Vegan Jalapeño Cornbread (fantastic with soups & stews)

There’s no better companion to cool-weather soups, stews, and chili than cornbread — better yet, vegan jalapeño cornbread. Jalapeño chili peppers and vegan cheese give this pan bread recipe a great texture and a major yum factor.

The jalapeños mellow: Don’t be afraid to be generous with the jalapeños — they become a lot milder in the baked bread. But if you’re reluctant to use fresh chiles, you have the option of using canned mild chiles.

As for the vegan cheese shreds, any variety will do, but I like sticking with the theme and using pepper jack. Cheddar works well, too.

What goes well with jalapeño cornbread

• Tomato Vegetable Barley Soup
• Classic Veggie Chili
• White Bean Stew with Sweet Potatoes and Squash
• African-Inspired Peanut Stew

Best cornmeal to use

There are several types of cornmeal available, some better than others. The best choice to look for when shopping, (packaged or in bulk) is stone-ground, ungerminated whole cornmeal.

In this case, the corn has not been stripped of its nutritious germ. Ungerminated cornmeal spoils more quickly than the refined variety found in cardboard boxes in supermarkets. See more in our Guide to Cornmeal, Corn Flour, and Masa Harina.

Leftover cornbread skillet stuffing

Cornbread is only as good as it is fresh, so if you find a half or a third of a pan of this cornbread in the fridge a day or two after it was made, consider making this tasty skillet stuffing. It can be used as a side dish for next nights meal, or even as an offbeat topping for soups and stews.

1  Heat a small amount of olive oil in a medium skillet. Sauté a chopped onion and two diced celery stalks until lightly browned. Crumble leftover cornbread (I usually use a third to a half pan of cornbread) into the skillet. Drizzle in from 1/2 to 1 cup of vegetable stock or water, just enough to moisten the crumbs without making them mushy.

2  Sprinkle in 2 teaspoons of salt-free seasoning blend or any other kind of seasoning you enjoy, then stir in about 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley and if you’d like, a couple of thinly sliced scallions and a cup of corn kernels.

3  Cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture is touched with golden brown here and there. Season with salt and pepper. You can even serve this over leftover soup or chili as a try tasty topping.

Photos by Hannah Kaminsky, BittersweetBlog.com.

Explore more …

• Cheesy Vegan Muffins with Fresh Herbs
• Quick Sunflower Vegan Cheese Bread
• Garden Art Focaccia Bread

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Yield: 9 to 12

Vegan Jalapeño Cornbread

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I can’t think of a better companion to cool-weather soups, stews, and chili than cornbread — and better yet, vegan jalapeño cornbread.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cup cornmeal, preferably stone ground
• 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour or spelt flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup applesauce
• 1/4 cup olive oil or safflower oil
• 1/3 cup plain unsweetened nondairy milk, or as needed
• 1 to 2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and finely chopped; slice a bit for garnishing the tops, if you'd like (see Note)
• 1 cup vegan cheese shreds, any variety, optional

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400º F.
2. Combine the first 5 (dry) ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir together.
3. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Pour in the applesauce, oil, and nondairy milk. Stir until well combined, adding more nondairy milk if needed to moisten everything and make a smooth batter. It should be a stiff batter, though, otherwise it won’t bake through. 
4. Stir in the jalapeños and vegan cheese shreds.
5. Pour the batter into an oiled 9- by 9-inch baking pan and pat in. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the top is golden and a knife inserted in the center tests clean. (Check after 15 minutes if your oven runs hot) Let cool slightly, then cut into 9 or 12 squares to serve.

Notes

Jalapeños are quite spicy when uncooked, but they mellow out surprisingly when baked into this cornbread. Still, if you’re reluctant to use fresh chiles, use a 4-ounce can mild green chilies.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

12

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 247Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 425mgCarbohydrates: 35gFiber: 3gSugar: 5gProtein: 7g

Nutrition data is always an estimate depending on program used to calculate and exact products used. This is given for informational purposes only and accuracy cannot be guaranteed.

See more vegan breads and savory baked goods.