elote queso dip
this dip is super creamy and cheesy, but the corn really shines through.
Servings 4
Equipment
- food processor
Ingredients
- 3 C frozen or fresh corn kernels
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic (about 2 garlic cloves)
- 2 teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon chili powder
- 1 tub (12oz / 340g) store-bought vegan sour cream
- ⅓ C vegan feta/cotija cheese (such as Follow Your Heart feta crumbles), plus more for garnish
- ¼ C pickled jalapeños
- ¼ C packed cilantro, plus more for garnish
- ½ a lime, juiced
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Heat a cast iron over medium-high heat. Add all the corn in an even layer. There's no need to thaw frozen corn. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes without tossing to develop some char on the kernels. Add vegetable oil, then toss and cook the other side for about 4 to 5 minutes.
- Remove 1 cup of corn kernels onto a plate and spread out to cool. Turn heat to low on the cast iron pan and to the remaining corn add garlic, onion powder, smoked paprika, and chili powder and continue to sauté for about a minute more. Remove the corn to another plate to cool completely. You don’t want to mix this corn with the vegan sour cream while it’s extremely hot. However, it can be slightly warm to room temperature.
- To a food processor combine the cooled seasoned charred corn and garlic mixture with sour cream, vegan feta/contija cheese, pickled jalapenos, cilantro, lime juice, and sea salt. Blend until combined but still slightly textured. Remove the blade of the food processor and stir in the remaining charred corn and ground pepper. Garnish with cilantro and a bit more cheese. This can be served immediately or refrigerated for a day and served at room temperature.
