## 1 Introduction  
The global dairy alternatives market is expected to double its growth from 2021 to 2028 [1], and alternatives to milk (plant-based (PB) beverages) are the most popular dairy alternatives [2]. They can easily be distributed, and they allow the easy incorporation of nutrients, bioactive compounds and probiotics [3]. Today, plenty of PB beverages are available on the market, and the most used plants are almonds and soy. From a nutritional point of view, PB beverages made from nuts have a lower protein content (<1%) than conventional milk and yogurt (3.5%), while those made from legumes have a similar content [4; 5]. The interest in foods that are high in protein is remarkably noticed, which triggered the food industry to start using protein isolates, such as gluten or pea isolates, as the main ingredients mixed with starch, oil and many other thickeners that could contribute to a good texture. However, the extraction of protein isolates is highly resource-demanding, and instead, researchers should better investigate the utilization of the green dry-fractionation technique. This latter allows for the recovery of protein concentrates with a protein content lower than that compared to a protein isolated (50-60 vs. > 80 g/100 g), but solely by physical methods, without using any water and/or chemicals [6].  
However, dry-fractionated proteins are complex ingredients, and when obtained from pulses, their use is challenging due to the presence of anti-nutritional factors (ANFs) (e.g., phytic acid, tannins, saponins, \(\alpha\)-galactosidaseosides, alkaloids, lectins and protease and chymotrypsin inhibitors) limiting the bio-availability of some minerals and decreasing the digestibility of proteins [7].  
Many technological and biotechnological techniques were proposed to decrease the amount of ANFs and the off-flavors in food, and among them, lactic acid bacteria (LAB) fermentation was proved to be a successful method [8]. Moreover, LAB fermentation is recognized to naturally enhance the nutritional value, therapeutic benefits, sensorial properties and shelf-life of food [9]. To that end, bacteria of the genus _Lactobacillus_, _Lactococcus_ and _Streptococcus thermophilus_ are generally used [10; 11], and their application in co-cultures seems to be advantageous and enhances the fermentation process [12]. In particular, the Lactobacillus and Streptococcus strains demonstrated masking or positively modifying the off-flavors of soybeans, lentils, lupins and pea protein isolates. Moreover, fermented foods are considered a functional food, which, today, are highly requested by people.  
The Apulian Black chickpea is a species historically cultivated in Apulia, a region in the south of Italy. It is physically similar to the species 'Desi' because of its black coat; however, on a genetic level, they are different [13]. This Apulian black type has a valuable nutritional composition, characterized by a high content of proteins, polyunsaturated fatty acids and antioxidants such as anthocyanins and carotenoids [14; 15; 16]. To limit the risk of genetic erosion of this valuable chickpea species, trials to formulate foods, such as pasta, bakery goods and puree containing Apulian Black chickpea flours, were successfully performed [15; 17; 18].  
In this study, three techniques were used to optimize the characteristics of an Apulian black chickpea beverage; dry-fractionation of the chickpeas' flour, heat treatment of the slurry at 90 \({}^{\circ}\)C and fermentation with selected LAB-culture starters. The protein concentrates of Apulian black chickpeas, hereafter called a BCP concentrate, were prepared and used as the main ingredient in the formulation of a clean-label fermented beverage. The slurry of the BCP concentrate was subjected to fermentation by selected LAB-culture starters isolated from plants. The influence of fermentation on the nutritional and VOC profiles and texture properties of formulated beverages was determined. A sensory evaluation was also performed.