let the corn just keep on corning
I’m on a mission to get in as many fresh corn dishes as possible before it’s no longer in season. I wait all year for this time, when I can pick out the freshest, most beautiful golden ears from the local farmer’s market, and I’m not letting it go to waste! Growing up, we mainly enjoyed corn as simply as possible. We’d boil the ears, stick some corn holders in the end, and slather it with butter and salt. Honestly, yum. If you have one opportunity to enjoy corn this season, I would say that’s the best way.
However, it’s taken me many years and hours spent scouring cookbooks and food magazines to start getting more creative with my corn dishes. There are so many ways you can incorporate fresh sweet corn into a meal. Salsas are one way. Pastas, soups, salads—they all open so many corn-shaped doors. These corn fritters are just another avenue you can take for sweet corny goodness. And why not incorporate another one of my favorite summer foods—fresh basil pesto. The coolest part about all of this? It’s all 100% vegan and gluten-free. See the recipe below to learn how such a healthful meal can easily become the highlight of your summer.
⟶ the recipe
corn fritters with vegan pesto
ingredients
2 ears of fresh sweet corn, shucked
1 cup uncooked quinoa
½ cup flour
½ red onion, minced
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon paprika
Salt and pepper
Oil for frying
Vegan pesto
1 cup spinach
1 cup fresh basil
½ cup toasted pine nuts
1 clove of garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
Prep time
45 minutes
Cook time
15 minutes
Total time
1 hour
4 servings
instructions
In a medium saucepan, cook quinoa according to package instructions. Once cooked, set aside to cool.
Using a box grater, grate the corn into a large bowl. It should form a yellow, liquidy pulp.
Once quinoa has cooled, add it to the bowl with corn. Stir in the flour, red onion, nutritional yeast, red pepper flakes, and paprika. Stir in salt and pepper.
Once ingredients are combined, use a tablespoon or ladle to scoop out balls of dough. Flatten out into a patty and set aside on a plate.
Add some oil to a large frying pan. Working in batches, cook fritters for 3-4 minutes on each side, until golden brown and crispy. Transfer to a paper-towel lined plate.
For the vegan pesto, place spinach, basil, pine nuts, garlic, and nutritional yeast in a blender or food processor. Pulse until combined, then gradually pour in olive oil while pulsing (or add and pulse if using a blender). Season with salt and pepper.
Serve fritters topped with pesto.
⟶ recipe notes
- Nutritional yeast is used in both of these recipes to make them vegan. Nutritional yeast is a vitamin- and protein-packed ingredient that’s often used as a substitute for cheese. Although I’m a cheese-lover myself, nutritional yeast is a great way to add cheesy flavor to dishes without the saturated fat that comes from most cheeses
⟶ modifications
- As noted, I’ve subbed nutritional yeast in both of these recipes for cheese. If that’s not your thing, you can definitely use grated parmesan or another hard cheese like pecorino or manchego in both recipes
- You can use frozen corn kernels instead of fresh corn if you’d like or if fresh corn isn’t available. Just thaw the kernels slightly, then pulse in a food processor to get a pulpy consistency before mixing in with the other ingredients. You’ll need about ½-¾ cups worth
⟶ make it ahead and store it
- Since the quinoa needs to cool, I definitely recommend making it ahead. You can even do it the day before, and store in a sealed container in the fridge
- Store leftover pesto in a container or a jar in the fridge for up to 3 days
