An earthquake interrupted my slumber early this morning. In my dreams, I was jogging along a winding, foggy forest path with friends, while in reality, a 4.2-magnitude quake was rumbling up to my parents’ house. All of a sudden, I was awake and riding the mechanical bull formerly known as my bed. Cookie barked, and it was over as quickly as it began. Oklahoma already gets hit by tornadoes so this new earthquake phenomenon seems a bit excessive, but I respect mother nature’s occasional reminders that she’s still the boss around here.
I made this socca pizza the night before before I headed south for an extended weekend. So, what is socca, anyway? Socca is a simple, savory, crispy pancake made with just chickpea flour, water, olive oil and salt. Apparently it’s a popular street food in Nice, France, where they sprinkle it heavily with freshly ground black pepper and serve it with cold glasses of rosé. Let’s go!
The longer socca bakes under the broiler, the crispier the bottom sides and edges become. Crisp socca makes a fine gluten-free pizza crust, with a flavor slightly reminiscent of falafel, and it’s even easier to make than pizza dough. Socca, socca! (Sing it like polka, polka!)
The base socca recipe you see here comes from a new cookbook called The Homemade Flour Cookbook, by Erin Alderson of Naturally Ella. Erin is one of my closest blogging pals—I text her for emergency advice and answer our video chats in my PJs. She’s a very good friend indeed. Naturally, I was super excited when her beautiful book arrived on my doorstep, fresh from the publisher.
In her new cookbook, Erin explains how to turn all kinds of whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds into homemade flour. Then she presents 100 creative recipes that utilize those homemade flours. She offers everything from zucchini and corn empanadas (made with a spelt crust) to blueberry muffins (made with amaranth flour) to banana cream pie (complete with a raw sunflower crust). Many of the recipes are gluten free.
I haven’t experimented much with homemade flours in the past, but Erin’s book makes the process seem totally approachable. Transforming dried chickpeas into chickpea flour took less than a minute in my high-powered Blendtec blender (head’s up: that’s an affiliate link, as are my amazon links). In the book, Erin says that you can also grind chickpeas into flour using a coffee grinder, but I don’t have one of those.
I learned that the milling process is LOUD, but it’s over quickly. I saved a few dollars by doing it myself, so that’s a plus. If you don’t have the proper equipment, you can buy chickpea flour at natural food stores or at Middle Eastern stores (it is also called besan flour, gram flour or garbanzo bean flour).
Bonus: freshly milled flour tastes better, especially when it comes to whole grain flours. Why? The milling process exposes natural oils that are present within the grains, and those natural oils go bad more quickly when they are exposed to air. If your whole wheat flour or whole wheat bread tastes bitter, it’s probably because the oils in the flour have gone rancid. Time to start over with fresh flour.
Erin’s recipe for socca pizza turned out beautifully. She presented a margherita pizza in the cookbook, topping her socca with sliced tomatoes, mozzarella and fresh basil. The tomatoes growing in my backyard are still bright green, so I decided to play with the Greek flavors that I typically associate with chickpeas instead. I added creamy feta, Kalamata olives, ribboned summer squash and a light sprinkling of fresh thyme to mine. You can add any pizza toppings you’d like. Let me know how you like yours!
Socca Pizza with Summer Squash and Feta
- Author:
- Prep Time: 1 hour 5 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
- Yield: 2 1x
- Category: Main
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: French-inspired
- Diet: Gluten Free
A simple and delicious, gluten-free chickpea crust pizza. I topped mine with summer squash ribbons and other Greek flavors, including feta and fresh thyme. You can add any pizza toppings you’d like! Be sure to allow an hour for the chickpea flour to soak up water. The rest comes together quickly. Recipe as written yields one small (9- to 10-inch) pizza.
Ingredients
Socca pizza crust
- 1 cup (120 grams) chickpea flour
- 1 cup water
- ¼ cup olive oil, divided
- 1 to 2 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
Pizza toppings
- ½ cup shredded mozzarella
- ¼ cup crumbled feta
- 1 small zucchini and/or yellow squash (I used both but had leftovers of each), ribboned with a vegetable peeler and/or julienne peeler and tossed lightly in olive oil
- 5 pitted Kalamata olives, sliced in half lengthwise
- Small handful sun-dried tomatoes (either oil-packed or Trader Joe’s dried kind)
- 1 small sprig fresh thyme, optional
Instructions
- In a bowl, whisk together the chickpea flour, water, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, garlic and salt. Let the mixture rest at room temperature for 1 hour.
- Turn on the broiler with a rack positioned 8 inches from heat. Place a 10-inch ovenproof skillet (preferably cast iron) in the oven to preheat.
- Once the skillet is hot, carefully remove it from the oven (it’s crazy hot, wear oven mitts!). Pour in 1 tablespoon olive oil and swirl the pan around so the oil is evenly distributed. Pour in the chickpea batter and return the skillet to the broiler. Cook for 5 to 8 minutes, until the socca is set and the edges are browning and pulling away from the sides of the pan. Remove from oven, turn off broiler and turn oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Spread the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil on top of the socca (it will soak right in). Top the socca with mozzarella, then distribute the ribboned/julienned squash on top. Sprinkle olives and sun-dried tomatoes on top, then sprinkle feta over the pizza.
- Return the skillet to the oven and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the cheese is browning and the socca is crisp. Remove from oven and sprinkle fresh thyme on top. Let the pizza cool for 2 to 3 minutes before slicing into 4 pieces and serving.
Notes
Recipe adapted from The Homemade Flour Cookbook by Erin Alderson.
Make it vegan: Skip the cheese for veggie flatbread.
Leftover squash suggestions: Turn leftover squash ribbons into a squash ribbon salad, like this, or just add them to a simple green salad.
Change it up: You can treat the socca pizza crust as though it were any basic pizza crust. Erin made a margherita pizza with her socca crust—she simply topped her pizza crust with sliced tomatoes and shredded mozzarella and sprinkled fresh basil on top once it came out of the oven.
Recommended equipment: a 10-inch cast iron skillet.
If you love this recipe: You’ll also love my other recipes with Greek flavors.
▸ Nutrition Information
Vegetable enthusiast. Dog lover. I'm probably making a big mess in my Kansas City kitchen right now. 
Dixya @ Food, Pleasure, and Health
i have heard about socca but have never tried it. this socca pizza is too tempting right now.
Matt Robinson
What an amazing pizza, love that crust!
Courtney @ The Fig Tree
What a fantastic looking pizza! Great flavours. I have yet to try socca, but plan on making this this week sometime. Beautiful photos :)
Kate
Hope you love the socca, Courtney!
Raquel @ My California Roots
Kate, this looks so beautiful! The crust almost looks like cornbread, topped with veggies & broiled and I bet it is entirely delicious. And I really want that cookbook. I would LOVE to grind my own flours but I never really imagined it was possible. So excited that I know I can now!
Kate
Thanks, Raquel! You’re right, the crust does have an almost cornbread-like texture. It is delicious!
J.S. @ Sun Diego Eats
Love chickpeas everything and have never heard of socca before but definitely want to try it. I wanted to try a cauliflower crust pizza but I think this would be a bit more substantial/satisfying to bite in.
And love that you added feta to the pizza, salty crumbly feta is so good in pizza I don’t see if often enough!
Kate
I’ve tried a cauliflower crust pizza and it was surprisingly pretty good! I think socca is a bit more pizza-like, plus it’s egg-free and so easy.
Tim
Hi Kate,
Your pizza looks great – can the crust also be made on a ceramic baking tray? Can several be made in advance and frozen?
Thanks,
Tim
Kate
Thanks, Tim. I’m doubtful that the socca pizza would turn out as well on a ceramic baking tray. It would need to have a good rim around it to contain the batter and you would need to preheat it so it’s really hot before you add the batter (heat like that might break the pan). Even then, I don’t think it would get as crispy as it does in my cast iron pan. If you make it my way, I think you could make several of them and freeze them for later without any problems.
Kate
Actually, if you’re going to freeze the pizzas, just be careful with them and place them on a flat surface in the freezer. They’ll be more delicate than regular pizza.
bev @ bevcooks
Oooooooo I just need my face to be all over that.
Maryea {happy healthy mama}
I’m super excited and intrigued by this recipe. So glad you are friends with Ella and inspired to share this unique creation. :)
Stephanie @ Girl Versus Dough
I have yet to try socca but I know that when I do (which will have to be, like, tomorrow, now that I’ve seen this recipe :)), I’m going to use Erin’s recipe for it because it sounds like perfection. Love the toppings on this pizza, too!
Kate
Erin’s socca recipe is fantastic! Hope you love the socca, Stephanie!
Isadora
Wow, that is so crazy that Oklahoma had an earthquake! I grew up in Arkansas, and I remember being scared of tornadoes, but earthquakes were never a worry. I’m glad you and Cookie are ok! This socca sounds so easy to make, I would have never guessed! I have a high powered blender, so I need to experiment with this soon! I love the toppings you picked out for this pizza, it looks amazing!
Kate
I think you’ll love socca, Isadora! Oklahoma has been getting earthquakes for the past couples of years now. It’s so weird.
Ananda
Listen to the Inquiring Minds podcast about earthquakes in the Midwest (particularly OK!) and you’ll understand why they are becoming increasingly prevalent … Unfortunately OK doesn’t have seismic building codes like we do in CA so it’s a much bigger problem there than it is here.
Oh and PS: recipe looks awesome. Thanks for the inspiration!
Jeanine
I almost made her socca too! This looks absolutely stun-ning with the peeled summer squash!
Kate
I almost made her polenta! :) Your version looked gorgeous.
Eileen
Such a beautiful pizza! I’ve never made my own chickpea flour before (although my mom did mill endless batches of whole wheat flour at home when we were really little), so the idea of it is really intriguing. NOM.
Kate
How cool that your mom milled her own flour!
Angela @ Eat Spin Run Repeat
I haven’t ventured into making my own flours yet either, and while I’ve experimented with chickpea flour, I’ve never tried socca! (Another one for my Try Something New Tuesday List I suppose!) This pizza looks beautiful… and you’ve got me craving dinner all over again!
Kate
Well, if you like chickpeas/falafel, I think you would love socca! I was happily surprised at how easy it is to make.
Laura (Tutti Dolci)
Gorgeous pizza, I love all the vibrant summer veggies!
Molly
This looks amazing! I’ll definitely be trying it soon. So glad you made it through the earthquake ok. That is wild!
Kate
Thanks, Molly! We’re fine. It was kind of a fun experience. I’ve slept through other earthquakes before, but this one gave me quite a rattle!
Kristine @ Kristine's Kitchen
This pizza looks lovely and I think your choice of toppings are perfect with the chickpea flour crust. It looks so light and crispy – yum! That cookbook sounds like a great way to inspire me to try new things in the kitchen!
Kate
Thank you, Kristine! I’ll take any excuse to add those Greek flavors to recipes, but they seemed like a natural fit with the chickpeas. Definitely check out Erin’s cookbook if you come across it!
Kathryn
Whenever I’ve made socca with chickpea flour, it’s tasted a little funky so I’m super excited to try this version with freshly milled flour. I love your take on this too – so creative.
Kate
Interesting! I wouldn’t say the fresh chickpea flour version tastes funky at all. I enjoyed it on its own and as a pizza crust. Hope you love it, Kathryn.
Allison
I can’t wait to get my hands on that cookbook! Socca pizza is a brilliant idea. So much delicious chickpea flavour. I’ve only ever made it as a soft pancake-type bread but I need to try this. Gorgeous photos. Looks like the perfect summer pizza. Yum!
mimi
I was also awakened by that earthquake, at 5:48 AM. My husband and I are both retired geologists, and for the past four years we’ve been enjoying the earthquakes because they’re so fascinating to us, although we’re certainly not hoping for any higher on the Richter scale… Your pizza is beautiful. I’ve only had traditional socca, but as a crust it makes perfect sense! Thanks!
Kate
Thanks, Mimi! I felt another earthquake in Norman a few years ago, so I knew what was happening and just enjoyed the ride. Earthquakes are wild. :)
Katie (Veggie and the Beast)
This is all kinds of beautiful! I’ve heard a lot about socca lately, but I haven’t tried it myself. I had no idea it was so quick and easy! I love Erin’s photos and recipes – will need to check out her book.
Kate
Hope you’ll give socca a try soon, Katie! It’s remarkably easy. I can’t wait to try other variations and serve up some gluten-free pizza at girls’ night.
Stefanie @ Sarcastic Cooking
I looooove that crunchy crust!!!! What a fun and healthy twist on a good ol’ pizza!!!!
Paige
You have inspired me to finally buy a cast iron skillet! I will happily do so from your link, but wanted to ask you about size. What do you recommend, is there one size that would be all purpose or do I really need both a smaller and larger skillet? Your input is much appreciated!
Kate
Hey Paige, great question! I would recommend a 10-inch and/or 12-inch skillet. Keep in mind that the inches are measured across the top and the sides slope in, so the actual cooking surface is smaller than it sounds. The 12-inch skillet is heavy, but it’s big enough for just about everything. It doubles as a wok. I’ve baked pizzas in it. I’ve heard that you can bake pies in the 10-inch, but I haven’t tried. The 10-inch is good for small quesadillas, fried eggs, etc. I believe you could make this socca in the 12-inch, you’ll just end up with a thin crust. I don’t think you need anything smaller than the 10-inch. You could start with one and buy the other later, if you like cooking in cast iron, but I think a well-equipped kitchen would have both. Hope this roundabout advice helps!
Paige
It does help, thanks! I decided to just go for it and get both of your recommendations off Amazon. This will give me more incentive to get in the kitchen. :)
Kate
Hope you love your new pans! Cast iron takes a bit of getting used to but it’s seriously the best.
Jordan
“Oklahoma already gets hit by tornadoes so this new earthquake phenomenon seems a bit excessive…” Right?! I live in Tulsa and I’m still not used to this new earthquake thing even though they’ve been happening for a few years now. On the bright side, this pizza looks so fresh and delicious! I will have to give socca crust a try.
Kate
These earthquakes are so strange! After I felt it here in Edmond, I got on twitter and read that Rhee Drummond felt it near Tulsa, so I knew it was a big one. Hope you love the socca crust, Jordan.
Kelly
This pizza looks incredible. I’ve never worked with chickpea flour. Can you buy it at Whole Foods?
A cold glass of rose and this pizza sounds like the perfect summer meal!
Kelly
Kate
Yes, I think you can buy chickpea flour at Whole Foods! Another commenter said she found it there, at least.
Sandra Lea
Will my food processor work for making flour?
Kate
Sandra, I’m not sure. I emailed Erin to ask for you, I’ll let you know what she says!
Kate
Hi Sandra, Erin said that a food processor probably won’t work because it’s not strong enough to power through those tough beans. I’m sorry! You could buy the flour instead.
Sophie
This looks awesome!! I love me some gluten but I would totally try this just for a new and different flavor and texture! Thanks for sharing :) So glad you survived your earthquake :/
Marcia
This looks SO good, Kate!! Beautifully photographed too, as always. I love pizza but rarely allow myself to have it due to my tendency to overload with all the bread and cheese (and feel like a butterball afterwards, of course). This looks like the perfect alternative. Thanks for the inspiration, to both you and Erin! I’ll be trying this out this week.
Now, as for earthquakes being fun… living in California and having been through a few too many, my thoughts are just the opposite! You guys are nuts… enjoy the rockin’ and rollin’ back there! :-)
Kate
Thanks, Marcia! I think you’ll really enjoy the pizza. I guess earthquakes are fun until someone gets hurt. None of Oklahoma’s earthquakes have been that bad (yet, yikes!).
Amanda @ Once Upon a Recipe
This looks divine. I have chickpea flour and might have to make this tonight!
eva@myfrontburner
I love your blog! It is so beautifully photographed, you have a great voice and the recipes look delicious. I’m definitely going to try this recipe. My husband is gluten intolerant and pizza is the one food item he misses the most. I am a consulting editor for America’s Test Kitchen and CI recently published a really good gluten free pizza dough.
Kate
Thank you very much, Eva! I’ve heard great things about ATC’s gluten-free recipes. I’ll tell my GF friends to look it up!
laurasmess
This sounds seriously amazing Kate! I am a big fan of Naturally Ella also and I’ve been looking forward to reading Erin’s take on alternative flours. I have a few friends who are gluten-intolerant or coeliac (though luckily for myself, I can eat anything) and I’m trying to expand my cooking repertoire for that reason. Love the look of that crispy socca pizza base. Your toppings look divine xx
Bec
This looks amazing – which is why I mentioned you as one of my favourite food bloggers in an intevriew i recently did. Check it out here: http://www.bond-appetit.com/rebecca-thexton/
x
Kate
Thank you so much for the shout-out, Bec! Lovely interview.
JPbeth
Kate, As soon as I saw this recipe, I knew I wanted to make this pizza tonight. I stopped at Whole Foods on my way home from work and got the garbanzo bean flour. I fortunately had everything else at home. OMG – it was so easy and so delicious. I basically followed your recipe but added sliced sweet peppers, baked garlic and sliced turkey sausage. What an unusual but delicious crust, so yummy. This is a keeper. Thank you.
Kate
Hooray! Thank you for commenting! So glad you loved the crust.
Dearna || to her core
Im so intrigued by this – I love using “regular” ingredients – like chickpeas – in new ways. I’m going to sound like a massive food nerd here, but I think its super exciting when you discover new-to-you ways of cooking and baking. Definitely going to try my hand at socca pizza – thanks for the recipe :)
Kate
If you’re a massive food nerd, then I am, too! I was super excited about this chickpea flatbread discovery. Hope you love it, Dearna!
Kyla @ Two Cups Cacao
My goodness, this looks amazing. I’ve never heard of Socca before, but it sounds pretty awesome. Might just have to try this!
Olivia - Primavera Kitchen
I can say only one word: AMAZING!!
★★★★★
Tracey
I want to try this for sure. I keep my alternative flours in the freezer until needed. I think that reduces the spoilage. Be well.
Kate
That’s a great tip, Tracey. Thank you!
elizabeth e
I just put this on my to-make list for next week, and I’m already excited about it. I have to say, I didn’t know that middle America had earthquakes — what is that about?!
Kate
It’s crazy, right? Some people say the earthquakes are due to fracking, but I have my doubts on that one.
Maureen Sutherland Weiser
Kate,
I made this tonight and it was absolutely delicious!!! My only change was using my own oven-dried tomatoes. While it was crispy on the edges, it was quite soft in the middle and a bit cumbersome to get out of the skillet in one piece. I made sure to preheat my cast iron skillet really well. Just wondering if yours was crispy in the middle or softer, like mine. Regardless, I will ABSOLUTELY make this again!
Maureen
Kate
Maureen, I’m so glad you enjoyed the pizza! Erin warned that her pizza turned out a little soft, but that wasn’t the case for me either time I made socca. I’m not sure why! Mine was slightly softer in the middle, but overall pretty crisp. I used a cast iron pan and it got so hot in the oven that it was practically smoking when I poured in the oil and batter.
Amy @ Thoroughly Nourished Life
Oh I hope you and Cookie are okay!
I used to love pizza, but since I was diagnosed with a gluten intolerance a few years ago there have been few pizzas in my life. This looks like the perfect healthier solution to my dilemma :)
I’m going to pair mine with some wintery roasted pumpkin I think :)
Thanks Kate.
Kate
These pizzas would be so lovely with roasted pumpkin! Enjoy!
Jen @NewHippieKitchen
I was just thinking similarly! I have celiac and thought this would be a prefect gluten free and super fast way to satisfy the pizza cravings!
Kate
The socca crust is super simple, hope you love it! I can’t wait to make these pizzas for my gluten-free friends at girls’ night.
Grace
SO pretty! I’ve had my eye on the socca pizza in Erin’s book as well. Now I’ll have to try both versions.
Betty Bake
I found falafels recently and LOVED them!!! I have been making falafels for the past few weeks and can’t get enough – so I think this will be perfect for me. — thanks for sharing this!
the 1 cup chickpea flour – if Im grinding my own – do I just measure one cup chickpeas and grind and then end up with 1 cup chickpea flour?
also can I leave the chickpea flour soaking in the water for longer than
an hour (like I do for falafels when you soak the dried chickpeas for 24hours before grinding) — my thoughts were to grind the chickpeas into flour and add the water and leave them soaking for most of the day so come evening time I just add it to the pan and cook and assemble for supper :)
Glad you and cookie are ok
Betty Bake
Kate
Hey Betty! Great question. You should only need roughly 3/4 cup dried chickpeas to yield 1 cup flour. And yes, I think you can let the chickpeas soak for hours. If it’s going to be more than a few hours, I’d probably put the bowl in the fridge, but that may not be necessary.
Sophie
Haha, oh dear — I was spying on this comment and thought of how often my well-laid plans for making hummus, falafel etc fall by the wayside and my chickpeas end up soaking for days at room temperature until I get around to them. I have not encountered any adverse consequences yet! Good luck!
Betty Bake
@ Sophie LOL I know exactly what you mean – boy have I left my chickpeas soaking to long!!! :) thanks for the cool comment :) heheheh
Lindsay @ The Local Taste
Zucchini and squash on a pizza?? YES, please! Sounds so yummy. Can’t wait to make this!
Joanne
CRAZY about the earthquake!! I’m glad you are okay! We had a minor one in here in NYC a few years ago but when it happened it was small enough that you thought you were imagining things…until you realized everyone else felt it as well!
Yay for socca! And for Erin’s cookbook. Love the toppings that you chose! Mediterranean flavors all the way!
Elizabeth
Just tried this recipe for a dinner party – as with all your recipes it was so delicious and easy! Everyone loved it, even the non-vegetarians. I used goat cheese instead of mozzarella and feta, and fresh cherry tomatoes from the farmers market. I didn’t have a cast iron skillet, but a glass pie pan worked just fine. Thanks for providing me the incentive to try chickpea flour for the first time. This meal will definitely be going on my list of regulars!
Kate
Elizabeth, that’s so great! Thanks for commenting! Your pizzas sound amazing (I have to stop myself from putting goat cheese on all the things). Also glad to hear that the socca turned out well in a glass pie pan, thanks for the tip!
lisa @Garlic+Zest
This looks amazing. Thanks for sharing!
Jody
This recipe is listed under vegan, but it calls for cheese :(
Kate
Jody, you’re right. The heart of the recipe is the gluten-free and vegan chickpea crust. If you look at the recipe notes, you’ll see that I suggested leaving off the cheese for veggie flatbread, or to use vegan cheese instead.
Thefolia
bravo this looks Devine! Thanks for sharing your crust alternatives I have been adventurous these days–can’t wait to try this. As for the earthquakes in your neck of the woods (so far double of what California has experienced this year) we can thank the fracking nonsense that has been taking place there. Happy Nesting.
Danielle
love socca! Ottolenghi has a great recipe for it in one of his books… can’t remember which but I think Plenty. You can use it as a base for any sort of indian flavored stew and it is very delicious!
Kate
I have both of his book! I’ll look for it.
Emily
Just made this and it was my first time using: 1. Socca and 2. Cast iron! Considering that learning curve, I was pretty impressed. I think my mistake was using fresh tomato slices, which soaked the socca a bit too much.
Kate
Good job, Emily! And good to know about the tomato slices.
Elena
I just wanted to make a note that this was very tasty! Thank you!
★★★★★
Kate
Wonderful! Thank you, Elena!
Karen
I’ve just begun a high fat low carb diet and celebrating getting into my pre-pregnancy jeans today, I made Socca pizza!!!
I was oh so pleased, however I thought it was a bit too cakey, I’m thinking of reducing amount to make it a bit thinner. Perhaps then it’ll make it more crispy. Loving the look of your other recipes, and getting excited for a healthy and happier me. Thanks
Kate
Congrats for fitting into those jeans again, Karen! Go you! My socca pizza always ends up pretty crispy, but others haven’t had the same luck, and I just can’t figure out why! Hope you enjoy the other recipes as much or better. :)
Den
made this tonight, fantastic, used tomato paste instead of oil before the mozzarella, will have again.
Cara's Healthy Cravings
I am making this right now and am so excited for it to come out of the oven! I am adding a egg on top of mine! Yummers, thanks Kate.
Kate
Oh, love the egg-on-top idea! Just brilliant.
Cara's Healthy Cravings
It turned out fabulously well! I made it two nights in a row, I just couldn’t get enough :)
Kate
Awesome! Happy to hear that.
Rebecca
Made this pizza today, with the addition of mushrooms and maybe I didn’t let it sit for an hour (let’s say 15 minutes), and it was GREAT! My super non-vegetarian husband said he didn’t even miss the meat. Delicious–thanks so much for another fab recipe!
★★★★
Kate
Thank you, Rebecca! Glad to know it turned out well with just a 15 minute rest!
Heather
This was excellent and so easy! I’ve made it twice so far with different toppings. So good.
★★★★★
Kate
Awesome! Thank you, Heather!
Lindsay
Can I make my own chickpea flour by grinding dried chickpeas in a blender?
Kate
Hey Lindsay! You can IF you have a really awesome blender, like a Blendtec or Vitamix. I’m not sure a regular blender will be up to the job.
Rajiv
Hi Kate. I don’t have a broiler. What if use the oven to make the socca? Will it work?
Kerry
I’ve made this 3 times and I love it. Mine always has a big bubble in the center when broiling. I just pat it down before adding the last bit of oil. Is it normal that it puffs up?
Kate
Glad to hear it, Kerry! I think mine has puffed up before. I’m not sure how to avoid it, so your method might be best!
Kella
Can I use canned chickpeas?
Kate
No, you have to use chickpea flour made from dried chickpeas for the socca.
Karen
Hi,
I was wondering if you find that the socca gets a bit soggy once you put the toppings on and if there is a way to avoid it? I find that after baking the pizza it is really nice if you eat it immediately but after about 5-10 minutes it becomes soggy.
Debra
I’ve made this recipe several times and love it. I stupidly forgot to turn the oven down last time, so sort of burned the top, so remember that detail. It’s quick to make and super tasty.
Kate
Thank you, Debra! I’m sorry about your burnt one, that’s a bummer.
Debra
My fault, and just a heads up to remember to turn the temp down. Just made this dish (again) this weekend for guests, who loved it. Roasted a lot of heirloom tomatoes (thanks to an overabundant farm share) and used those instead of store bought sundered tomatoes. (Also, this is great for people like me who are gluten-free.) Delicious.
Kate
Oh, that sounds fantastic. I think this socca would be awesome with ratatouille, too.
Katie
I made this a few nights ago and WOW, it’s so good! So many of the healthy alternative pizza crusts that are popular right now (looking at you, cauliflower), are so not worth it, but this is amazing – flavorful, soft, protein packed, and the perfect vehicle for veggies. I added sliced roasted red peppers, and once out of the oven I topped it with arugula tossed in olive oil, salt and pepper, and then drizzled with balsamic glaze. Definitely a keeper; I think I’m making it again tonight :)
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you, Katie! It’s great to hear from you and I’m so glad you enjoyed this one!
Dizzy5
Step 3– the socca is NOT flipped, so as to cook the uncooked side?
Amanda
Just made this last night and it was amazing! The crust has tons of flavor, and I’m already thinking of the different herbs I could add next time. This recipe is definitely going into my quick weeknight dinner rotation.
Kate
Right? Who knew homemade pizza could be so simple! So happy you enjoy it, Amanda.
michelle geil
Hi Kate! I was looking through some pizza recipes, and I know this is an older thread, but I wanted to say hello and thank you for all that you share with us. If it’s any help, geologists now believe that many earthquakes in OK are caused by fracking, a dangerous and polluting process by which oil is extracted from the ground. Despite the current setbacks on the environmental front, some states are working to outlaw fracking. Good luck and keep posting the deliciousness (-:
★★★★★
Kate
This is so kind, Michelle. Thank you! And yes, I’m hoping that we can see some progress in regards to fracking and its impact on people’s lives.
Keri
Hi Kate. Thank you for this recipe! I was so excited when I came across it. I spent a summer in Nice, France almost ten years ago, and one of my favorite street food snacks there was socca! It was so fun to make it and be reminded of the tastes and smells of Nice!
★★★★
Kate
Oh, I’m so glad this could bring back such wonderful memories for you, Keri! Thanks for the kind comment.
Christina
I don’t have an oven-safe skillet? Anyone tried this in a pie pan? I assume it won’t be as crispy but probably still delicious.
Kate
I bet a pie pan would work well. Just be careful with it; it’ll be super hot.
Bridget
Best alternative pizza crust yet. I’ve tried zucchini crust, cauliflower crust, eggplant – while the eggplant parmigiana wasn’t bad, none of it is really pizza. This is easier than the zucchini and cauliflower, and it WORKS.
★★★★★
Kate
Thanks, Bridget! I’m so glad you love this one!
Courtney
Oh my goodness… I made this for dinner tonight for my family and we LOVED it. I am gluten free and we love pizza in this house so finding a quick, INEXPENSIVE, delicious recipe was such a delight! We used tiny cherry tomatoes fresh from the garden, oregano and yellow squash… my three year old devoured it! Really, thank you. We are looking forward to trying it again with different toppings later this week!
Kate
That sounds heavenly, Courtney! Garden-fresh produce makes all the difference.
Pam
This should be on your ‘favorites’ list. Can I vote 1000 times? The main thing I would change is to use a larger skillet since I don’t have cast iron. I think it would completely ‘cook through’ in a larger pan if using a lighter weight one. This recipe was even incredible without cheese. I added more salt and some herbs to the batter. Also used onion, red pepper & mushrooms.
★★★★★
Kate
Yes, please! Ha. Thank you so much, Pam.
Sarah
This was absolutely delicious! I’m always searching for ways to use chickpea flour and this recipe is now my go-to since there are no filler flours or unhealthy add-ins for the “crust”. I am obsessed with this pizza. Thank you :)
★★★★★
Lauren K
This recipe was a huge hit with us! I made as directed, but used store-bought chickpea flour, added roasted red peppers, and subbed sliced tomatoes for the sun-dried ones. I was really impressed with how crispy the crust got and how well it held together (even as leftovers).
• Add a generous amount of olive oil to your hot skillet to prevent sticking – 1 tablespoon worked great in my 9 inch skillet but was not quite enough for my 12 inch. Pour the batter in gently so that it doesn’t completely displace the oil.
• I forgot to apply olive oil to the top before toppings and I didn’t notice any difference.
• A high-quality feta and a drizzle of balsamic helped amp up the flavor.
• Compared to wheat pizza, this is really filling. Half a pizza filled me up, which is not the case with “normal” pizza. Plan accordingly.
• My only struggle is how best to scale this recipe since you need to cook it in a skillet. We managed to jam two skillets under our broiler at once, but not sure that’s ideal.
★★★★★
Kate
Thanks so much for sharing, Lauren! I appreciate the review.
Pamela Perry
Made it this morning! Sounded sooo good! We loved it….
★★★★★
Kate
Fantastic! Thanks for commenting, Pamela.
Cristina w
Excellent excellent I’ve made this twice not disappoint you not even miss regular piece that you loved it thank you for sharing
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Cristina!
Peter Mullin
This was..revelatory! First of all, the socca crust is easy – and fun – to make, and a great wheat-free/gluten-free alternative. And it handles really well and does not get soggy. The other revelation was the “ribbonized” squash: I’d never used it that way before and it was great as a pizza topping, retaining some “bite” and adding a delicate summer flavor. We threw on some mushrooms and omitted the thyme for a slight variation, but this recipe is a winner.
★★★★★
Kate
Sounds delicious! Thank you, Peter.
Philipp Schilmann
Can you help me figure out how to make this in high altitude? over 8k feet. Center seems mushy but outside gets cooked. How do i need to adjust for altitude baking?
Kate
Hi Philipp! I wish I could be more help. Unfortunately, without testing it out and not living in high altitude, I can’t help. I’m sorry to hear you are having issues!
Kelly
Hi
I made this last night using a cast iron pan and a regular skillet because I wanted to make two simultaneously. The cast iron skillet one turned out a lot better. I wish I had a better understanding of how much better should be in each pan. I still cannot decide if I had too little or too much in the pan.
We did pesto with the squash ribbons and red onion and some cheese.
★★★
jj
do you know what vegan means??? cheese/dairy in every recipe won’t cut it!
Kate
Hey JJ, I do know what vegan means. This website is entirely vegetarian. I often classify recipes as vegan when I can offer simple substitutes in the recipe notes that make them vegan. Otherwise, you could miss out on a ton of delicious vegan recipes. I understand if you disagree. Perhaps find an all-vegan blog if that’s what you’re looking for, but you’ll miss out on some great recipes here.
Johanna
I was able to make this recipe with Violife feta and Violife mozz, and it turned out amazing! 100% vegan. We are lucky to have so many vegan cheese options these days!
★★★★★
Kate
I’m glad those alternatives worked so well! Thank you for your review, Johanna.
Kate
Hey Deepthi! Thanks for questioning the nutrition info. I just double-checked our analysis and we accidentally inflated the measurement for the olives. The calories are closer to 600, with high protein/fiber. You could reasonably get three servings from one pizza, depending on how hungry you are!
Julia
This was an interesting recipe! I have chickpea flour that I am trying to figure out what to do with and I have a feeling the rest will be used for socca. I was hesitant because I don’t have a broiler or cast iron skillet. But I used a pie dish and heated oven to 425 and honestly it came out perfectly! I topped the socca with mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, asparagus, kalamata olives, and fresh basil. Will be experimenting with different veggie toppings until I use up this chickpea flour!
Eileen
I didn’t review this recipe the first time I made it because it was a mess. My pan wasn’t properly seasoned, so the socca stuck, and the whole thing fell apart. We still ate it, and it was delicious, so I knew I would try again. I re-seasoned my pan, used a bit more oil, and went with caprese toppings. It was wonderful! I wish I had bought a larger bag of chickpea flour because this is going to be a regular dinner at our house.
★★★★★
Kate
I’m sorry you had a poor experience the first time! I’m happy it worked out for you this time. I appreciate you taking the time to review!
Allison K
Cooked as written. A perfect summer dinner (and a good way to use up some of that zucchini from the garden). Super yummy and easy. We will be making this again.
★★★★★
Petra
It works well in an waffle iron too. Crispy waffels, ideal for a savoury topping. I am Swedish so I like to top it with sour cream and Loejrom (roe of the small salmonid fish species vendace, Coregonus albula).
Lynne
This was exquisite! I almost didn’t add the feta but am glad I did. It added a salty taste that was perfect with the fresh thyme and sweet sundries tomatoes. I wouldn’t change a thing. This will be a perfect casual company meal with a side salad. We will be having this many times.
★★★★★
Emily
I can’t find a single comment from someone who actually made this.
Kathleen Ralf
Really delicious, but will need to make some adjustments for our oven. Ours came out a bit soft in the middle. I think we didn’t cook long enough in the first phase and didn’t preheat the pan long enough. Also our pan was a bit smaller( 8”). Excited to try it again.