With this recipe, I set out to wow you with a vegan omelette yet I ended up with a fluffy, savoury pancake instead.
Not quite what I had in mind, but it makes a tasty, filling and naturally gluten-free meal. It’s kind of similar to an Italian socca yet fluffier and requires less oil.
I topped it with a bunch of seasonal veggies as I don’t seem to be able to get enough of them right now. Hope you like it!
INGREDIENTS
- ½ cup chickpea flour
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- white or black pepper
- 1/3 tsp salt
- 3 tbsp aquafaba
- 50 g silken tofu (optional)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
TOPPING
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- ½ red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
- 1 baby zucchini, sliced
- 5 asparagus spears, cut into smaller pieces
- ½ cup cooked broad beans
- 1-2 tbsp fresh dill, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp capers
- a squeeze of lemon
- 2 tsp basil pesto (optional)
- fresh rocket
METHOD
- In a large bowl, mix chickpea flour, baking soda, nutritional yeast, salt and pepper with lemon juice and enough water to achieve a thick pancake batter.
- If using tofu, place it on a plate and crumble it with a fork. Season with salt and pepper.
- In another (glass or metal, avoid plastic) bowl, whip aquafaba with ½ tsp vinegar until you achieve stiff peaks.
- Heat up a medium, non-stick frying pan and brush it with a bit of olive oil.
- Gradually fold whipped aquafaba into the pancake batter with a spatula. Do it very gently so that you don’t knock all the air out.
- Pour the batter into the prepared frying pan. If using tofu, scatter it on top of the pancake. Place the pan on the hob, on low-medium heat, for a few minutes (about 5 mins) until the sides of the pancake start peeling away from the pan.
- Next, place the pan under a grill / broiler and cook for a further 10-15 minutes until the pancake is fully cooked through.
- While the pancake is cooking, heat up two tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan. Add garlic and chilli, if using. Stir-fry gently until soft and fragrant.
- Add zucchini slices and raw asparagus. Sauté for a few minutes, until the asparagus has softened but still remains crunchy. Add cooked broad beans and capers. Season with salt (go easy as capers contribute some saltiness), pepper, a squeeze of lemon and fresh dill.
- Top cooked pancake with spring veggies, fresh rocket and optionally a drizzle of pesto.