With another Cinco de Mayo right around the corner and no clue what to make next, I turned to my readers and asked them and I must say, this Vegan Mexican Street Corn Dip was the perfect answer!
Mexican Street Corn is a popular snack, sold by street vendors throughout the southwestern United States and Mexico, and usually comes in one of 2 variations:
Elotes refers to grilled corn on the cob, skewered onto a stick, slathered with mayonnaise, cilantro, chili powder, salt, and lime. I made a version of this last summer and you can find it here: Grilled Vegan Mexican Street Corn .
And then there is Esquites, which is the same
Today we are making a Vegan version of Esquites - or my Vegan Mexican Street Corn Dip.
Either way, it is super delicious and the perfect party dish to be enjoyed as a dip or as a side dish during your next BBQ.
Vegan Mexican Street Corn Dip
To make the cheese in this recipe I simply used my Vegan Parmesan Cheese Recipe which comes together in minutes with a food processor or blender.
And in place of the mayonnaise, you could either use my Green Chili Sour Cream or my Vegan Garlic Aioli.
In this recipe, I using my Aioli but subbing Sunflower Seeds in place of the Cashews. The result is super creamy and delicious.
Now let's talk about
But if you happen to LIKE yours with a little more kick, I recommend looking for an Ancho Chili Powder instead. Or you could look for Tajin Clasico Seasoning which is a blend of Chili Peppers, Lime, and Sea Salt. And of course, you could always add my favorite - some chopped jalapenos.
Warning: Affiliate links coming up. If you buy anything I will make a few pennies. End PSA
Now, with all of that out of the way, let's get on with the recipe!
Sunflower Seed Aioli
Start by draining a 15oz can of White Beans and save the juice, also known as
To your blender add about half of those beans (save the other half for another recipe, or eat them while you're cooking
Add just enough bean juice to get it started, and blend until super creamy and smooth. You will have to stop and scrape down the sides a few times, and you will need to continue to add the
Adjust the salt and lemon juice to taste, then scrape out into a sealable container and store it in the fridge.
This will make a little over 1 cup of Aioli, and we'll only be using a few Tablespoons for the corn, so feel free to use the rest as a sandwich spread, dip, potato topper, whatever you like.
Vegan Mexican Street Corn Dip
I'm using 3 cans of Del Monte Fire Roasted Yellow Corn in this recipe. I'm doing that because 1) it's convenient, and 2) I know Del Monte is certified GMO-Free.
If you'd rather use frozen corn - you'll need about 5-6 cups. Or if you prefer fresh corn, you'll need about 6 ears and then carefully cut the corn off of the cob.
Add your corn to a large frying pan and heat over med-high heat until it begins to turn bright yellow and gets a little char on the bottom. You can always add a splash of veggie broth or water to prevent sticking.
Then we add ¼ cup of diced Red Onion, a 7 oz can of drained, diced Green Chiles, 1-2 Tablespoons of your favorite Salsa, about ¼ cup of finely chopped Cilantro, 1 teaspoon of Chili Powder, and the juice of 1 lime (about 2 Tbs).
Stir well and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes. Remember those blackened bits of corn have lots of
Now we just stir in 2-3 Tablespoons of our Aioli and about ¼ cup of our Parmesan. Stir until everything is heated through and taste for seasoning.
Serve with fresh lime wedges, additional cilantro, and your favorite chips. I personally like to take oil-free corn tortillas and broil them in my Air Fryer Oven until crispy.
Thank you all for this most excellent suggestion and who knows, maybe I'll ask you for another favorite next weekend. I love a good challenge!
See ya next week.
Vegan Mexican Street Corn Dip
- Prep Time: 30 min
- Cook Time: 15 min
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 7 cups 1x
- Category: Salad, Dip
- Method: Stovetop, Blender
- Cuisine: Mexican, Vegan
Description
With another Cinco de Mayo right around the corner - this Vegan Mexican Street Corn Dip makes the perfect dip or side dish for that holiday party.
Ingredients
Sunflower Aioli
- ½ can White Beans, drained with the juice reserved
- ½ cup raw, shelled, sunflower seeds
- 2 Tbs lemon juice
- 1 tsp nutritional yeast
- 1-2 garlic cloves
- ¼ tsp salt
- up to ½ cup of bean liquid (aquafaba) to thin
Vegan Mexican Street Corn Dip
- 3 cans fire-roasted yellow corn (15 oz ea)
- ¼ cup diced red onion
- 1 can diced green chiles, drained (7 oz)
- 1-2 Tbs salsa
- ¼ cup cilantro, finely chopped
- 2 Tbs lime juice (about 1 lime)
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 2 Tbs sunflower aioli (or sub vegan mayo, sour cream)
- ¼ cup vegan parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Prepare Aioli by draining the beans and saving the liquid
- Add ½ can of the beans to your blender
- Add all remaining ingredients except bean liquid and blend
- Scrape down sides as necessary and add just enough liquid until it becomes creamy and smooth
- Reserve 2 Tbs of the Aioli and place the remainder in a sealed container in the fridge for a tasty sandwich spread
- Add corn to a large frying pan over med-high heat
- Cook corn until color becomes bright and begins to char (add broth or water to prevent sticking)
- Add onion, chiles, salsa, cilantro, lime juice, and chili powder and stir until well combined
- Stir in Aioli and Parmesan and simmer on low heat until heated through
- Garnish with lime wedges, additional cilantro, and corn tortilla chips
Pam
Hi Chuck, This recipe and blog brings back fond memories of the "Elote Man" who used to walk down our street, ringing the bell on his cart, and calling out "elote". lol does anyone even do that anymore? Anyway, can't wait to try this recipe for Vegan Esquites!
Sonia
Great recipe!
Laura Evans
Can pumpkin seed be used instead of the sunflower seeds?
Ashley
This is fantastic and was very easily adaptable when some of the ingredients weren't available to me. I'll definitely be making this again.
Heather
Just made this to go with your cauliflower tacos. Fantastic. It's a keeper. Thank you for your recipes!
Alissa
I made this for a family gathering, and I got so many compliments! I doubled the amount of aioli and vegan parm, and did a jalapeno instead of the green chilis because I didn't have any. Definitely a keeper!
Pam
Could you show us how you make your tortilla chips? Every time I try to make them they turn out hard and chewy rather than crunchy. Also, I just bought a new Breville smart oven air and I need to know how to use it. Many thanks.
Chuck Underwood
Sure - I'll try and remember to do that soon.