• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • About
    • My Story
    • Portfolio
    • Subscribe!
    • Privacy policy
  • Recipes
    • By Diet
      • Vegetarian
      • Vegan
      • Gluten-free
    • By Series
      • 5 Ingredients or less
      • Table for two
      • BAKED not Fried
      • On-screen Food
    • By Meal
      • Breakfast
      • Appetizers
      • Lunch/Dinner
      • Desserts
      • Sauces and curry
      • Drinks & Beverages
      • Snacks
      • Dips and Sides
  • Resources
    • For Bloggers
    • Travelogue
    • Kitchen Wisdom
  • Perspective
  • Green Life
  • Shop
  • Contact

Love is in my Tummy

Plant-based flavor

June 18, 2018 By Tina Dawson 4 Comments

VEGAN Elotes (Grilled Street Corn)

VEGAN Elotes – Succulent sweet corn grilled to perfection, doused in a flavorful cashew crema and rolled in more cashews for that touch of decadence.

VEGAN Elotes - A plant based twist on the classic Mexican Street corn - Succulent sweet corn grilled to perfection, doused in a flavorful cashew crema and rolled in more cashews for that touch of decadence. #vegan #foodphotography #elotes #plantbased

When we were house hunting last winter, the day we saw the house we ended up buying, we drove around the neighborhood to get a feel of the area we could possibly be living in for quite a while, and after driving around for hours, we stopped at a SoCal inspired Mexican Cantina for dinner. One of the things we ordered was a Char-grilled Street Corn, with a tangy chipotle aioli and cotija topping. It was towards the end of last year, when I was still transitioning to veganism, and I cheated on my newfound values with this incredible dish, albeit with a twinge of guilt. Although by the time the last kernel was chewed and done, there were no traces of regret or guilt left.

It wouldn’t be entirely untrue if I said that this amazing Cantina became one of the reasons we ended up buying this house.  Another reason was the Five Guys across the street, but I’ll tell you about that another day. Ever since, we always go to this Cantina on days that warrant a little celebration, but sadly, I’ve never been able to re-taste the deliciousness that is their Elotes on account of the aioli and cotija.

VEGAN Elotes - A plant based twist on the classic Mexican Street corn - Succulent sweet corn grilled to perfection, doused in a flavorful cashew crema and rolled in more cashews for that touch of decadence. #vegan #foodphotography #elotes #plantbased

Elotes are a popular street food in Mexico, where corn on the cob is either boiled or grilled, the husk is then peeled back to form a handle to eat the corn with before being flavored and seasoned to serve. Esquites is a variation of the same dish, but instead of eating the corn on the cob, the cooked+cut kernels are seasoned and eaten out of a cup.

We haven’t been back to the Cantina in a while now, but I was re-watching Sense8 on Netflix last week (on account of the Finale release) when this scene reminded me of Elotes and couldn’t stop thinking of them.

Side Note: Sense8 is one of my all-time favorite shows and if you haven’t watched it yet, you really should. In this scene, Lito (the Hispanic man) is feeling everything that Sun (the Korean woman) is feeling, and she is on her period. So this scene is absolutely hilarious to all women who ever wished they could inflict first day period pains upon men. Warning: explicit language.

So obviously, I went and picked up as many ears of corn as I could possibly carry in my hand and came home to make this cashew crema sauce – seasoned with a touch of paprika, garlic, cajun seasoning and lime juice, it is so creamy and decadent that I would want to bathe in it.

My husband says I am very receptive to random visual cues on TV. I have no idea what he’s talking about. 😉

VEGAN Elotes - A plant based twist on the classic Mexican Street corn - Succulent sweet corn grilled to perfection, doused in a flavorful cashew crema and rolled in more cashews for that touch of decadence. #vegan #foodphotography #elotes #plantbased

Some like the sauce runny enough to drizzle, others like it thick enough to be slathered on top of the grilled corn to form a bedding on which the cheese topping will rest upon. Either ways, make sure you soak the cashews till soft, so that when you grind it to a paste, you get a smooth, creamy concoction without too much effort. Adjust the seasoning to taste – if you like it more tangy, add more lime juice. If you want it more spicy, substitute the paprika with chipotle sauce. If you like it more garlicky, add more garlic. You get the idea.

This is one of those situations where the recipe is simply a guideline for you to create something customized and uniquely ‘you’.

VEGAN Elotes - A plant based twist on the classic Mexican Street corn - Succulent sweet corn grilled to perfection, doused in a flavorful cashew crema and rolled in more cashews for that touch of decadence. #vegan #foodphotography #elotes #plantbased

Coarsely pulse cashews (non-soaked, raw) until it resembles the cotija cheese that usually coats a classic Elote. It’s not going to be soft, like cheese, but what it lacks in texture, it will make up for in decadence. Once you’ve coated the grilled corn in the cashew crema, douse it in this cashew crumble, spritz of lime and a sprinkle of paprika.

Then dive in with wanton abandon, because this one definitely warrants it. Fair warning, it’s not going to be a delicate affair; you gotta get your hands and face in there, and when you’re done, you’re going to have an uncouth looking layer of cashew crema around your mouth, but hey! when it comes  to food, I say, live like there’s no tomorrow.

VEGAN Elotes - A plant based twist on the classic Mexican Street corn - Succulent sweet corn grilled to perfection, doused in a flavorful cashew crema and rolled in more cashews for that touch of decadence. #vegan #foodphotography #elotes #plantbased

If you’re making these VEGAN Elotes for a large group, make the cashew crema (in excess) and crumbled cashew the night before. Refrigerate the crema and store the crumble in a clean, dry jar at room temperature. And when you’re ready to throw the corn onto the grill, the fixings are all ready to be assembled. Drown everything in the sauce and enjoy your very VEGAN Elotes. Don’t forget to garnish with cilantro at the end for that citrus-y burst of herb goodness.

When you make this delicious VEGAN Elotes (which I really think you SHOULD!), be sure to SHARE YOUR PHOTOS with me through Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. I’d love to see what you cook from here!

VEGAN Elotes (Grilled Street Corn)

Created by Tina Dawson on June 15, 2018

VEGAN Elotes - A plant based twist on the classic Mexican Street corn - Succulent sweet corn grilled to perfection, doused in a flavorful cashew crema and rolled in more cashews for that touch of decadence. #vegan #foodphotography #elotes #plantbased

  • Prep Time:5m
  • Cook Time:15m
  • Total Time:20m
  • Serves: 4
  • Yield: 4 Elotes

Ingredients

  • 4 ears of sweet corn

For the crumbled cashews

  • 1/4 c raw cashews

For the cashew crema

  • 1/2 c cashews, soaked till soft
  • 1 -2 small garlic
  • 1/2 lime, juiced
  • 1/4 tsp. paprika (or to taste)
  • 1/8 tsp. cajun seasoning
  • Salt, to taste

For serving

  • fresh cilantro, for garnishing
  • lime wedges
  • paprika

Instructions

Make the cashew crumble

  1. In a small blender jar, pulse raw cashews until they are ground but mostly chunky. Almost like cotija cheese. Set side.

Make the cashew crema

  1. In the same small blender, combine soaked cashews (drained), garlic, paprika and cajun seasoning Grind to a smooth paste. Add lime juice and salt to taste, and adding just as much water you need to make it either runny or goopy, grind for a few more seconds until combined and at the consistency of your preference.

Cook the corn

  1. Boil/Steam the sweet corn until al dente (still has a bit of bite to it and isn't overly soft). Peel back the husk to form a makeshift handle for you to work with.
  2. Either toss the cooked corn on the cob on a hot grill or if you have a gas stove, rotate over the open flame until scorch marks appear. A kitchen blowtorch also works! Set aside.

Assemble

  1. Spread the cashew crema on the grilled corn. Sprinkle generously with the crumbled cashew, a sprinkle of paprika and chopped cilantro. Serve immediately.
  2. The cashew cream keeps well refrigerated for a week. Store the crumbled cashew in a clean, dry, airtight jar at room temperature.
  • Print

You might also like

  • VEGAN Cashew Yogurt w/o probiotic pillsVEGAN Cashew Yogurt w/o probiotic pills
  • Corn and Peas PulaoCorn and Peas Pulao
  • Quick and Easy Cashew and Raisin PulaoQuick and Easy Cashew and Raisin Pulao
  • Chocolate Soup | For the broken heartChocolate Soup | For the broken heart
  • Dragon Potatoes – Edible Fire – Dragon AlooDragon Potatoes – Edible Fire – Dragon Aloo
  • A foodie’s travelogue #1 – New YorkA foodie’s travelogue #1 – New York

Filed Under: All Recipes, Appetizers, Cuisines, Gluten-free, Mexican Food, On-screen Food, Snacks, Vegan, Vegetarian Tagged With: cashew, cashew cream, street food, sweet corn, veganize

Previous Post: « Vegan Quiche w/ Zucchini + Corn
Next Post: VEGAN Spinach Chickpea Coconut Curry »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Sophie says

    June 18, 2018 at 5:10 pm

    Now I can’t wait for our neighbors’ corn to ripen ha!

    Reply
    • Tina Dawson says

      June 18, 2018 at 9:52 pm

      OMG how lucky are you to have neighbors who grow their corn! How delightful that must be!

      Reply
  2. Jackelin Slack says

    June 18, 2018 at 11:55 am

    Making these this week for sure! Yum!

    Reply
    • Tina Dawson says

      June 18, 2018 at 11:56 am

      yaaay! I hope you love it, doll!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Tina Dawson Profile Picture

Hi! I'm Tina - the human behind all the content you see on this blog. Welcome to my little corner of the internet where I create flavorful and unique plant-based recipes.

Read More…

Let’s Connect!

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Subscribe to Email Newsletter

5 Ingredients or Less Ebook Cover

The Blank Canvas Store - Food Photography Backgrounds and Props Store

BUY CUSTOM FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY BACKGROUNDS + PROPS

Don’t Miss These!

VEGAN Pumpkin Shaped Rolls

VEGAN Pumpkin Shaped Rolls

Caramelised Onions in a plate

Caramelized Onions

VEGAN Iced Mocha Latte on wooden plate with coffee beans strewn on table

VEGAN Iced Mocha Latte

Raspberry Iced Tea

Raspberry Iced Tea

Dairy-free Mocha Hazelnut Cappuccino

[V] Mocha Hazelnut Cappuccino

Puff Pastry Voodoo dolls on a table with Halloween things

Puff pastry Voodoo Dolls

Copyright © 2023 · LOVEISINMYTUMMY · PRIVACY POLICY · CONTACT · StudioPress Themes

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.AcceptReject Learn More
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

Non-necessary

Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.

SAVE & ACCEPT