Vegan Esquites (Mexican Street Corn Salad)

This Vegan Mexican Street Corn Salad may just be the perfect side dish for all those backyard BBQs this summer. Even your non-vegan friends will love it!

what is mexican street corn?

Mexican Street Corn (also called Elotes) is a street food made from grilled corn on the cob, usually coated in a spicy mayo/Mexican crema dressing with additions of cotija cheese, chile powder, lime, and cilantro.

Esquites is Mexican street corn served OFF the cob and in a cup, whereas elotes is Mexican street corn served ON the cob

I'm not sure why I have never made this before because it combines all of my favorite flavors AND it's perfect for the grill when those temps are too hot to cook.

what you'll need to make mexican street corn salad

4 Ears of Corn on the cob
¼ Red Onion
Vegan Avocado Mayo (see below)
Vegan Parmesan Cheese
1 Lime
Cilantro
Tajin (a popular Mexican spice blend available in most grocery stores)

how to grill corn on the cob

The only cooking involved in this recipe is the corn and the poblano.

And you could ... leave out the poblano and substitute a 4oz can of green chiles making this even easier. In fact, you can forget about grilling the corn altogether and just buy a few cans of fire-roasted corn too.

But if you DO want that authentic roasted corn flavor... fire that grill up!

First, remove the corn husks and all the silk
Clean your grill plates so there are no leftover burnt bits from your last BBQ
Place the corn on your heated grill plates and slightly char the corn for about 10-15 minutes, rotating the cobs so all sides get some color.
Once you get the amount of char you want, remove the corn from the grill, allow them to cool, then carefully cut the kernels off the cop using a sharp knife.

roasting the poblano

I chose a poblano for this recipe because they are somewhat mild, but know that you can use a jalapeno too if you wish

Place the poblano on the grill with the corn
The idea is to blacken the skin all the way around the chile so it easily slips off
Use tongs and rotate the chile often until most of the pepper is charred
Then place it into a bag to steam for 15 minutes
The skin should easily come off now if you scrape it with a knife
Remove the stem and the seeds and you are ready to go

Remember to wear gloves or wash your hands frequently when handling chile peppers. The capsaicin oil that is in chiles WILL burn if you forget and rub your eyes!

what if I don't have a grill?

You can also roast corn in the oven if you have to. You can also use canned fire-roasted corn, microwave corn on the cob, or use frozen corn.

One ear of corn yields about ¾ cup so since we need 4 ears for this recipe - aim for about 3 cups of corn. You can always add a little smoked paprika to get a smoky flavor.

how to make the avocado mayo

This incredible avocado mayo is super easy to make using a Mayo Meal Starter from my friends at PlantPure.

Peel 1 large avocado and remove the pit
Add it to a small food chopper or processor
Add ¼ cup water and 1 Tbs of lime juice
Add the Mayo Meal Starter and blend until smooth and creamy
Store in a 1-pint Mason Jar until needed

Avocados WILL turn brown when exposed to light and air, so I tried using this Mason Jar Vacuum Sealer to remove the air from the jar, and the photo you see is from 24 hrs later. It was just as green, smooth, and creamy as the day I made it!

I highly recommend this tool. The affiliate link to Amazon follows.... I do earn as an affiliate but at no additional cost to you.

Mason Jar Vaccum Sealer

If you do not wish to use the PlantPure Mayo Meal Starter, replace it in the recipe above with the following:

2 tsp apple cider vinegar
½ tsp onion powder
½ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp salt

how to make grilled vegan mexican street corn salad

mexican esquites, or mexican street corn salad

Once you have grilled your corn, allowed them to cool, and cut the kernels off the cob, add them to a large bowl.
Add the poblano, onion, cilantro, avocado mayo, lime juice, and tajin, and mix well.
Adjust any seasonings and serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled.