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mexican street corn salad with chickpeas in a green bowl.
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Mexican Street Corn Salad

Whether you call it street corn, elote or esquites, it fact is that this chickpea street corn salad is incredible and worth making again and again. It's summer in every single bite and you can turn up or down the heat to your pleasure.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Appetizer, Main Course, Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine: Mexican
Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
Servings: 10 ¾ cup servings
Calories: 228kcal
Author: Andrew Bernard

Ingredients

For the Salad

  • 2 tablespoons avocado oil
  • 4 cups corn kernels, fresh cut off the cob preferred
  • 30 ounces canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • ½ cup cilantro, chopped
  • ⅓ cup red onion, finely diced
  • 1 jalapeño, finely diced
  • 1 avocado, diced
  • ¼ cup toasted pepitas, optional

For the Dressing

  • ⅓ cup vegan mayo
  • 2 tablespoons unsweetened vegan yogurt (can sub with vegan sour cream)
  • Juice of 2 limes
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ½ teaspoon cumin
  • 1 tablespoon chipotle pepper in adobe sauce optional, (or ¼ teaspoon chipotle powder)
  • Salt + black pepper to taste

Instructions

Char the Corn

  • Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon avocado oil and 4 cups corn kernals in a mostly even layer. Leave it alone for 2–3 minutes at a time so it actually chars instead of steaming. Cook about 8–10 minutes total until you get deep golden-black spots. Remove from the skillet to a large bowl.
    corn charring in a cast iron skillet.

Crisp the Chickpeas

  • Pat chickpeas dry. Once corn is removed, still over medium-high heat, add another 1 tablespoon avocado oil and 30 ounces of chickpeas. Add salt and chili powder. Cook 5–7 minutes until slightly blistered, then add to the bowl with the corn.
    chickpeas cooking in a cast iron skillet.

Make the Dressing

  • While waiting for the corn and chickpeas to cool. In a small bowl, add ½ cup vegan mayo, 2 tablespoon vegan yogurt, juice of 2 limes, 1 clover minced garlic, 1 teaspoon chili powder, and ½ teaspoon each smoked paprika and cumin. Also add either 1 tablespoon chipotle pepper in adobo sauce or ¼ teaspoon chipotle chili powder. Whisk together well. Taste and adjust to seasoning.
    elote sauce in a jar on a table.

Bringing together

  • Once the corn and chickpeas are cooled, add ½ cup chopped cilantro, ⅓ cup diced red onion, 1 diced jalapeno, 1 diced avocado, ¼ cup toasted pepitas (if adding), and the dressing. Carefully fold in the dressing until everything is coated and mixed well together.
    a large glass bowl filled with mexican street corn salad.
  • Serve family style or in individual bowls with crackers, tortilla chips, or just by itself.
    chickpea elote salad in a green bowl on a table.

Video

Notes

Nutritional estimates are estimates only.  Please utilized your own brands for accuracy. 

Nutrition

Serving: 0.75cup | Calories: 228kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Sodium: 419mg | Potassium: 331mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 251IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 38mg | Iron: 1mg

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