I love corn on the cob, but I avoided it for a long time after I gave up oils and margarine because I didn’t know what to put on it. Then I discovered a combination that I actually like better than margarine: Lime juice and spicy seasoning.
The tanginess of lime juice is a perfect complement to the sweetness of fresh corn. And, as regular readers of this blog know, I love all things spicy. My favorite corn seasoning is Via Nueva Pico de Gallo, a combination of salt and mixed hot chili peppers. Other hot and spicy mixes, such as Creole Seasoning, are also tasty, as is chipotle chili powder or cayenne pepper (for an extremely spicy kick with no added salt). I just squeeze the lime juice onto the corn and sprinkle on the seasoning. I never miss the margarine!
I’d love to have more (perhaps non-spicy) options for eating corn on the cob. What’s your favorite low-fat corn topping?
For another great way to prepare corn, check out…
kelsey
thanks for such a wonderful blog! it’s the perfect place for me to find inspiration and ideas for eating better; being vegan and in good health does not go together automatically, unfortunately!
my absolute favorite way to eat corn on the cob is with ume plum paste. its salty tanginess is just the perfect compliment to sweet corn!
SusanV
When the blog was moved over to WordPress in April 2010, all of the comments before August 2009 were lost. Here are the comments for this post:
Anonymous said…
Susan,
I love lots of Old Bay seasoning on my corn! Another great photo!
3:54 PM, June 29, 2006
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Anonymous Dianne said…
I like Old Bay as well, but my favorite is just a bit of sea salt and a little black pepper. It’s simple, but it’s good! 🙂
6:23 PM, June 29, 2006
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Blogger EatPeacePlease said…
I like plain ol lemon juice. And black pepper.
6:33 PM, June 29, 2006
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Blogger Danika said…
That’s a great suggestion! I love corn on the cob, but haven’t been eating it on its own for ages for pretty much the same reason.
7:47 PM, June 29, 2006
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Blogger Freedom said…
I hate to be boring, but why top it with anything? The sweetness of fresh corn on the cob all alone is pure heaven!
9:22 PM, June 29, 2006
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Anonymous OstaraSpring said…
I second Freedom’s notion! At peak season we grill loads of corn in their husks, then take off the cob and vacuum freeze … the sweetness and wonderful roasted flavor are perfect au naturel.
9:51 PM, June 29, 2006
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Anonymous Anonymous said…
i put a light coating of mixed seed butter and a squirt of braggs…slightly healthier than margarine but only just!
5:54 AM, June 30, 2006
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Blogger Megan the Vegan said…
I’m afraid I can’t break the marg. habit! But, when I used to live in little india they would sell roasted corn on the streets and it seemed very similar to what you made. I’m sure if I would have tried it I’d be off the marg. kick.
6:31 AM, June 30, 2006
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Blogger laura jesser said…
I like lemon juice and a little bit of fresh baby dill. But I bet I’ll like this better. Plain is also very tasty to me, especially if it’s the white kind of corn.
7:25 AM, June 30, 2006
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Blogger holiday at sea said…
i just discovered the wonder of lime-juice covered corn on the cob, too! why did i ever use anything else?
i like cayenne pepper and garlic salt. mmmmm….
12:20 PM, June 30, 2006
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Anonymous Anonymous said…
Another vote for lime juice here, accompanied by chili powder (Frontier “fiesta chili blend”). I sometimes cook it on the stove, then lay it on the grill a bit for the flavor.
Nee
12:35 PM, June 30, 2006
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Blogger primaryconsumer said…
I agree with Freedom and ostaraspring, I love it plain.
12:35 PM, June 30, 2006
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Anonymous Anonymous said…
Have you ever tried Japanese umeboshi plum paste? It’s delicious on corn on the cob. You can find it at any natural food store. A little goes a long way!
1:37 PM, June 30, 2006
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Blogger Melody said…
I like it sprinkled with a tiny bit of nutritional yeast.. (I’m staying away from spicy suggestions).. but plain is really good too.
7:34 PM, June 30, 2006
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Blogger Nancy said…
Hey Susan – we cook it over coals (naked – no husks) until it starts getting very browned and the kernals are popping. Then you quickly dip it in a large bowl of very salty water. It cleans off the corn and makes it very flavorful!
10:09 PM, June 30, 2006
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Blogger funwithyourfood said…
I don’t put anything on my corn. I love it just the way it is. My mom used to LAYER the butter on when I was a kid and it grossed me out so much : P
Teddy
12:04 AM, July 01, 2006
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Anonymous Sol said…
In Mexico we eat corn that way. The most popular has mayonaise and “queso freso” sprinkled, plus the lemon and the chili. I just put lemon, some salt and chili. But tonight I found a recipe of vegan “feta” in http://veganfeastkitchen.blogspot.com/. and it has a variation for mexican “queso fresco”.And why not try some homemade vegan mayonaise (I know about the fat but , just a little?)
By the way, I really like your blog, thanks for sharing.
1:37 AM, July 01, 2006
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Blogger Vegan Visionary said…
My brother and sister-in-law introduced us to this way of eating corn on cob last summer, and it’s been a favorite with my family ever since!
1:54 PM, July 01, 2006
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Blogger kaivegan said…
Plain would also get my vote.
I never liked corn with butter or margarine. I would try it with lemon or lime juice next time though.
4:17 PM, July 01, 2006
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Anonymous katrina said…
yessss! i recently went to oaxaca, mexico and there were a million and one corn stands, and they ate it like this with mayo and fresh cheese, just like sol said. although, in oaxaca they used lime…. i didn’t see anyone use lemon. here’s a picture!
http://flickr.com/photos/franandzoe/162818332/
their corn in mexico was much better than in the states, i thought, it was firmer (i didn’t get any corn stuck in my teeth) and it wasn’t sweet. it was more substantial when you bit into it. soooooo good!!!
8:20 PM, July 01, 2006
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Blogger SusanV said…
Wow, thank you all for the great suggestions! I envy those of you who like it plain, but I’m afraid I’m just not built that way. I love having a few new seasonings to try out.
1:24 PM, July 02, 2006
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Blogger Isil S. said…
I vote for plain, just a pinch of salt. In Turkey, you can see street sellers who either just boil the corn on the cob and sell them, or they roast them. I also love the roasted one, though then you have to pay attention to your hands and face which turn out to be a little black 😉
11:10 AM, July 03, 2006
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Anonymous KathyF said…
Awww…that photo makes me really want corn on the cob, dressed with anything. I saw two ears for £1.50 yesterday, which is almost $3. But that’s far cheaper than the £1.99 two ears usually run around here.
If anyone comes to visit me from the states, please bring a bushel of corn.
4:32 AM, July 05, 2006
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Blogger Nupur said…
In India, the traditional way to dress roasted corn is: mix up some salt and chilli powder (cayenne pepper). Dip a lemon wedge into this spice mixture and rub it on the roasted corn. Eat right away. Sooo good. Completely fat-free and bursting with flavor.
5:10 AM, July 05, 2006
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Blogger Mrs. Carlson said…
Like others have said, good corn is best on its own. However, I do love to grill corn (wrapped in foil). Then, I still do not put butter alternatives on it (they tend to mask the flavor of the corn) but I have found rubbing spice mixtures onto the corn before wrapping and grilling is a kick-ass way to eat it. If you’ve never made anything from Cooking Light magazines or cookbooks, you must give their corn rubs a try. The best is the Jamaican Jerk and the African spice (it’s a little mellower, with cinnamon). My non-veg friends just love when we make corn this way! BTW- the recipes do call to rub the butter on to make the spice stick, but this isn’t really necessary, and you could just use PAM or an alternative.
3:08 PM, July 18, 2006
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Anonymous Anonymous said…
I am just now reading this, but I wanted to add that I spread some umeboshi plum on my corn. YUMMY!
6:47 PM, July 27, 2006
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Anonymous Anonymous said…
Like a few other, I don’t put anything on my corn now (maybe a bit of pepper, ocassionally a bit of liquid aminos) – once I stopped using anything, I find that the sweetness of the corn is better than with any topping. My family use margarine, olive oil, salt, pepper…etc. But the lime/lemon and spice suggestions sound good too, might try that. But the marg/oil is not for me anymore, too heavy and greasy. -Jen
8:30 AM, December 14, 2006
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Anonymous Anonymous said…
I just found your site through Cafe Cyan. I love it. I love corn with Cilantro sprinkled on it. Off the cob I add cilantro and red pepper flakes.
2:17 PM, December 20, 2006
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Anonymous Anonymous said…
I must say… I am not a blog follower and stumbled onto your site by mistake. However, I have been so intrigued that I have been looking through the recipes for hours. Thank you for all the time you take to put wonderful, healthy recipes out there for us to see and try. I just wanted to say that on corn I sprinkle Herbamare (a healthy, Swiss made vegetable salt that should be found in most health food stores)with a little Earth Balance vegan margarine. Yum, yum!!!
11:46 PM, June 18, 2007
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Anonymous Anonymous said…
Ever try corn on the cob raw? Just unpeel and eat. It’s crunchy, sweet, completely fat-free and very easy to prepare. ;o) My family and I love it this way.
12:17 PM, July 02, 2007
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Anonymous Anonymous said…
Lemon pepper and tabasco sauce…yum-o.
11:53 AM, December 31, 2007
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Anonymous Anonymous said…
i dont know if u quit margarine and oils because of the fat (i did) but if that is the reason, theres this kind of margarine that comes in a spray bottle that has zero calories and fat. theres also a generic version of this (somewhat) that comes in a green and white squeeze bottle and it has zero fat and only 5 calories. there actually very good, u might want to try them
6:42 PM, January 09, 2008
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Anonymous Anonymous said…
I like to add tons of fresh cilantro as well as pepper & salt. The cilantro cooks down & becomes almost glaze like, it’s amazing.
1:37 PM, July 22, 2008
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Anonymous Mary said…
When I was in Peru I was hooked on choclo, the local type of corn that has really big kernals. People would be selling big baskets of steamed choclo at the bus and train stations. They would just sprinkle salt on it, but I also had it with salt and lime. When I got back to NA those were the only two seasonings I used on corn from then on.
3:32 PM, January 08, 2009
Kathryn
I love taragon on corn 🙂
Lynn
I like my corn on the cob rubbed with umeboshi plum. Yum
TJ
Yes…lemon and paprika/salt…the indian way.
The spanish way is to use mayo…maybe a fat free one might do it (mayo is not vegan right?).
I look simply boiled on with nothing on it…it is so sweet and yummy.
Cara
If you want a substitute for butter on popcorn/corn…try flax oil …also add nutritional yeast or Bragg amino acids (soy sauce) and cayenne for extra flavor…it’s delicious
Arleen
I like to use Tajin seasoning. It is a Mexican spice mix of chili powder, lime and salt. It is frequently used on fruit. I like it on tomatoes and corn.
Gerry Buck
I am partial to the Peaches and Cream variety of sweet corn. My daughter turned me on to Molly McButter. You need to put it on right after taking it out of the pan of water.
Kristin
I use your tofu-cashew mayo and salt/pepper when I feel like mixing it up from the lime/spicy combo. Both are great!