A grain-free, ultra-satisfying mix of flavor and culture. This Mediterranean inspired socca pizza will literally blow your mind. Prepare for everything you thought you knew about pizza to change forever.
Table of Contents
📖 About
So, what is socca? And why are people turning it into pizza? We asked ourselves similar questions until we created this recipe. It was then that our pizza world turned upside down.
Let's start with the base. Socca is like a pancake-bread hybrid that can be eaten both savoury or sweet. This cheap and simple food originated in Nice (hence the title) and is an extremely popular street food there.
Made with only chickpea flour, olive oil, water, and salt, it's easy to imagine why you'll want to make it again and again. It ticks all the boxes of easy to make, cheap, and filling. It's perfect for people on a budget!
We've seen socca used for pizza crust before, so we thought it would be a great idea to make a recipe of our own. What's not to love? Gluten-free, high protein, and provides a unique flavor to this Mediterranean inspired pizza.
So, with a few ingredients and under an hour, you'll be chowing down on a completely homemade pizza.
🍲 Key ingredients
- Chickpea flour: you can't have socca without a base of chickpea flour! if you're not familiar with this naturally gluten-free ingredient, it's time to start using it more in your cooking and baking. It provides a rich flavor and contains plant-based protein, fiber, and iron. Can you say superfood? Seriously though, we find ourselves mixing this with other flours to add health benefits you may not get from general all-purpose flour. We use Bob's Red Mill, and we can personally vouch for its delicious flavor.
- Olive oil: the second ingredient in a perfect socca recipe is oil. Traditionally, olive oil is used, and we wouldn't recommend substituting it for anything else. It adds to the authentic taste while carrying huge benefits from healthy fats like oleic acid. When used in moderation, olive oil has actually been shown to help reduce inflammation and improve the lining of your blood vessels. Let's keep the socca coming!
- Basil pesto: if you haven't tried pesto on pizza, we're not sure how you've made it this far in life. If you have, it's time to try making our basil pesto recipe. It's perfectly sweet, creamy, and has a little tang that makes an excellent addition to this Mediterranean style pizza.
- Toppings: to give this pizza a real Mediterranean vibe, we used sun-dried tomatoes, Kalamata olives, red onion, roasted garlic, and artichokes. In combination with each other, these ingredients will transport you straight to a patio in the south of France.
🔪 Instructions
Socca Crust
To start this crust off, preheat your oven to 450 degrees F and oil a large, oven-safe skillet or pizza tray with olive oil. Then, combine the chickpea flour, water, and oil in a large mixing bowl.
Once all your clumps are removed, mix in the seasonings and pour the socca batter into the skillet or pizza tray. Bake it on 450 degrees F for 6-8 minutes, or until the edges are beginning to turn a light brown.
While you're preparing the socca crust toppings, turn your oven down to 425 degrees F.
Pizza Toppings
Prepare your pizza toppings by first roasting a head of garlic with some olive oil. Make a batch of our vegan pesto and parmesan, or use store-bought to save time. Then, chop the red onion, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, artichokes, and arugula.
Once the crust is ready, layer the pesto on the bottom followed by some veggies (just leave the parmesan off at this point).
Bake the whole pizza for another 12-15 minutes on 425 degrees F, or until the edges are golden brown and coming away from the edges of the pan.
Once cooled slightly, slice your socca crust pizza and serve with our vegan parmesan on top!
🌡️ Storage
This pizza is definitely best when eaten immediately after baking. However, it can store well in the fridge for 2-3 days. You could also freeze it for up to 10 days.
💭 Budget tips
We think everyone should be able to eat better for less, so here are a few tricks to make this recipe even more affordable:
- Find chickpea flour in bulk rather than buying the name brands
- Use spinach instead of arugula
- Skip the parmesan if you're keeping things tight
🍴 Tasting notes
This pizza is like nothing you've eaten before. We know you're going to love it. It's:
- Satisfying
- Authentic
- Nutritious
- Filling
If you try this for lunch or dinner, please rate it and leave us a comment below! Want to stay up-to-date with new recipes? Subscribe to our newsletter or connect with Broke Bank Vegan on social media. Happy eating!
📋 Recipe
Mediterranean Inspired Socca Pizza
Equipment
- Chef knife
- Pizza tray
- Large mixing bowl
Ingredients
Socca Pizza Crust
- 1 ½ cups chickpea flour ($1.92)
- 1 ½ cups water ($0.00)
- 2 ½ tablespoon olive oil ($0.30)
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder ($0.01)
- 1 tablespoon fresh oregano, finely minced ($0.00)
- ½ tablespoon fresh thyme, finely minced ($0.00)
- ½ teaspoon sea salt ($0.01)
Socca Pizza Toppings
- 5-6 Kalamata olives ($0.20)
- ¼ cup artichoke hearts ($0.25)
- ¼ cup sliced red onion ($0.03)
- ½ head roasted garlic ($0.20)
- ¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes ($0.23)
- 1 cup arugula ($0.41)
- 3 tablespoon vegan basil pesto ($0.81)
Garnishes optional
- ⅛ cup vegan parmesan
Instructions
Socca Pizza Crust
- To start, preheat your oven to 450°F and oil a large, oven-safe skillet or pizza tray with olive oil.
- Next, combine the chickpea flour, water, and oil in a large mixing bowl.
- Once all clumps are removed, mix in the garlic powder, salt, and fresh herbs. Then, pour the socca batter into the skillet or pizza tray.
- Bake the crust at 450°F for 6-8 minutes, or until the edges are beginning to turn a light brown.
Socca Pizza Toppings
- Prepare your pizza toppings by first roasting some garlic cloves with olive oil. In the meantime, make a batch of our vegan basil pesto and parmesan, or use store-bought to save time.
- Then, slice the red onion thinly, and roughly chop the olives, sun-dried tomatoes, artichokes, and arugula.
- Once the crust is ready, spread a thin layer of pesto on the bottom. Follow that with the rest of the veggies, leaving the vegan parmesan off at this point.
- Bake the whole pizza for another 12-15 minutes at 425°F, or until the edges are golden brown and coming away from the edges of the pan.
- Once cooled slightly, slice your socca crust pizza and serve with our vegan parmesan on top!
Notes
- The oregano and thyme used in this recipe are from our home garden and are not reflected in the price.
- Your choice of toppings may vary based on your taste or to save money.
Nutrition
♻️ Similar recipes
For more tasty dish ideas, check out our:
- Vegan basil pesto for a creamy, herbaceous spread for a fraction of the price.
- Vegan parmesan cheese if you need a cheesy topping without the added dairy.
- Easy vegan ranch if you're ready to ditch store-bought (you won't regret it).
- Moroccan chickpea stew for a spice mix you haven't tried yet and a meal that's super easy to prepare.
- Air fryer pizza rolls for an ooey-gooey, cheesy, and bite-size way to enjoy pizza!
💬 FAQ
You do not need to let the socca batter rest before baking. If you are not rushed, you can let it rest for an hour, but it doesn't make much of a difference in our experience.
You can make this recipe even cheaper by excluding some or all of the toppings. The great thing about socca is how amazing it tastes on its own dipped in some hummus!
You will know the socca is done when the edges are coming away from the pan and they look golden brown.
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