Socca with Garlic Green Sauce and Lentils

Last month a buddy and I did a popup food truck event where we introduced a world of people to Socca. There was socca with beet pesto and arugula. Socca with spicy curried lentils, roasted carrots, and toasted coconut. And socca with black tehina, pomegranate molasses, and roasted eggplant. There was socca galore and it was glorious.

Philly has a bar with a food truck inside where they rotate the chef/person who takes it over and who will present the menu each night. It was a blast to partake in that experience and also to essentially bring my blog to life, for the masses.

It only made sense to theme the entire menu around socca, given it’s my current obsession. (Speaking of, have you seen these socca waffles over on Food52?! Dying to try.)

If you’re a newcomer to my blog and haven’t been following my socca chronicles, and you’re also new to socca, let’s quickly discuss. Socca is a traditional street food from the south of France derived from chickpea flour. It’s rather healthy (high in protein + fiber), and is super simple to make. Generally, you bake it in a cast iron skillet in the oven, but this time around, I decided to test out a stovetop method. It worked, which is great news if you don’t have a cast iron pan on hand. (Although, I highly recommend you purchase one. They are awesome.)

I consider socca akin to a crepe-meets-flatbread, with a nice flavor all on its own. It stands up well to flavorful sauces, like this green-packed, pesto-like spread and can feel almost like eating pizza. That’s how I served this one to my friend, sliced into wedges and eaten with our hands. He was sold, and has officially become the trillionth person I’ve now introduced this base to. Are you the trillionth and one person? Let me know your thoughts if you give it a try!