Asparagus, Leek, and Spinach Stuffed Crêpes with Goat Cheese

These stuffed crêpes are absolutely loaded with a mixture of seasoned asparagus, leeks, spinach and goat cheese. Take a bite and close your eyes to travel off to a beautiful terrace in Paris, enjoying these crêpes with a Café au Lait or a bottle of Crémant. Just like a Parisian terrace, this dish is romantic and brings people together. Make these stuffed crêpes as a delicious brunch to share with your loved ones, and I promise you that they will adore them.

History of French Crêpes

There is an ancient story about crêpes and the tale of their creation. Like most food, crêpes were said to have been a result of a mishap in the kitchen. According to French legend, a 13th-century housewife accidentally spilled buckwheat porridge onto a flat cooking stone on the fireplace which resulted in a crisp pancake. This accident is said to have evolved into the crêpes we know today.

French folklore aside, what we do know about crepes is that they originated from the Northwestern region of France called Brittany. We know this because of the introduction of buckwheat to the region around the 12th century. It wasn’t until the 20th century that crêpes were being made with white flour. Buckwheat crêpes are traditionally served with savory fillings, while the more modern white flour wheat crêpes are served with fruit and other sweet toppings.

French Stuffed Crêpes

Before the days of crêperies and street food carts popping up all over the place, we often ate crêpes at the family dinner table. My mom would make them for us as a special weekend breakfast, or if we were really lucky, a weeknight dinner that could practically be categorized as a dessert. We served our sweet French crêpes with jams, fresh fruit, Nutella, and luscious maple syrup. Man, we were spoiled.

Now that I’ve gotten older, I’ve carried on that tradition with my partner in my own tiny kitchen. On special occasions, like birthdays or holidays, I serve up the same French crepes my mom used to make.

Historically, my maternal family lived in Quebec after migrating to Canada from France. The connection to our French heritage has always been passed down through some interesting family recipes. I know crepes aren’t unique to my family, but it is very interesting to see that history and tradition passed on.

What Is In a FRench Crêpe

French crêpe batter consists of flour, eggs, and milk or water with butter or oil, granulated sugar (for the sweet ones), and salt. What makes French crêpes so different from typical American pancakes is the omission of a leavening agent like baking powder. This makes the the batter loose, and results in a crispy, and thin crêpe.

To cook the crêpes, most households have a edgeless crêpe skillet which is essentially just a non-stick pan without edges. The benefit to using this pan is the ease of removing the crêpe using a spatula. When there is no edge on the pan, lifting the crêpe becomes easier. This is not a must have kitchen tool if you do not already have one. While having one makes lifting the crêpe a bit easier, this can definitely be done in a regular non-stick frying pan with a little bit of practice.

Tips for Making Stuffed Crêpes

Making the Crêpes

• In a large mixing bowl, add the flour, oat milk, eggs, oil, and salt. Whisk all of the ingredients together until a smooth, lump-free batter forms.
• Heat a medium sized non-stick frying pan on medium high heat. Drizzle and spread a very small amount of cooking oil in the pan. Remove any excess oil in the pan with an absorbent kitchen cloth or towel. Cooking sprays can be used here if you prefer.
• Ladle in about ¼ cup (depending on the size of your pan) of crêpe batter into the hot pan. Spread the batter out by moving the pan around, distributing the batter to all of the edges.
• The first crêpe you cook is often considered the “tester” because it acts to test the heat and grease of the pan. This first crepe with absorb any excess oil in the pan and help with the following crepes.
• Brown the crêpe on each side for about 1 minute. Test the doneness of the crêpe by slightly lifting the edges with a rubber spatula. The firmness of the crepe will tell you when it is done. There should be no wet spots.
• Cook until all of the batter is gone, and set aside until ready to assemble the stuffed crêpes.

Asparagus

• Trim the ends of each stalk of asparagus by breaking off the woody bits.
• Heat olive oil in a medium sized frying pan on medium high heat. Once the oil is hot, add in the asparagus.
• Sautee the asparagus until just tender, this should take about 5 minutes. When nearly finished, stir in the minced garlic, and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly. Do not burn the garlic.
• Remove from heat, and set aside until ready to serve.

Leek and Spinach Mixture

• Process the leeks by removing the darker green tops. Remove the root end, and slice the leeks in half lengthwise. Wash the leeks under cool running water to remove any excess dirt. Leeks can be quite sandy and should be washed thoroughly.
• Cut the leeks into thin half-moon slices by laying them cut-side down on a cutting board.
• Heat olive oil in a medium sized frying pan over medium high heat, add the leeks and cook until they are tender (about 5 minutes). Add in the spinach, seasonings and lemon juice. Stir and sauté until the spinach is wilted.
• Season to taste, and set aside.

Assembling the Stuffed Crêpes

Once the crepes and all of the fillings are cooked, put this dish together by simply stuffing the crepes! Divide the fillings equally between the cooked crepes, and crumble some goat cheese before folding or rolling the crepes to serve.

These crepes and fillings should hold in the fridge for about 3-4 days, but they are so good they will probably be eaten up before then! I hope that you give these a try and let me know how they turn out.