Take your taste buds on a trip to the Mediterranean with this flavorful chickpea flatbread, also known as socca or farinata. Learn how to make your own at home and add a unique twist with pistou.
Since the weather is starting to warm up, I thought this would be a good time to share with you my chickpea flatbread recipe. It always reminds me of summers in France and is especially good with a cold glass of white wine or rosé.
Chickpea flatbread is a simple but delicious dish that’s quite popular in Nice (where it’s called socca), as well as in parts of Italy (where it’s referred to as farinata), and it’s destined to be your new summer favorite once you try it.
Chickpea Flatbread:
Traditionally made from just chickpea flour, water and olive oil (with some freshly ground black pepper on top), socca is baked on a large round pan in a wood-fired oven, then rustically scraped off the pan into large slabs and served while still warm. It has a custardy interior and is golden and on top and crispy around the edges.
I’ve taken some liberties with tradition and put my own twist on the basic chickpea flatbread recipe. Not having a wood-fired oven available, I made mine in a pre-heated cast-iron pan in a very hot oven with great results. I also couldn’t resist dropping a few spoonfuls of pistou into the batter and topping it with a few spinach leaves before putting it in the oven.
Pistou:
Pistou, is pesto’s French cousin. Like pesto (only minus the pine nuts and parmesan), it’s an essential part of the classic French soupe au pistou but also makes an excellent sauce in its own. Once baked the pistou creates flavorful pockets of green throughout the socca and the whole spinach leaves make for a pretty topping. Here’s what you’ll need:
Ingredient Notes:
(Here are a few notes about the ingredients you’ll need for this recipe. As always find the full list of ingredients and directions in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.)
- Chickpea Flour – You’ll need Chickpea Flour (also known as gram flour, or besan).
- Lemon Juice – Use fresh lemon juice.
- Baking Soda – A little baking soda gives the flatbread lightness.
- Olive Oil – Use your favorite extra virgin olive oil.
- Pistou or Pesto – If you’re making the pistou from scratch you’ll need peas, spinach, basil, garlic, lemon juice and olive oil. Alternatively you can substitute store-bought pesto if you’d like.
- Spinach – You’ll need some fresh baby spinach leaves to top the flatbread.
Unlike the original, I like to make my socca thick, so it’s a bit loftier and more foccacia-like than the traditional version. This makes it easier to pick up and eat with your fingers when sliced into neat wedges and also gives it more longevity out of the oven. (As delicious as traditional socca is, it’s really best eaten right out of the oven or it tends to dry out and harden.) A touch of baking soda in the batter is the secret to keeping this version so light and airy long after it’s come out of the oven.
You’ll also want to plan ahead and make the batter the night before to allow it to rest properly. It comes together quickly but needs a good long rest before cooking which will both help with digestion and ensure that the flour is fully hydrated.
How to Make Chickpea Flatbread:
(Here are the basic steps and some helpful tips on how to make the recipe. Find the full directions in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.)
- You’ll start by making the batter. Place the chickpea flour, and salt in a large bowl and slowly whisk in the water and the lemon juice. Allow batter to sit covered for a few hours, or preferably overnight.
- In the meantime if you are making the pistou you’ll place the peas, spinach, basil, garlic, sea salt and lemon juice in the bowl of a mini food processor and pulse until finely chopped, then add the olive oil and process until smooth. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
- When you’re ready to make the flatbread, preheat your oven, pour some olive oil into a cast iron skillet and place it in the oven to preheat.
- Now whisk the baking soda and remaining olive oil into the socca batter until smooth.
- Remove the skillet from the oven and pour in the batter. Scatter small dollops of the pistou or pesto across the batter and top with the spinach leaves. Bake until set and golden around the edges.
- Remove from oven and let cool for 5-10 minutes on a wire rack before cutting into wedges and serving
Serve it as an appetizer, or topped with some dressed salad greens, just don’t forget the wine!
Variations:
- Use a store-bought pesto (regular or dairy-free).
- Skip the spinach topping.
More Gluten-Free Bread Recipes:
Chickpea Flatbread (Socca/Farinata)
Take your taste buds on a trip to the Mediterranean with this flavorful chickpea flatbread, also known as socca or farinata. Learn how to make your own at home and add a unique twist with pistou.
Ingredients
For the Chickpea Flatbread:
- 1 cup/120g chickpea flour
- 1 cup/240ml filtered water
- ½ teaspoon sea salt, plus more to top
- 2 teaspoons/10ml lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 Tablespoons/30ml extra virgin olive oil, divided use
- 2-3 Tablespoons of Pistou (recipe follows) or store bought pesto
- 1 oz/28g fresh baby spinach leaves
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 9-inch cast iron skillet
For the Pistou:
- ⅓ cup/43g thawed frozen peas
- 1 oz/28g baby spinach leaves
- ½ oz/14g basil leaves
- 1 small garlic clove
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon/5ml lemon juice
- 2 Tablespoons/30ml extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Place the chickpea flour, and salt in a large bowl and slowly whisk in the water and the lemon juice. Allow batter to sit covered for a few hours, or preferably overnight.
- In the meantime makes the pistou. Place the peas, spinach, basil, garlic, sea salt and lemon juice in the bowl of a mini food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add the olive oil and process until smooth. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
- When ready to make the flatbread, preheat oven to 450° F. Measure 1 Tablespoon of olive oil into a cast iron skillet and place it in the oven to preheat.
- Whisk baking soda and remaining 1 Tablespoon of olive oil into the batter until smooth.
- Remove pre-heated skillet from the oven and pour the batter into the skillet. Scatter small dollops of about 2 to 3 Tablespoons of the pistou or pesto across into the batter and top with the spinach leaves. Top with a few grinds of freshly ground black pepper and a pinch of sea salt. Bake for 20 minutes, or until it's set and golden around the edges.
- Remove from oven and let cool for 5-10 minutes on a wire rack before cutting into wedges and serving.
Notes
Variations:
- Use a store-bought pesto (regular or dairy-free).
- Skip the spinach topping.
Dietary Info:
Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, Vegetarian, Vegan, Egg-Free, Dairy-Free, Nut-Free
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 245Total Fat: 20gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 10mgSodium: 565mgCarbohydrates: 12gFiber: 3gSugar: 3gProtein: 6g
Nutritional information for recipes contained on this website, such as calories, fat, carbs, etc. are only estimates and are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Sylvie Shirazi is the recipe developer and food photographer behind Gourmande in the Kitchen. For the last 10 years she's been making eating more healthfully easy and accessible with gluten-free, grain-free, paleo and vegan recipes that are free from processed ingredients.
Rosa says
I love socca and your version of this Italian/French speciality is really mouthwatering. A great combination.
Cheers,
Rosa