Socca

Socca is known by many different names: farinata, torta di ceci, belecauda, fainá, cade, cecina and calentita. It’s naturally gluten free and vegan. This popular dish originated in Italy, but it’s popular in Gibraltar, Uruguay, Argentina, and France as well. It’s especially popular in Nice, where it’s served on the street with iced rosé. Note that there is a version of this dish called fainá de Savona that includes wheat flour, so be sure to double-check that the fainá you order is gluten free.

The base of socca is chickpea flour, and recipes tend to be very simple. The chickpea flour is combined with a large amount of water, plus some olive oil and salt to make a relatively thin batter. It’s best to let the batter sit for a few hours to give the flour time to absorb the water and form a better consistency. Traditionally socca is cooked over an open fire in a thin layer, but nowadays it’s usually poured into a very hot pan and broiled.

Farinata is extremely versatile and a great quick meal. The beans offer protein and fiber, so it’s a well balanced and filling option, especially when topped with veg. I’ve seen a lot of suggestions to treat this as a gluten free pizza base, but the traditional version is served plain, with a hefty pinch of coarse salt.

Classic Socca Recipes

• Farinata from A Small Kitchen in Genoa

• Socca from David Lebovitz

• Calentita from Mama Lotties

• Cecina Toscana from Inside the Rustic Kitchen

Modern Socca-Based Recipes

• Lemon herb socca pizza from Cotter Crunch

• Chickpea pancakes with greens and cheese from Bon Appetit

• ‘Summertime in Greece’ socca pizza from Cookie and Kate

• Fluffy curried socca (a naan alternative) from Minimalist Baker

• Rosemary, onion, & feta socca pizza from Moon and Spoon and Yum

• Socca wraps with spinach and cheese from The Iron You