Hello, my lovely lovely chickpeas! Today's recipe is yet another delicious vegan soup creation. It's super creamy (but also dairy free!), packed full of delicious hearty veggies, and comes together beautifully. It's the perfect balance of cozy, while also tasting bright and fresh. Let's take a look at my Creamy Vegan Corn Chowder recipe!
I always strive for recipes that bring the flavor as well as the nutrients, and this one is no exception. I bet you could even fool some non-vegans with this one and they'd never know it was dairy free! Let's dive in.
Inspiration for Creamy Vegan Corn Chowder
As I'm sure many food bloggers do, I have a long list of "future recipe ideas" on my computer. My list also has a subsection specifically for recipes that my husband has requested, and it's always fun to play with his ideas since they are often foods I may not have picked on my own! The idea for a corn chowder recipe came from his list, and I'm so glad that he requested it.
Before going fully plant based, I was vegetarian for most of my life. Unfortunately for me, a lot of corn chowder recipes contain bacon or another meat - so I haven't had that many opportunities to try it in the past. However, my husband LOVES corn chowder. He helped me brainstorm along the way for this one and the final recipe is 100% husband-approved, so I hope you guys love it as much as he does!
Chowders are usually rich soups that are thick and creamy. Today we are getting that creaminess from a combination of coconut milk, corn, and potatoes. We are also throwing in some other flavorful veggies such as carrot, celery, and onion to make the flavors bright and fresh!
Ingredients
Let's go over what we are working with today.
- Onion, garlic, celery, and carrot: these are very typical in vegan soup! They provide lots of nutrients and lots of savory flavor.
- Jalapeno: for just a tiny bit of pop!
- Vegetable broth: the base of our vegan chowder.
- Frozen corn: the star of the show! Obviously a necessary ingredient for any corn chowder.
- Yukon gold potatoes and coconut milk: we partially blend this chowder, and the combination of coconut milk & gold potatoes blends up to make our chowder SUPER smooth! I also love the texture of the potatoes that don't get blended.
- Optional lemon juice: this adds a bit of acidity and makes out flavors shine a bit brighter.
How to Make Creamy Vegan Corn Chowder
As always, full recipe is down below! But let's go over the basics.
- Sauté your onion, garlic, celery, carrot, and jalapéno.
- Add your veggie broth, potatoes, and frozen corn. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 15 minutes.
- Add coconut milk, then stir to combine.
- Transfer some of the chowder to a blender. Blend until super smooth, then add back to the pot.
- Continue to cook until your desired consistency is reached.
- Add optional lemon juice and salt and pepper.
- Serve & enjoy!
Tips & Tricks
Here are some ideas on how you could best enjoy this Creamy Vegan Corn Chowder!
- When transferring a few cups of the chowder to a blender, keep in mind that your chowder will be thicker if you blend up a larger amount of it, as the blended potatoes make it thicker! So blending 5 cups will result in a thicker chowder base than blending 3 cups. This is totally personal preference!
- I fully believe that this Creamy Vegan Corn Chowder can be enjoyed year-round! It provides warmth and comfort that you might crave in the colder months, but the vibrant flavors also scream summer. So make this whenever the mood strikes!
- Looking for something to serve on the side with your chowder? Try out my Vegan Cheddar Drop Biscuits! Dipping those in this cozy vegan soup would be PERFECT.
- In the mood for more vegan soups? Check out my Vegan Hungarian Mushroom Soup or my Carrot Ginger Soup next!
Enjoy!
📖 Recipe
Creamy Vegan Corn Chowder
Ingredients
- 1 medium yellow onion - diced
- 3 cloves garlic - minced
- 2 stalks celery - diced
- 1 medium carrot - diced
- 1 jalapeno - finely diced
- 4 cups veggie broth
- 4 cups frozen corn - thawed*
- 12 oz yukon gold potatoes (usually about 3-4 small potatoes) - cubed
- 1 can unsweetened coconut milk
- salt and pepper, to taste
- Optional: 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- Optional toppings: chopped scallions, plain coconut yogurt
Instructions
- Bring a large nonstick pot to medium-high heat on the stovetop. Add just a bit of water to prevent sticking, and add your onion, garlic, celery, carrot, and jalapéno. Allow to sauté for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding small amounts of water as needed to prevent sticking.
- Add the veggie broth, potatoes, and corn to the pot. If the veggies are not fully covered by the broth, add a bit more broth (or water) as needed until they are fully covered. Bring this mixture to a boil, then lower the temperature to a simmer and allow to simmer for 15 minutes.
- Add the coconut milk to the pot and stir to combine.
- Carefully transfer 3-5 cups of the chowder to a high powered blender. Blend until very smooth, then add back to the pot and stir to combine. (Note that blending 5 cups will result in a thicker soup than blending 3 cups - so choose your amount based on how thick you want your soup! I personally think 4 cups is perfect).
- Continue to cook on the stovetop at a medium heat until thickened to your liking (this takes about 10 minutes for me).
- Add optional lemon juice, and salt & pepper to taste. Stir to combine.
- Serve and top with scallions and dollops of coconut yogurt, if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
Happy cooking! If you made this recipe don’t forget to tag me (@joyfulbalanceofficial) on facebook or instagram so I can cheer you on for your chowder-making ways.
Stay joyfully balanced!
Lindsey B says
I've been looking for a great vegan corn chowder recipe and this one hit the spot! Super cozy and favorable - I will definitely be making again!
Delaney Marie says
So glad to hear that it hit the spot! Thank you for the kind comment! 🙂