The number one salty, crunchy snack food in our house is popcorn, hands down. It’s usually homemade, done in a big pot on top of the stove, and lately, finished with salted butter and nutritional yeast. The whole operation takes about three minutes with highly addictive results. Luckily, it’s pretty wholesome as far as snacking goes, since popcorn is a whole grain, nutritional yeast is rich in B vitamins, and a little bit of butter goes a long way.
With the Super Bowl just around the corner, I figured I needed to up my popcorn game to compete with the influx of not-so-good-for-you store-bought snacks that show up on such occasions. And so, I bring you
Stovetop Taco Popcorn.
The recipe calls for five ingredients: popcorn, olive oil, butter, nutritional yeast, and taco seasoning mix. If you’re unfamiliar with nutritional yeast, it’s dry, flaky, and pale gold in color. I buy mine in the fabulous bulk foods section of my local Sprouts Farmers Market and keep it in a little jar near the stove. It has a distinct cheese-like flavor, which is what makes it popular among vegans and others who abstain from dairy foods. It also happens to be very nutritious. A single tablespoon delivers about 5 grams of protein and a mega dose of thiamin, niacin, vitamins B6 and B12, and riboflavin.
One cup of Taco Popcorn comes in at just 50 calories, which is a good thing, since you won’t be able to stop at a single cup. So go gather your ingredients. The Super Bowl is coming and we’ve got some snacking to do.
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Taco Popcorn
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Sprouts extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/3 cup popcorn kernels
- 1 1/2 tablespoons salted butter , melted
- 2 1/2 teaspoons taco seasoning mix
- 2 teaspoons nutritional yeast (available in the bulk food section of Sprouts Farmers Market)
Instructions
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In a medium pot or Dutch oven with a lid, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Put a few popcorn kernels into the oil and cover with the lid. Once the first kernel pops, the oil is ready.
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Add the remaining popcorn, put on the lid, hang onto the sides of the pot and give it a vigorous shake to distribute the popcorn. Continue to cook, shaking the pot every 30 seconds or so, until the popping diminishes and the popcorn is done.
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Transfer to a large bowl. Drizzle the butter over the top and sprinkle on the taco seasoning and nutritional yeast. Use your hands to toss well. Serve immediately.
