Spirulina Herbal Popcorn

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I was standing in the check-out line at Erewhon’s in West Hollywood and the lady in front of me had at least 7 bags of this mysterious green herbal popcorn. (I now know it was Azzizah’s)! She was totally addicted and convinced me it was the best thing ever, so naturally I ended up getting about 7 as well. It’s so amazing I had to come up with my own to munch on while I’m on the East Coast.

This good-for-you snack has spirulina (a ton of it actually), which is known to be rather strong tasting. I usually recommend starting with a small amount to start, but was shocked by how much I could add to this recipe without throwing the flavor. And the more spirulina the better – it’s made from algae and is over 60% complete protein. It’s great for strengthening the immune system, improving the digestive system, helping the body to absorb minerals, lowering cholesterol, and lots of other great things!

Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

  • ¼ cup nutritional yeast

  • 1 tablespoon spirulina

  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder

  • 1/2 tsp turmeric

  • 1/2 tsp onion powder

  • 1/2 tsp curry powder

  • 1/2 tsp basil

  • Dash cayenne

  • Himalayan sea salt, to taste

  • ½ cup organic corn kernels

  • Coconut oil

Method:

  1. In a bowl, combine the olive, nutritional yeast, spirulina, garlic powder, turmeric, onion powder, curry powder, basil, cayenne, and some salt. Mix well and set aside.

  2. Pour coconut oil into a large, deep pot. The oil should cover the bottom of the pot. Drop 3 kernels into the pot, cover, and turn the heat to medium-high.

  3. Once the kernels have popped, add the rest of the kernels and remove from heat to shake and coat all kernels in the coconut oil.

  4. Return the pot to the stove, over medium-high heat. Once the kernels begin to pop, shake the pot vigorously with the lid ajar until the pops start to slow (a couple of minutes).

  5. Turn off the heat and pour the spirulina mixture over the popcorn. Mix well until the popcorn is evenly coated. Taste and add more salt as needed.

  6. Enjoy your superfood snack!

Lily Kunin is the voice behind the NYC-based food blog Clean Food Dirty City. Inspired by the chefs in her family as well as her friends who are looking for easy recipes, her mission is to create food that is simple, clean, and flavorful.  Follow her blog on Instagram @cleanfooddirtycity.