Are you familiar with socca? If not, please let me introduce you! It’s basically a rich, savory and salted chickpea flour pancake cooked in piping hot olive oil. The edges are crispy and chewy, the insides are flaky and tender, and the bottom is lacy and golden. It is just so good. You’ll have to try it.

Socca is a street food popular in Nice, France, with origins dating back centuries (it’s closely related to Italian farinata). I had the chance to try the real deal on our honeymoon, and I’m obsessed with this homemade version.

To make socca, you’ll need a bag of chickpea flour (I like to use Bob’s Red Mill, which is available in well-stocked grocery stores). You probably have the remaining ingredients already—olive oil, water, salt, pepper and cumin. That’s it! You’ll find step-by-step photos and a brief cooking video below, followed by the recipe.

3 Reasons to Make This Socca Recipe

1) You don’t need any special equipment.

In Nice, socca is cooked in huge pans in special wood-burning ovens. At home, I’ve found great success with my cast iron skillets. If you don’t have cast iron skillets, you can use stainless steel instead—just bake it closer to the maximum time range provided to achieve proper browning. Don’t use non-stick pans—they’re not designed for high heat.

The recipe below yields one 12-inch socca, about 1/4-inch thick, with crisp edges and a lightly custardy interior. It’s perfect for snacking or serving as a pizza base. The downside is that a 12-inch cast iron skillet is heavy, and you’ll need to manage it carefully while it’s piping hot.

Or, you can bake two batches in a 10-inch skillet by splitting the batter in half. They end up thinner and crisper this way, which is lovely. If you want to use the socca as flatbread to make a wrap, you’ll want to bake it in two batches. You’ll find instructions in the recipe notes.

2) You can make it right away.

Traditionally, socca is mixed in big batches, so the batter rests until it can be cooked on demand. Many recipes follow suit and suggest letting the batter rest for an hour or longer before cooking.

To my surprise and delight, my socca turned out better without a rest. The texture is nicer and flakier when I mix the batter while the oven preheats! You can whip up socca with pantry ingredients any time.

3) It’s healthy and special-diet friendly.

Socca is made with wholesome chickpea flour, so it’s more nutritious than wheat flour-based flatbreads. It offers healthy amounts of protein, monounsaturated fat and complex carbs, including fiber. If you’re curious, click the “nutrition information” label underneath the recipe for a full breakdown.

Socca is both gluten-free and vegan, which is a tough combination to strike! It’s an appetizer or snack that everyone can enjoy.

Watch How to Make Socca

How to Serve Socca

Tear off a piece and enjoy warm socca on its own, with extra freshly-ground black pepper or without. Pretend you’re summering in the South of France and serve it with a glass of chilled rosé.

You can also dunk it into a flavorful dip, like the creamy basil mayo that you see in my photos—it tastes like a summertime aioli. Learn how to make it in my recipe notes. Or it would be nice with Green Goddess Tahini Dip, which is vegan. If you love olives, try serving it with tapenade as well.

Serve it as a messy wrap. Start with creamy cheese like ricotta, feta or goat cheese, or keep it vegan by adding tahini sauce. Add chopped fresh veggies like tomatoes and cucumbers, or roasted veggies like eggplant or cauliflower. Sun-dried tomatoes, olives or a scattering of fresh basil would be nice accents. Check out Pinch of Yum’s socca with whipped feta and tomato salad—it’s so good.

You can also turn it into a fantastic pizza. Socca makes a nice, crisp crust that’s healthier than flour-based crusts. Top it with basil pesto, mozzarella and any of the options listed above.

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