This vegan corn chowder is so creamy, delicious and the perfect comfort food! Made with whole foods and plenty of veggies.
This post was originally published on March 5, 2017.
This is the soup I never knew I needed! I love how creamy it is without feeling blah and heavy, and basically all the fall comfort you need. If you're feeling spicy, you should try my Poblano Corn Chowder version!
Chowders are thick, rich, and delicious! However, they often contain milk or cream and butter. With the help of cashews, I was able to capture that classically cozy feel without any dairy (much like I did in my Vegan Potato Soup).
Keep it simple, or dress it up with toppings, dippers, and sides for a complete meal.
Ingredients
The ingredients you need to make vegan corn chowder are:
- Onion
- Carrots
- Celery
- Potatoes
- Corn
- Garlic
- Thyme
- Veggie broth
- Raw cashews
How to Make Vegan Corn Chowder
Most soups are incredibly easy to make, and this recipe for corn chowder is no different. Here are the steps to follow:
- Sauté the veggies and potatoes.
- Add the corn, garlic, and seasonings.
- Add the broth, cover and simmer.
- Blend half of the soup with the cashews the return the mixture to the soup.
- Mix in the bacon and enjoy!
Serving suggestions
Mix up the flavors and garnish with a variety of toppings:
- Vegan bacon
- Parsley, chives or more thyme
- Croutons
- Vegan parmesan
- Plant based cheddar
You can also serve along with sides such as:
Tips and tricks
These helpful hints should come in handy when making your homemade corn chowder.
- Either fresh or frozen corn will give you the best flavor. If using fresh, you'll need about 6-8 ears.
- Red or Yukon gold potatoes are ideal for this recipe, but any variety will work.
- The amount of cashews you use will effect the creaminess. The more you use, the more rich and creamy it will be.
- If you are not using a high-speed blender you can either soak the cashews overnight, boil them for 30 minutes or grind them into a fine powder using a coffee grinder.
- Add more flavor and nutrition with roasted peppers, peas, chickpeas, spinach, mushrooms, or zucchini.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-5 days.
- You can also freeze by sealing in a freezer safe container and freeze for up to 3 months.
Common Questions
The Merriam-Webster definition of chowder is, "a soup or stew of seafood (such as clams or fish) usually made with milk or tomatoes, salt pork, onions, and other vegetables (such as potatoes)". Corn is also used in place of seafood in some chowders.
Soups are generally made with a broth base, whereas chowder is more thick, creamy, and chunky.
It depends on the recipe. While usually corn is the main focus, sometimes bacon, chicken, or seafood is mixed in.
Sauté veggies and potatoes, add in corn and broth and simmer until everything is tender. Blend half of the soup with cashews and return to the pot for deliciously creamy and thick soup.
More Vegan Soups
Keep things simple while filling up and staying warm! Make up any of these plant based soups for an easy and delicious meal.
- Roasted Poblano Corn Chowder
- Potato Leek Soup
- Black Bean Soup
- Greek Lentil Soup
- Cauliflower Soup
- Vegan Tortilla Soup
- Winter Squash Soup
Creamy Vegan Corn Chowder with Potatoes
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup chopped sweet or yellow onion
- ¾ cup chopped carrots
- ¾ cup chopped celery
- 3 cups chopped red or Yukon gold potatoes , or other type you prefer (about 3 medium potatoes or 1 pound)
- ¾ -1 teaspoon sea salt , adjust for your preference
- Drizzle of oil or broth to sauté
- 5 cups corn , fresh or frozen, or about 6-8 ears
- 1 - 2 medium cloves garlic , adjust for your preference
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 4 cups veggie broth , low sodium if needed (plus 1 extra to thin out at the end)
- ½ - 1 cup raw cashews , see note
To serve (optional)
- 1 cup vegan bacon , my mushroom bacon or any vegan bacon you prefer
- Parsley, chives or more thyme
Instructions
- Sauté the onions, carrot, celery, potatoes and salt with oil or broth until soft. About 5-7 minutes.
- Add the corn, garlic, thyme and pepper and sauté for 3-4 minutes until corn is softened.
- Add the broth, cover and simmer until the potatoes are soft. About 5 minutes.
- Remove half of the soup and put into a blender with the cashews, being careful not to burn yourself because it is hot. Blend until smooth.
- Add the blended soup back into the pot and mix in the bacon.
- Serve with toppings of choice!
Notes
- If you are not using a high-speed blender you can either soak the cashews overnight, boil them for 30 minutes or grind them into a fine powder using a coffee grinder.
- Adjust the amount of cashews for how creamy you prefer it. ½ cup gives you a good creaminess but 1 cup makes it ultra rich.
- Nutrition facts use ½ cup cashews and is without added toppings.
Recipe by Veggies Don’t Bite, visit our site for more great plant-based recipes.
Nutrition
Nutrition and metric information should be considered an estimate.
The original recipe in this post came from a book by Kathy Hester, The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook for your Instant Pot. It's served with a side of naan bread for a full and hearty meal!
Indo Chinese Corn Soup
4 servings, 20 minutes to make
- 5 cups vegetable broth (or water with a bouillon cube) , low sodium if needed
- 2 ½ cups corn kernels
- 1 cup minced carrot
- 1 cup minced cabbage
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 2 tsp grated ginger 2 teaspoon (6 g) minced garlic
- 1½ tsp ground cumin
- Ground pepper to taste
- Add the broth, corn, carrot, cabbage, soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, garlic and cumin to your Instant Pot.
- Cook on high pressure for 10 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally.
- Blend about 3 cups (700 ml) of the soup to thicken and return to the soup. Taste, add pepper, and re-season as needed.
Notes: The added sesame oil in this recipe is definitely for flavor purposes only. If you are oil free, you can omit. If you don't have an Instant Pot, you can still make this recipe on the stove the traditional way, it will just take a little bit longer to cook.
Mariah
My mom made this for a family dinner since many of us don’t do dairy and it was AMAZING!! Honestly the best corn chowder I’ve ever had. The consistency and flavor were perfect. Definitely recommend!
Sophia DeSantis
I am so happy you both loved it Mariah! Thank you so much!!
Edamommy4life
Made this last night and it was perfect! I used 1/2 cup sunflower seeds instead of cashews because they are less expensive and I think they work just the same in savory dishes. I added another 1/2 corn at the end and some chopped up hydrated soy curls. Yum!
Sophia DeSantis
So happy you liked it Nina! I love the changes you made, thanks for sharing with us!
Nan
Amazing corn chowder! It gets very thick so i recommend using the lower end of Sophies suggested amount of cashews and have extra water/broth on hand to thin. Really delicious. I served with extra corn that I sauteed with salt and paprika and finely chopped sweet jalepenos…
veggiesdontbite
Yay! I am so happy you all loved it!!
Carol
OMG I just made the Vegan Creamy Corn Chowder with Potatoes for dinner tonight!! All the non-vegans LOVED it!! I paired it with your Gluten Free Drop Biscuits and everyone said it was definitely a "do again" meal!!!
veggiesdontbite
I am so happy you loved this Carol!! The pairing with the biscuits sounds perfect! Definitely doing that next time! Thank you so much.
Sarah
Made this on the stovetop and it turned out so great! Love this mix of creamy with chunky.
Emily Kemp
This soup sounds so delicious...time to get an Instant pot!