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Simple Socca Pizza Recipe (Farinata/chickpea pizza) – gluten and grain-free, but still so indulgent!

The pizza is served on the paper on a chopping board on a towel with olive oil, salt and basil #salt #tomato paste | hurrythefoodup.com

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I think we can all agree pizzas are the BEST invention ever. But have you tried creating a socca pizza?

It’s cheesy, versatile and delicious both hot and cold! Plus, this socca pizza recipe is a little healthier, with a lighter pizza crust and so easy to rustle up – I promise you’re going to love it (and if you do, then you also need to try our other vegetarian pizza recipes here!)!

Well, we hear ya and that’s why I want to share with you, the best socca pizza recipe I’ve ever tried.

Socca is easy to make bread mixture made with just a few cheap ingredients of chickpea flour (also known as besan), water, olive oil and salt. Mixing these ingredients together creates the perfect gluten-free pizza base.

In just one hour (with 30 minutes resting time) you can be enjoying a tasty socca pizza, that’s low in calories, high in plant-based protein and full of flavour!

Let’s experiment with a simple replacement

Gluten-free pizzas can be a little more difficult to come by, whether it’s ordering online or shopping in the supermarket.

But with the simplest chickpea pizza recipe, you don’t need to worry about finding a pizza to suit your needs anymore.

With this recipe, we’ve replaced all-purpose flour, which usually forms pizza dough, with deliciously, nutritious chickpea flour – making an entirely gluten-free pizza crust!


But why is the chickpea flour substitute so important? Well, chickpea flour is made with just one ingredient of roasted ground chickpeas, which belongs to the class of high-fibre foods called legumes or pulses.

High-fibre foods are great to incorporate into your diet as they are often low in calories and can help reduce blood pressure and inflammation.


Following chickpea flour recipes is also great as it’s rich in important vitamins and minerals to keep your body healthy. Just one cup of chickpea flour has more folate (vitamin B9) than you need in one day.

Folate is a water-soluble vitamin that is particularly important for supporting healthy cell division and fetal growth.

So, chickpea flour nutrition is pretty good, especially if you’re expecting!

The Socca Pizza ingredients are on the chopping board - chickpea flour, garlic powder, baking powder, tomato paste, dried oregano, red onion, cheddar cheese, sweetcorn, olives, arugula, basil #sweetcorn #olive oil | hurrythefoodup.com
The chickpea flour, warm water, garlic powder and baking powder are mixed together in the mixing bowl with a fork #cheddar cheese #olives | hurrythefoodup.com
The ingredients are layered on the pizza base that is on the parchment paper in a baking tray #chickpea flour #water | hurrythefoodup.com
The garnished pizza with arugula/rocket is ready on the parchment paper in a baking tray #oregano #garlic powder | hurrythefoodup.com

Pile on the tasty toppings

On top of the gluten and grain-free socca pizza base, you can choose your favourite toppings and experiment with a variety of flavours and textures.

We’ve suggested a few of our favourite tasty toppings in the recipe below. For example, sprinkling grated cheddar cheese on the socca pizza adds a sharp tanginess to every bite.

Cheese is also a great dietary source of calcium and protein, so a cheesy socca pizza is a delicious meal with health benefits that you can enjoy time and time again. Winning!

Plus, if you want to switch your vegetarian diet into a healthy vegan diet, this can easily be altered to a vegan recipe (and vegan gluten-free recipes are here).

Simply substitute the cheddar cheese to a dairy-free alternative, like vegan cheese.

Then you could be munching on a wonderful, wholesome vegan pizza that ticks all the boxes for your vegan diet (and there are more where that came from – check out vegan pizza recipes here!.

Along with being truly delicious and the perfect meal for a Saturday night in, this simple socca pizza recipe is so versatile.

Changing your tasty toppings with every seasons, means you can create a list of healthy dinner ideas.

For example, in the summer, you could top your socca pizza with yellow courgettes, aubergines, peppers and tomatoes.

Then in the winter, you could replace your summer toppings with kale, swiss chard and artichokes.

Let’s get down to business

I’m sure you can start to imagine just how tempting this socca pizza will look and taste.

With this easy to follow recipe, you’ll have a delicious gluten-free pizza, loaded with protein and topped with your favourite ingredients.

So, let’s get down to the really important details: how to cook it!

The pizza is on the paper on a chopping board on a towel with olive oil and salt, and Dave is holding a piece of pizza #baking powder #oil | hurrythefoodup.com
Socca Pizza / Chickpea Pizza / Farinata
5 from 11 votes
Healthy vegetarian recipe for gluten-free socca pizza made with chickpea (besan) flour. It’s loaded with plant-based protein, easy to make and a delicious low-calorie treat!
Cuisine:Italian
Diet: egg-free, gluten-free
Prep Time:10 minutes
Cook Time:20 minutes
Total Time:30 minutes
Servings:2 servings (8 large slices)
Calories:522kcal
Author: Dave
YouTube video

Ingredients

Pizza base:

Choose your own topping. We love:

  • 4 tbsp tomato paste (the thick stuff)
  • 1-2 tbsp oregano, dried
  • 1 small red onion
  • 4.5 oz low fat mozzarella
  • ½ cup sweetcorn
  • 1 handful olives
  • 1 handful arugula (rocket)
  • 1 tbsp basil, fresh (dried or more if fresh)

Instructions

  • Mix together well the chickpea flour, warm water, garlic powder and baking powder. For best results, cover and leave to rest for thirty minutes. You can skip this step if pushed for time.
    1 cup chickpea flour, 1 cup water, ½ tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp baking powder
    The chickpea flour, warm water, garlic powder and baking powder are mixed together in the mixing bowl with a fork #cheddar cheese #olives | hurrythefoodup.com
  • Preheat the oven to 200°C/390°F and mix in the olive oil with the wet mix and a pinch of salt.
    1 tsp oil, Salt to taste
  • Place parchment paper onto a tray. Lightly coat the parchment with olive oil. Pour in the mix. Let it bake for about 8 minutes until it has started to slightly firm.
  • Thinly slice the red onion and prepare the cheese, olives and sweetcorn.
    1 small red onion, 4.5 oz low fat mozzarella, 1 handful olives, ½ cup sweetcorn
  • Remove the pizza base from the oven and spread the tomato paste over it sprinkle the dried oregano over it.
    4 tbsp tomato paste, 1-2 tbsp oregano, dried
  • Layer the other ingredients on top, including basil or favourite herbs – except the arugula/rocket, which we rinse and drain now.
    1 tbsp basil, fresh, 1 handful arugula
    The ingredients are layered on the pizza base that is on the parchment paper in a baking tray #chickpea flour #water | hurrythefoodup.com
  • Cook for about another 12 minutes. When everything looks ready and the cheese has melted – pizza is ready! Remove from oven and garnish with arugula/rocket.
  • Done. Enjoy!
    The garnished pizza with arugula/rocket is ready on the parchment paper in a baking tray #oregano #garlic powder | hurrythefoodup.com

NOTES

Tips: Add your personal fave toppings.
Make-ahead? Yes, batter can be made in advance.
Want some more flavor and spice? Check these out:
 
Please note that the nutritional information is for one slice of pizza and uses the suggested topping options.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Socca Pizza / Chickpea Pizza / Farinata
Amount per Serving
Calories
522
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
18
g
28
%
Saturated Fat
 
7
g
44
%
Trans Fat
 
0.01
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
 
3
g
Monounsaturated Fat
 
6
g
Cholesterol
 
40
mg
13
%
Sodium
 
848
mg
37
%
Potassium
 
1335
mg
38
%
Carbohydrates
 
60
g
20
%
Fiber
 
11
g
46
%
Sugar
 
16
g
18
%
Protein
 
33
g
66
%
Vitamin A
 
1287
IU
26
%
Vitamin C
 
15
mg
18
%
Calcium
 
695
mg
70
%
Iron
 
6
mg
33
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?Tag @HurryTheFoodUp on Instagram so we can admire your masterpiece!

Whether you’re gluten intolerant, following a vegan diet, or just love experimenting with vegetarian recipes, we would love to hear your thoughts.

So make sure you leave a comment below and let us know your thoughts on this healthy recipe and what your favourite tasty toppings are.

Comments
5 from 11 votes (11 ratings without comment)

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4 comments
  1. Hi, can the base be made the day before use?

    1. Hi Heather! So Socca tends to go a bit hard if you cook it twice, but you can still make it the day before. Follow the instructions as per step 1, but leave the mixture covered and overnight in the fridge. It’ll be good to go the next day instead, just continue from step 2 🙂

  2. I forgot to add the olive oil to the dough. I don’t know if that’s why but for me the dough stuck to the parchment paper like crazy and I could not get a lot of it (mainly the center part of the pizza) off. So had to scrape it off the paper and leave a part of the dough behind. Not ideal

    1. Hi Alexandra! Ah sorry to hear that, but it sounds like you’ve found the culprit! The oil makes a difference in the base – socca tends to get very sticky otherwise!