salad or bowl of soup. It also makes a great snack on its own.

This recipe is super simple, but there is one trick to it. You have to add a little bit of the water slowly, and whisk until all the lumps go away. Then add the remaining water and let the batter rest for at least 15 minutes. Before you go to pour the batter in the pan, make sure you give it a quick stir.

You might lose a few toppings when you flip it. Just scrape them up and stick them right back on top. At home, I might stick this under the broiler instead of flipping it, but without a broiler at camp, flipping it works just fine.

You can find chickpea flour (aka garbanzo bean flour, besan, or gram flour) at most health food stores, on Amazon, or go crazy and make it yourself.

Chickpea Flour Flatbread with Zucchini

Yield

2-3 servings

Prep Time / Cook Time

15 minutes / 5-7 minutes

Activity Guide

Car Camping

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup chickpea flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
• 3/4 cup water
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/3 cup shredded zucchini
• 2 tablespoons minced red onion
• 1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon fresh basil
• pepper, to taste

Tools

• Cast iron skillet
• Cutting board
• Knife
• Measuring cups
• Measuring spoons
• Medium bowl
• Spatula
• Whisk
• Grater (optional)
• Campfire with grate or stove

Method

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together chickpea flour and salt. Slowly whisk in about 1/4 cup of the water. Continue whisking until the mixture is smooth. Whisk in the remaining water. Set aside for at least 15 minutes while you chop the vegetables.
2. Heat one tablespoon of the olive oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. You can do this on a stove or on a grate set over a campfire. Add the chickpea batter to the hot skillet. Scatter the zucchini, onion and garlic over the top of the flatbread. Drizzle with remaining tablespoon of olive oil. When the batter is almost set, quickly flip the flatbread over and continue cooking until the veggies are browned and the flatbread is set.
3. Season with more salt and pepper, to taste. Serve immediately.