Vegan Corn Chowder is luscious and creamy, even without the dairy! This 9-ingredient comfort food comes together in one pot and boasts BIG flavor.
Vegetarian potato corn chowder
This Vegan Corn Chowder recipe is creamy comfort food at its finest. Made with fresh or frozen corn, potatoes, and a handful of smoky seasonings and simple ingredients, you and your family won’t be able to get enough!
The recipe is practically effortless, too. The vegetable-packed base of the soup comes together in one pot while a blended cashew cream helps thicken the luscious finished meal in a pinch. Make the meal unforgettable by sprinkling crumbled vegan bacon on top and serving fresh artisan bread on the side.
The best part? Corn chowder is fitting for any time of year! Turn to it when you have more summer corn than you know what to do with (the rest can be thrown in vegan cornbread) or for a comforting, warming dinner during cold winter nights. Just freeze the leftovers and reheat them whenever you’re craving the sweet and smoky flavors.
Ingredients needed (with substitutions)
- Olive oil
- Onion
- Red bell pepper – Or any other color of bell pepper. Feel free to add even more vegetables in addition to the peppers if you’d like!
- Vegetable broth – A meatless “chicken” broth would also be delicious.
- Smoked paprika – If you don’t have smoked paprika, swap it for regular paprika. The smoky flavor can be replaced with 2 or 3 drops of liquid smoke.
- Corn – I prefer fresh corn but drained and rinsed canned corn and frozen corn will also work.
- Yukon gold potatoes – These are the best kind of potatoes for chowder because they help thicken the soup and give it a creamy texture. Russet potatoes are the next best option.
- Cashews – Raw cashews are blended with the soup for ultra creaminess. Raw slivered almonds will also work here. You may also use a bit of coconut cream or milk to make the soup creamy.
- Nutritional yeast – To help the soup taste cheesy even without the dairy. Try not to leave it out!
- Salt
How to make vegan corn chowder
Find the complete instructions with measurements, temperatures, and cook times on the recipe card below.
Heat the oil in a large soup pot and add the onion. Saute until it’s aromatic and soft, then add the red bell pepper.
Add the vegetable broth, smoked paprika, corn, and potatoes. Bring the soup up to a boil and let it simmer until the potatoes are fork tender.
To a blender, add the cashews, nutritional yeast, and 2 cups of the soup. Blend until smooth and creamy. Pour this mixture back into the soup pot, stir, and season with salt. Serve with any toppings you like and fresh bread on the side, then enjoy!
Serving suggestions
Because it’s so rich and creamy, potato corn chowder can easily be enjoyed on its own as a filling meal. However, if you’re looking to pair it with the perfect side dish, I recommend serving it with fresh dutch oven bread, asparagus, kale caesar salad, or vegan collard greens and plenty of toppings on each bowl.
Topping ideas
Serving a crowd? Impress your guests by topping each bowl of chowder with simple, yet extravagant-looking garnishes, such as:
- Roasted corn kernels
- Tofu bacon or tempeh bacon
- Green onions
- Vegan sour cream
- Succotash
- Diced jalapeno
- Roasted chickpeas
- Fresh herbs
- Toasted sourdough pieces
Frequently asked questions
- What makes a chowder a chowder? Chowder is a thick and creamy soup that’s typically made with a base of pork or bacon and vegetables. This vegan chowder recipe, as well as my vegan clam chowder, omits the meat but keeps the rest of the recipe as traditional as possible thanks to the inclusion of onions, potatoes, and a creamy soup base.
- Can vegan corn chowder be made nut free? You can make this easy corn chowder nut free by omitting the blended cashews and pureeing the soup with an immersion blender. The potatoes will make the soup quite creamy by themselves. Or add a bit of coconut cream/milk.
- How do you store leftover corn chowder? Leftover corn chowder can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let the soup thaw completely overnight before reheating it on the stove or in the microwave.
Want more comforting vegan soups?
Vegan Corn Chowder
Ingredients
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 medium red bell pepper, chopped small
- 5 cups vegetable broth
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 4 cups corn, fresh or frozen
- 2 pounds yukon gold potatoes, peeled and chopped | about 4 medium potatoes
- 1 cup raw cashews
- 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
- 1/2-1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
Instructions
- In a large soup pot, saute the onion in the olive oil for 3-4 minutes over medium heat, stirring frequently. Add the red bell pepper and cook for 1 more minute.
- Now pour in the vegetable broth, smoked paprika, corn and potatoes. Stir. Bring to a boil, then simmer for about 10 minutes until the potatoes are fork tender.
- To a blender, add the cashews, nutritional yeast and 2 cups of the soup. Blend until very smooth, then add back to the pot and stir. Add salt to taste. Serve and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Consider serving corn chowder with a sprinkling of crumbled tempeh bacon and vegan sour cream.
- Allergic to cashews? Try raw slivered almonds, or just leave them out completely. The soup will still be quite creamy from the potatoes, and you can use an immersion blender directly in the pot, or blend a few cups of the soup and add it back to the pot. Or stir in 1/2-3/4 cup coconut cream or milk.
- There is no need to soak the cashews, because the soup will be so hot it will help them blend.
Nutrition
*This recipe was originally published April 2019 and has been republished with new photos and writing. The recipe is unchanged.
Can this soup be frozen?
Yes, it freezes very well.
We LOVE this chowder. I routinely add more smoked paprika, 1 tsp of celery salt, 2 bay leaves, and 1.5 tsp liquid hickory smoke for bacon flavour.
It is so delicious (: Thank you Nora
You are welcome, Shea! Thank you for reaching out and letting me know how much you are loving the chowder recipe! I appreciate your positive feedback, and wish you lots of happy cooking!
So easy and delicious! I’ve had it with cashews, but they’re expensive so this time I made it with silken tofu and love it. added some sliced serranos as a garnish, and didn’t t bother peeling the potatoes.
Hi Julie. Thank you for sharing your recipe experience and terrific review! I loved reading about it! Wishing you lots of happy cooking!
Made this tonight. So good and so easy! Will be making again!
My first time ever having a chowder vegan or not. Was so Delish!! My partner and I both loved it, I added diced carrots and used the coconut milk rather than cashews. Added the vegan bacon bits & sour cream was great!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the chowder! A good chowder is always delicious to me! Thanks for sharing your recipe experience as well as your terrific review!
Another excellent recipe! Your recipes are so dependable and always turn out delicious. Thanks ☘️
This recipe is so easy and really, REALLY delicious. Like restaurant quality. I want to freeze some for work lunches and our office is (unfortunately) nut free, so I ended up pureeing about 3 cups of the soup and added 1/2 cup vegan soy creamer. I also added a generous amount of garlic powder and onion powder. Turned out really creamy, even without the cashews.
Hi Darcie. I’m thrilled you loved the soup recipe! Thanks for sharing your recipe experience and stellar review! Perfect for lunches during the week!
This is so good!! I made it twice this week, once with cashews as stated and the next time with white kidney beans, as I’d run out of cashews. Both were amazing but we obviously preferred the OG with the cashews.
Doubled the recipe the second time and it came out much more liquidy but then realized the ingredients double but the instructions still say add 2 cups to the blender. Im an idiot. Added 4 cups to the blender and it was perfect again.
Hi looks delicious. Do you think you could replace the cashews with a can of cannellini beans for a lower fat version?
Yes, that will work quite well. Enjoy!
OMG so yummy! I ended up using 1/2 can cannellini beans and 1/2 cup cashews. I also added a couple carrots. I made your corn bread ( muffins) and it was a perfect dinner! Thanks for the recipes!
Lisa
You are welcome, Lisa! I’m so glad you enjoyed the chowder and the corn muffins! Your chowder sounds delicious! Thank you for sharing your stellar review and recipe experience!
About to try this — how does prep only take 5 minutes with all the chopping to do?! What is the secret?! 🤣
Oh wow, you are right, I don’t know what I was thinking! I posted this several years ago- but I just updated the time. It’s definitely more like 20 minutes to prep. Unless you are a super chopper. 🙂 I hope you love the soup.
This is delicious. Thank you!
You are welcome, Deb! I’m so glad that you loved the corn chowder! Thank you for sharing your stellar review!
Hi
Made this today in my instant pot pressure cooker to save on calories I didn’t fry anything off just piled it all in for 8 minutes
Really tasty soup
Hi Nora!
Can I add mushrooms too?
Sure you could! Enjoy!