Vegan Corn Chowder

Name: Vegan Corn Chowder
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 1 ½ tablespoon of vegetable oil; 1 small yellow onion (diced); 2 large cloves of garlic (minced); 1 small red bell pepper (seeded and minced); 2 small golden zucchinis (chopped (any yellow squash will work)); ½ of a medium jalapeno (seeded and minced); 3 ribs of celery (diced); 1 pound of red, russet, or yukon gold potatoes (chopped); 4 cups of corn kernels; 4 cups of vegetable broth; 1 ½ teaspoons of salt; 2 cups of unsweetened plant-based milk; 2 tablespoons of chopped green onion (for garnish); Freshly ground pepper (for garnish)

Enjoy sweet, creamy, hearty, one-pot vegan corn chowder with a selection of nutritious veggies, including potato and zucchini, and either fresh, frozen, or canned corn and no dairy!

Completed Vegan Corn Chowder in a bowl against a white background.

Jump to:

What Is Corn Chowder?
Creamy Nutritious Vegan Potato Corn Chowder with Zucchini
The Ingredients
How to Make Vegan Corn Chowder?
FAQs
Top Recipe Tips and Notes
What To Serve With Vegan Corn Chowder?
Storage Instructions
Other Vegan Soups To Consider
Vegan Corn Chowder

What Is Corn Chowder?

Traditionally ‘chowder’ refers to a soup or stew, often made with fish or seafood, containing milk or cream, and thickened with crackers or a roux. It was traditionally a shipboard dish to provide sustenance of body and mind, though it soon became popular across Europe and America as a simple yet delicious dish.

Creamy Nutritious Vegan Potato Corn Chowder with Zucchini

This dairy-free corn chowder is taken from my cookbook with Michelle Cehn, The Friendly Vegan Cookbook. Aside from the obvious dairy to non-dairy substitutes, I’ve made a light and healthy version using plant-based milk instead of vegan cream, left the plant-based butter optional and boosted the nutrients in this veggie corn chowder further with the addition of zucchini and bell pepper. It’s also naturally thickened by pureeing a portion of the soup.

The results are a creamy and comforting soup made primarily with inexpensive whole-food plant-based pantry ingredients and perfect for filling your belly without weighing you down on chilly winter days and all through spring and summer when you're craving a hearty meal.

Plus, this vegan potato corn chowder is incredibly simple to prepare on the stovetop, and I’ve also provided methods for a slow cooker and Instant Pot corn chowder below!

The Ingredients

This vegan recipe for easy corn chowder is packed with nutrients and flavor for a super satisfying meal, made primarily with pantry staples and a few fresh elements.

Ingredients for Vegan Corn Chowder measured out on a white surface.

What Else Could I add?

Like most soups, this vegan corn chowder recipe is also highly versatile. Here are a few ways to experiment to adjust this summer corn soup more to your liking.

Vegan butter: A small amount of vegan butter will add extra creamy richness to the veggie corn chowder.
Vegan cheese: A small amount of shredded vegan cheese (store-bought or make your own with this vegan cheese ball recipe) makes for an excellent addition or garnish for the vegan potato corn chowder.
Lemon juice: A splash of lemon juice when serving to brighten the flavor.
Nutritional yeast: For a subtle nutty, 'cheesy', savory depth. Add 1 tablespoon to begin and increase to taste.
Smoked paprika: To add a subtle smokiness. Adjust the amount to taste.
Bay leaves: Add 1-2 bay leaves while the veggie corn chowder simmers, removing them before serving for extra depth of flavor.
Thyme: Adjust the amount to taste (fresh or dried).
Cumin: Adjust the amount to taste.
Coconut bacon: To garnish the vegan corn soup. Alternatively, tofu or tempeh bacon would work.
Other Vegetables: You can also boost the immune juice with extra veggies, including:
- Carrot (finely diced. Use in place of bell pepper for a nightshade-free corn chowder)
- Cauliflower (alongside or replace up to half the potato for lower carb soup)
- Leek (finely sliced—to use instead of onion)

How to Make Vegan Corn Chowder?

Like many soups, this veggie corn chowder recipe is very simple to prepare. Just a bit of chopping, sautéing, simmering, and blending, and voila, a creamy, thick, and delicious vegan potato corn chowder!

Processing of mixing veggies together in a pan.

Step 1: First, prepare all the zucchini corn chowder ingredients. Meanwhile, heat a large heavy-based pan over medium-high heat with the oil. Once hot, add the onion, garlic, bell pepper, celery, jalapeño, and zucchini. Sauté the vegetables for 4-5 minutes, or until the onion becomes tender and translucent.

Step 2: Then, add potatoes, 2 cups of corn kernels, and the broth, and bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook the vegan corn chowder uncovered for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.

Process of adding salt to food processor.

Process of mixing corn chowder in a pan.

Step 3: Transfer the remaining corn, salt, and plant-based milk to a blender and process until smooth.

Step 4: Pour the corn mixture into the soup pot, mix, and allow it to cook for 5 minutes.

Process of using immersion blender in chowder mixture in pan.

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Step 5: Next, remove the soup from the heat and, using an immersion blender, carefully (it’s hot!), puree about half of the soup right in the pot for a creamy, chunky mixed texture. Finally, serve the healthy corn chowder and optionally garnish the bowls with some thinly sliced green onion and freshly ground black pepper.

You can also do this in a regular jug blender, transferring the soup (in batches) to be blended. Hold the lid down with a tea towel while you blend and release hot steam from the jug often, so there are no soup explosions.

FAQs

Can I make Instant Pot corn chowder?

I haven’t tried this specific recipe in my Instant Pot yet, but it should work similarly to other IP soup recipes.

I recommend you start by using the SAUTÉ function to sauté the veggies as written in the main recipe. Then, after adding the corn, potato, and broth, close the lid and cook on manual HIGH for 12 minutes, using the quick-release pressure valve afterward.

Next, set the IP back to SAUTE and mix in the blended corn mixture, cooking for 5 minutes. Finally, use an immersion blender directly in your Instant Pot- voila, delicious Instant Pot corn chowder!

Can I make slow cooker corn chowder?

First, sauté the various ingredients as written in the stovetop method. Then transfer those plus the 2 cups of corn, potatoes, and broth to your slow cooker (crock pot), mix, add the lid, and cook on LOW for 7-8 hours or HIGH for 3-4 hours, or until the potatoes are tender.

Then, mix in the blended plant-based milk and corn mixture and cook for 10-15 minutes on HIGH. You can then use the immersion blender directly in the crockpot before serving.

Top Recipe Tips and Notes

For a thicker/thinner stew: Adjust the amount of broth you add to the zucchini corn chowder and how much you puree. For an even thicker soup, add a small amount of cornstarch slurry to the soup. I recommend 1-2 tablespoons of starch mixed with equal parts water. Once added, allow the soup to cook for a few minutes until thickening.
Puree to your desired consistency: You can leave it entirely unblended and add a bit of cornstarch to thicken the broth or puree some of it as a natural thickener. I prefer not to over-puree the soup as I like some chunky texture, but it tastes great as a smooth summer corn soup, too.
Season to taste: Taste the vegan corn chowder just before serving and adjust the salt and pepper accordingly.
Oil-free: Use a splash of water to sauté the veggies.
If using fresh corn: Simmer the cobs with the liquid for extra flavor.

What To Serve With Vegan Corn Chowder?

Enjoy a big bowl of this vegan potato corn chowder alone or alongside:

Crusty bread or flatbread, easy air fryer garlic bread, or this easy garlic herb focaccia
Vegan grilled cheese or other sandwiches like this vegan reuben sandwich or these vegan tea sandwiches
Crackers for dipping
Salads like this easy vegan Greek salad, vegan cobb salad, or ramen noodle cabbage salad

Storage Instructions

Make ahead: You can pre-chop/slice all the veggie corn chowder ingredients (except the potatoes) 1-2 days in advance, storing them in airtight containers in the fridge.

Fridge: Store any leftover cooled vegan corn chowder in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. Like most soups, it tastes even better on day two!

Reheat: I like to gently reheat the vegan corn soup on the stovetop, but a microwave will also work. If it has overly thickened, stir in a little more veggie broth or dairy-free milk.

Can You Freeze Corn Chowder?

Freezing soups with dairy-free cream or milk can change the texture upon thawing, so if you’re planning to freeze it, I recommend holding off on the creamy ingredient until it’s thawed.

Freeze the dairy-free corn chowder in airtight freezer-safe containers, Ziplock/Stasher bags, or even a silicone muffin mold (for individual servings), leaving room for expansion. Freeze for 2-3 months, allowing it to thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating it.