Vegan Potato Corn Chowder

Vegan Potato Corn Chowder is delicious any time of year, but it really shines during the summer when fresh corn is in season. Unlike the classic recipe which is thickened with a roux and heavy cream, our version is entirely plant-powered! It’s still every bit as creamy and comforting as the original. Whip this hearty soup up any day of the week for an easy and nourishing dinner. Serve with some crusty bread for the ultimate comfort meal!

Ingredients

• Corn. I recommend fresh corn if it’s in season for you! The sweet flavor and crisp texture of fresh corn is unbeatable.
• Potatoes. Yukon Gold potatoes work best in this recipe. They’re slightly waxy which keeps them from turning to mush in the soup.
• Mirepoix. Onion, garlic, celery and carrot.
• Vegetable broth. I use chicken-style veggie bouillon for many soup recipes, but for this one I actually prefer regular vegetable broth. It really allows the fresh corn flavor to shine.
• Cashew cream. To help make this a thick and creamy vegan potato corn chowder. If you don’t prefer to cook with cashews, check out the Substitutions & Variations section for plenty of suitable alternatives.
• Scallions or chives. In my book, these are a must for topping any kind of chowder. The bite helps balance out the creaminess of the soup.

How to Make

Prepare the Corn

1. Remove the husks and silk from the corn. Slice the corn kernels off the cob. Take the corn stalk, hold it over a bowl, and use the back of the knife or a spoon to scrape the pulp and juice out. This contains lots of flavor, so save it for your soup!

Start the Soup

2. Melt the vegan butter in a heavy soup pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion, celery, and carrot and sauté for 3-5 minutes, until the onion is translucent.
3. Add in the garlic and cook for another minute.
4. Pour in vegetable broth and add in the potatoes, fresh corn, thyme, and bay leaf, along with any juice from the corn cobs. Bring to a low boil, then reduce heat to low/medium-low to establish a gentle simmer. Simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent anything from sticking to the bottom of the pot.

Make the Cashew Cream

5. As the soup simmers, it’s a good time to prepare your cashew cream. Simply add your soaked cashews to a blender with fresh water and blend until completely smooth. See the notes for alternatives if you prefer not to use cashew cream.

Finishing Touches

6. When the potatoes are fork-tender, stir in the cashew cream. At this point you can use an immersion blender to blend the soup a little bit to make the soup thicker and more creamy. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can use a blender instead. Remove 2 cups of the soup to a blender and blend until smooth. Stir this back into the soup pot. (Please exercise extreme caution when blending hot liquids! Check the notes section for tips on how to do so safely.)
7. Taste and adjust salt and black pepper to preference. You’ll need more or less salt based on the kind of vegetable broth you used. If using a chicken-style veggie bouillon, you’ll generally need to add less salt.
8. Serve soup topped with fresh sliced chives or scallions. Tofu or tempeh bacon crumbles are a great addition too.

Sarah’s Recipe Tips

• Safely blending hot liquids. Please use great caution when blending your soup! Never fill the pitcher up too high, as the steam can cause pressure to build up. Always start blending on low speed and gradually increase the speed until the soup is smooth. If the lid of your blender has a vent, open it slightly and cover with a clean dish towel to allow steam and pressure to escape as you blend.
• Get every last bit of flavor out of the corn. Don’t toss the corn cobs after you cut off the kernels! Use the back of your knife (or a spoon) to scrape the cobs over a bowl. Not only will you scrape out leftover bits of the corn kernels, but you’ll also extract some of the “milk” from the cobs, which carries plenty of extra flavor.

Substitutions & Variations

Cashew cream alternatives

• Cashew cream is my favorite because it makes soups thick and creamy without imparting much flavor. If you prefer not to use it, here are a few options.
• Full-fat canned coconut milk. If you don’t mind the flavor of coconut, this works great. I actually think the flavor is quite complementary to the other ingredients.
• Tahini. Whisk 1/3 cup tahini with 1/2 cup of water until it’s a fluffy, pourable consistency. This is a trick I use in my Lemon Chickpea and Orzo soup to thicken it and add a more luscious mouthfeel.
• Store-bought nondairy cream. Country Crock, Silk, and Califia Farms make a few options. Personally I haven’t found one that I really love, and I much prefer homemade alternatives. But I think this will come down to personal preference!
• Sunflower seed cream. Raw sunflower seeds, soaked for about 30 minutes, can be substituted in for the raw cashews in the cashew cream recipe. This works to thicken the soup just like cashew cream, but it has a slightly less neutral flavor.

Frozen corn or canned corn

Frozen corn is a great option if you’re making this vegan potato corn chowder during the winter, though it will be slightly less flavorful. You’ll need about 4 cups of frozen corn.

Canned corn isn’t my favorite option, but you can use it in a pinch. Use two 15 oz cans whole kernel sweet corn, drained.

Serving Recommendations

Bacon is a common ingredients in corn chowder recipes. If you find you’re missing that smoky flavor, you can always top your bowl with some vegan bacon crumbles! Chop and crisp up a store-bought variety (Hooray makes my favorite, if you can find it, but Benevolent Bacon and Lightlife also have great options), or whip up your own batch of vegan bacon.

A sprinkle of vegan cheddar-style shreds is also a welcome addition. My personal favorite brand of plant-based cheese is Violife.

Storage & Reheating

Refrigerator: Store leftover soup in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the fridge. This recipe tastes great as leftovers!

Freezer: Soup can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months, but generally the flavor is best within the first month. Make sure to use a freezer-safe container, and allow the soup to cool first before freezing. Defrost the soup overnight in the fridge. Freezing alters the texture of this soup slightly; the potatoes may break down a little, but it will still be delicious.

Reheating: Reheat in the microwave, or on the stove over medium heat. The soup has a tendency to thicken in the fridge, so you may wish to add an extra splash of water when reheating to thin the consistency to your preference.

More Soup Recipes

• Vegan Zuppa Toscana
• Vegan Broccoli Cheddar Soup
• Lemon Chickpea Orzo Soup
• Spiced Carrot and Lentil Soup

Print

Vegan Potato Corn Chowder

Creamy, chunky, and packed with flavor, whip up some Vegan Potato Corn Chowder any day of the week for an easy, convenient dinner.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon nondairy butter or olive oil
• 1 medium white or yellow onion diced
• 2 medium carrots peeled and diced
• 2 stalks celery diced
• 2-4 cloves garlic minced
• 1 lb Yukon gold potatoes (about 3-4 medium potatoes) peeled and chopped
• 3-4 ears sweet corn see notes to substitute frozen or canned
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1 cup cashew cream recipe follows; see notes for substitutions
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• salt and black pepper to taste

Cashew Cream

• 1/2 cup raw cashews soaked 4+ hours or overnight
• 2/3 cup water

Garnish

• fresh scallions or chives chopped
• crumbled tofu or tempeh bacon
• smoked paprika

Instructions

Prepare the Corn

• Remove the husks and silk from the corn. Slice the corn kernels off the cob. Take the corn stalk, hold it over a bowl, and use the back of the knife or a spoon to scrape any extra pulp and juice out. This contains lots of flavor, so save it for your soup!

Start the Soup

• Melt the vegan butter in a heavy soup pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion, celery, and carrot and sauté for 3-5 minutes, until the onion is translucent.
• Add in the garlic and cook for another minute.
• Pour in vegetable broth and add in the potatoes, fresh corn, thyme, and bay leaf, along with any extra pulp and juice from the corn cobs. Bring to a low boil, then reduce heat to low/medium-low to establish a gentle simmer. Simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent anything from sticking to the bottom of the pot.

Make the Cashew Cream

• As the soup simmers, it's a good time to prepare your cashew cream. Simply add your soaked cashews to a blender with fresh water and blend until completely smooth. See the notes for alternatives if you prefer not to use cashew cream.

Finishing Touches

• When the potatoes are fork-tender, stir in the cashew cream. At this point you can use an immersion blender to blend the soup a little bit to make the soup thicker and more creamy. If you don't have an immersion blender, you can use a blender instead. Remove 2 cups of the soup to a blender and blend until smooth. Stir this back into the soup pot. (Please exercise extreme caution when blending hot liquids! Check the notes section for tips on how to do so safely.)
• Taste and adjust salt and black pepper to preference. You'll need more or less salt based on the kind of vegetable broth you used. If using a chicken-style veggie bouillon, you'll generally need to add less salt.
• Serve soup topped with fresh sliced chives or scallions. Tofu or tempeh bacon crumbles are a great addition too.

Storage & Reheating

• Refrigerator: Store leftover soup in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the fridge.
• Freezer: Soup can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months, but generally the flavor is best within the first month. Make sure to use a freezer-safe container, and allow the soup to cool first before freezing. Freezing alters the texture of this soup slightly; the potatoes may break down a little, but it will still be delicious.
• Reheating: Reheat in the microwave, or on the stove over medium heat. The soup has a tendency to thicken in the fridge, so you may wish to add an extra splash of water when reheating to thin the consistency to your preference.

Notes

Cashew Cream Alternatives: 

• • Full-fat canned coconut milk. If you don’t mind the flavor of coconut, this works great. I actually think the flavor is quite complementary to the other ingredients.

• • Tahini. Whisk 1/3 cup tahini with 1/2 cup of water until it’s a fluffy, pourable consistency. This is a trick I use in my Lemon Chickpea and Orzo soup to thicken it and add a more luscious mouthfeel.

• • Store-bought nondairy cream. Country Crock, Silk, and Califia Farms make a few options. I personally have not tested these in the recipe.

• • Sunflower seed cream. Raw sunflower seeds, soaked for about 30 minutes, can be substituted in for the raw cashews in the cashew cream recipe.

Safely blending hot liquids: Always leave plenty of head space in the pitcher when bending hot liquids. Always start blending on the lowest speed, and gradually increase speed. If your blender lid has a vent, open it slightly and cover with a clean kitchen towel. This will allow steam to escape so pressure doesn’t build up in the blender.

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