Popcorn Blend is our bestseller, and my personal “I'm putting that on EVERYTHING” seasoning. Our founder, Brady, used to keep a jar of it in his car just in case, and even his kiddos under 6 are now obsessed. Given the name, we know it’s incredible on buttery popcorn– if you grew up on the island going to our tiny local movie theater, you probably remember having at least one person in your group of friends that went for the umami-charged nutritional yeast on popcorn (a local oddity and favorite!), and we honor that nooch-loving friend with our blend, that adds 5 spices and herbs along with our salt to amp up the savory popcorn even more.
But, my secret: I do actually use it in EVERYTHING. Along with fish sauce (game changer and an ingredient to discuss another time!), Popcorn Blend and Hippy Gold are my secret ingredients in pasta sauce, tomato soup, cheesy dips (with no cheese), salad dressings, and all roasted veggies.
Here are 4 ways to use our Popcorn Blend without a kernel in sight.
Tomato Soup Topper
One of my favorite simple add-ins, especially in roasted red pepper tomato soup! A large dash or ¼ cup of Hippy Gold (which melts right in and creates layers of delicious, nutty, cheesy flavor) followed by many sprinklings of Popcorn Blend– the salt, peppers, dill, and yeast add so much flavor. A great way to think of Hippy Gold is also as a thickener. It creates luscious peaks in sour cream or cream cheese dips, but also adds texture to soups and too liquid-y dressings. It's perfect to add a little body to a thin store-bought soup. I often do this when jazzing up a pre-made soup for dinner and it makes the whole pot of soup smell (and taste) delicious!
Hippy Gold Salad Dressing
The greatest salad dressing/dip ever. Take a traditional old school hippy salad dressing, but replace half the usual nutritional yeast with Popcorn Blend for an added kick of garlic and cayenne. I recommend low-sodium soy sauce or tamari so you can really go to town with salty Popcorn Blend!
Ingredients:
¼ cup water
¼ cup apple cider vinegar (we like Apple State Vinegar's Apple Cider Vinegar from our Pantry section!)
½ cup Hippy Gold
½ cup Popcorn Blend
⅛ cup soy sauce or tamari
1 cup canola oil or neutral oil of choice
3 cloves minced garlic
Process:
Whisk well, and add extra water if needed for pour-ability.
Quick Golden Spread for Avocado Toast
One of my favorite ways to dress up one of the best breakfasts, avocado toast! Neufchâtel cream cheese for maximum spread-ability, combined with a tablespoon or more of Popcorn Blend for a tangy, golden spread. Combine ripe avocado, whatever other veggies or greens on hand, and a generous shake of Popcorn Blend atop the avocado to give it that little shine.
Vegan and Gluten-free Cheese Fondue
One of my favorite ways to use Popcorn Blend and Hippy Gold are as cheese replacements! The tangy, nutty, layered flavor is so similar to some of our favorite cheese dips. This dip can be used as vegan fondue (with chunks of crusty gluten-free bread– my favorite!), mac ‘n’ cheese sauce, as a layer for a vegan lasagna, or to smother some delicious nachos in.
Ingredients:
2 T coconut oil or vegan butter
⅓ cup gluten-free flour
2 T and 1 tsp Hippy Gold
3 T Popcorn Blend
1 cup water, depending on the melty consistency!
Process:
Heat the coconut oil or butter in a small pot on low heat.
Add the Popcorn Blend and mix.
Add the gluten-free flour and whisk.
Add Hippy Gold and whisk until lumpy.
Add water and whisk on low heat for a few minutes. Feel free to add more water if the consistency isn’t as melty as you’d like it to be, and more Popcorn Blend if you want a cheesier and saltier taste!
A small sprinkle of Popcorn Blend to finish it off, and you’re done!
If you don’t use it right away, it will thicken up and become quite lumpy again. Add some water, whisk, and it reheats beautifully!
BONUS: My recipe for Popcorn Butter!
- Canola oil
- Butter
- Hippy Gold
- Popcorn Blend
We had to circle back around to this blend's namesake at some point. This butter topping is all done by eye-balling! I love to melt a large pat of butter in the microwave, bulk it up with some neutral oil, then stir in a heaping helping of Hippy Gold. It creates the most insane, golden butter! After dousing your popcorn, heavy sprinkles of Popcorn Blend all around. The bowl is always gone in minutes.
Do you have any secret-weapon recipes for Popcorn Blend? I am in love with its versatility, from a sprinkle to a dressing. Let us know in the comments or by shooting us an e-mail at orders@sanjuanislandseasalt.com. Stay salty, folks!