Make creamy, light, and fresh Vegan Corn Chowder with onion, garlic, potatoes, and cashew cream for a delicious dairy-free dinner or lunch. This super simple recipe is great for a cool summer night or cozy fall dinner!
The end of the summer means that corn is in full season and at its peak of sweet flavor.
You can bet that I'm working to get my hands on as much corn as possible before the crop is gone. And this smoky, sweet, and creamy dairy-free chowder is one of my favorite ways to serve up corn for lunch or dinner.
If you love the sweet kernels as much as I do, be sure to try my Grilled Corn and Avocado Salsa too!
Tips for Making Corn Chowder Vegan
Since traditional corn chowder is made with heavy cream (or half and half), we wanted to give you a version that is every bit as creamy but without the actual dairy.
There are three easy ways to make creamy vegan corn chowder:
- Swap the cream/half and half with cashew cream
- Swap the cream/half and half with coconut milk (this will give it a coconut flavor)
- Leave out the cream and blend part of the soup to make that part creamy
For my vegan corn chowder version, I'm using two of the above: cashew cream and the blend version.
The result is insane! SOOO creamy, so flavorful and SO GOOD!
Ingredients
Here's what we'll be using in our vegan corn chowder recipe:
- Fresh corn. If you can find local corn, it will be sweeter and juicer.
- Onion and garlic. These add deep, delicious allium flavor when pureed into the soup.
- White potatoes. I use russets for this recipe.
- Smoked paprika. This adds a touch of smoky, spicy flavor to the soup.
- Tomato. There's nothing like the pairing of summer corn and tomatoes!
- Vegetable broth. You can use store-bought or make your own.
- Cashew cream. See How to Make Cashew Cream here.
- Liquid smoke. This is optional but adds a wonderful extra hit of smoky flavor.
- Soy sauce. For gluten-free corn chowder, use tamari.
How to Make Vegan Corn Chowder
First, start making this soup on the stove. You'll start by sauteing the vegetables together. Once browned, you can add your broth and then let the soup simmer until the potatoes have softened.
Once your potatoes have softened, add in the remaining ingredients and cook for another few minutes.
Next, you'll use your blender to puree the soup and incorporate all the flavors into a delicious, silky-smooth texture. If you have an immersion blender, you can certainly use it instead of your standing blender.
Then it's time for serving and topping!
Topping Ideas for Corn Chowder
Once you've made this creamy blended corn chowder, the fun part is serving up bowls with your favorite toppings. I love to add a smoky, savory element that replaces bacon on traditional corn chowder. Tempeh bacon is a great option. Use the recipe from my Vegan Cobb Salad to try it yourself!
Other great topping ideas for this soup include:
- Sliced scallions
- More fresh corn
- Hot pepper flakes
- Crispy Baked Tofu
Storage Tips & Tricks
You can store leftover vegan corn chowder in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. You can also freeze it for up to three months. Defrost the soup in the fridge overnight and reheat it on the stove.
More Vegan Soup Recipes
If you make this Vegan Corn Chowder, be sure to let me know what you think with a comment below!
Vegan Corn Chowder
Ingredients
- 4 - 6 ears of fresh corn
- 1 yellow onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- 3 medium white potatoes (like russet), diced
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 tomato , chopped
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup cashew cream
- 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke*
- 1/2 teaspoon tamari/soy sauce*
- 1/4 cup parsley (for garnish)
- crumbled tempeh bacon (for garnish)
Instructions
- Cut the kernels off the corn and set aside in a bowl.
- Heat the oil in a large stockpot. Once hot add the onion, garlic and potatoes. Season with salt and pepper and cook until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes and smoked paprika and cook another minute or so.
- Add the broth and bring the mixture to a boil. Cook until the potatoes are almost tender, about 15 - 20 minutes.
- Add the corn, cream, liquid smoke and tamari (if using) and cook another 5 - 10 minutes until the corn is cooked.
- Remove the soup from the heat and transfer two cups of soup into a blender. Blend until smooth.
- Recombine the contents of the blender with the rest of the soup. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Serve with a sprinkle of pepper, red pepper flakes for heat and fresh parsley.
Nutrition
