Socca with Veggie Sausage Squash & Kale, topped with Buttermilk Viniagrette

Saw a wonderful looking recipe on Relishingit.com and just had to make my vegetarian version. I followed the recipe as written but substituted Trader Joe’s Italian Sausage-less Sausage in place of regular sausage. The buttermilk vinaigrette is so delicious you almost want to drink it. The whole thing put together is visually beautiful and tastes amazing.

I had a huge butternut squash, my last left from the Fall Farmers Market that I had used to make a couple batches of Smokey Squash & Black Bean Chili. I had just enough squash left that was calling out to be made into something delicious when I stumbled upon this recipe.

The Buttermilk Vinaigrette calls for an egg yolk. I really didn’t like the idea of raw egg yolk and this dressing isn’t cooked. I was pretty sure I had heard of pasteurized eggs, but didn’t see any at the co-op or Trader Joe’s. At Cub I was in luck—pasteurized eggs by the dozen! And the co-op had some absolutely beautiful Lacinato kale; I now had all my ingreds and was ready to get rockin and rolling.

The chickpea pancake batter needs to chill in the fridge for a couple hours, so make that first. You can also whip up the vinaigrette ahead of time and just give it another whirr in the blender just before drizzling. For that matter, you can also roast the squash ahead of time and heat it up with the “sausage” after you’ve cooked that.

Socca with Squash, Kale, and Italian Sausage topped with Buttermilk Vinaigrette
from Laurie Jesch-Kulseth @ Relishing It

Serves 4

Socca (Chickpea Pancakes)
2 cups chickpea flour
1 3/4 cups water
1 egg
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon olive oil
sprinkle of sea salt

Combine the chickpea flour, water, egg, olive oil, smoked paprika, and salt in a large bowl. If possible, let mixture rest in the refrigerator for 2 hours, so that the water can absorb adequately into the flour. When ready to make the socca, heat a large skillet on medium-high heat (I used cast iron). Put a thin coating of olive oil on it and a sprinkle of kosher salt. Pour enough batter into the pan for a large pancake and cook until tiny bubbles appear in the batter. Flip the pancake. Repeat until the batter is gone, re-coating the pan with olive oil, as needed. If you’ll be serving them right away, keep cooked pancakes warm in 200 degree oven.

Squash
Medium-sized butternut squash, peeled and cubed

Prepare a medium-sized butternut squash by peeling it and cutting into cube (and don’t forget to roast the seeds for a tasty snack). Coat with a splash of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Place on a baking sheet and bake at 400°F for about 25 minutes, or until tender. Tossing a couple of times while baking. Set aside.

Buttermilk Vinaigrette:
3/4 cup canola oil
1 egg yolk from a pasteurized egg
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, minced
3 tablespoons buttermilk
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
salt and pepper, to taste

Combine all the ingredients, except the oil in a blender. Slowly add the oil while the blender is running. Refrigerate for about an hour and then re-blend. This will thicken the vinaigrette up even more. Re-season with salt and pepper, if necessary.

1 package Trader Joe’s Italian Sausage-less Sausage, cut into bite-sized pieces

1 bunch of Lacinato kale (also called Tuscan or Dino), washed, dried, and cut into thin ribbons

olive oil

Brown the “sausage” in a splash of olive oil, and set aside. Just before serving, sauté the kale in the same skillet as “sausage” with a thin coating of olive oil. Cook for just a minute or two. The kale will wilt just slightly. Sprinkle with sea salt.

Assemble the pancakes by topping with the kale, “sausage,” and squash. Drizzle the buttermilk vinaigrette on top.

The Buttermilk Vinaigrette was inspired by Chef Adam Vickerman from Cafe Levain in Minneapolis, MN.