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Vegan Corn Chowder is creamy and comforting, and you’d never guess it’s made without gluten or dairy!

vegan corn chowder in two bowls

Ingredients You’ll Need

Instead of heavy cream, this recipe calls for non-dairy milk and potatoes to add a creamy texture. You can use almond milk or coconut milk with delicious results! 

Red bell peppers add color and flavor, but you can also use any other vegetables you have on hand, like celery, carrots, or even a handful of chopped kale.

Frozen corn makes this recipe come together quickly with minimal prep, but feel free to use fresh corn when it’s in season. You can also use any variety of potatoes you have on hand, like russet potatoes or Yukon gold potatoes.

vegan corn chowder ingredients

How to Make Vegan Corn Chowder

1. Sauté.

Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat and saute the onion and pepper until tender, about 5 to 8 minutes. 

Add the garlic, thyme, and cayenne pepper, and stir for one more minute.

sauteed peppers and onions in pot

2. Simmer. 

Next, add the water, corn kernels, potatoes, salt, and black pepper and bring the liquid to a boil.

Cover the pot and lower the heat, simmering until the potatoes are fork-tender, about 25 to 30 minutes. 

corn chowder ingredients added to pot and cooked

3. Blend. 

When the soup is done cooking, stir in the coconut milk. Use a ladle to transfer half of the soup to a blender and carefully blend until smooth. 

When blending hot liquids, lightly cover the vent in the lid with a thin dish towel, so steam can safely escape and you won’t get splattered with hot soup. Alternatively, you can use an immersion blender directly in the soup pot until the soup reaches a consistency you like.

corn chowder in blender and blended

Pour the blended soup back into the pot, then adjust the seasoning to taste. Serve warm with any toppings you love, like chopped chives.

Leftover soup can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. It’s easy to reheat on the stove or in the microwave using 30-second intervals. Soup can also be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.

blended soup in pot and served in bowl

Frequently Asked Questions

Why doesn’t this recipe call for vegetable broth?

Using water instead of vegetable broth makes this recipe budget-friendly and you won’t miss out on any flavor when you follow this recipe. If you prefer to use broth, be sure to cut back on the salt this recipe calls for since most store-bought options already contain sodium.

How else can I add creaminess?

You can blend a half cup of unsalted cashews into this soup, if you don’t have a plant-based milk you love, or add a dollop of cashew cream if you keep that on hand. Blending the soup will also add creaminess on its own! 

Can I make this soup nut-free?

Yes, use oat milk or hemp milk for creaminess.

Can this pressure cook instead?

For Instant Pot Corn Chowder, add onion, pepper, corn, potatoes, water, salt, pepper, garlic, and cayenne pepper to the bowl of your Instant Pot. Secure the lid, move the steam release valve to sealing, and cook at high pressure for 10 minutes. Let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes after that, and then this soup is ready to blend and serve.

Looking for more vegan soup recipes? Try Cauliflower Soup, Chickpea Noodle Soup, or Red Lentil Soup for more delicious ideas.

vegan corn chowder in bowl with spoon
vegan corn chowder in bowl with spoon

Amazing Vegan Corn Chowder

4.98 from 34 votes
Vegan Corn Chowder is a creamy soup made without gluten or dairy. It's the perfect way to cook with fresh corn, or use frozen corn for minimal prep work!
prep10 mins cook30 mins total40 mins
Servings:4

Ingredients
 
 

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 yellow onion , chopped (204 grams)
  • 1 red bell pepper , chopped (170 grams)
  • 1 garlic clove , minced
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • pinch of cayenne pepper (no more than 1/8 teaspoon)
  • 4 cups water
  • 1 pound Yukon gold potatoes , cut into 1-inch chunks
  • 1 pound frozen organic corn kernels (about 2 1/2 cups)
  • 2 teaspoons sea salt , plus more to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 cup coconut milk (or milk of choice)

Instructions

  • Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat and sauté the onion and pepper until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, thyme, and cayenne pepper and stir for 1 more minute.
  • Next, add the water, potatoes, corn, salt, and black pepper. Bring the water to a boil, then cover and lower the heat, simmering until the potatoes are fork-tender, about 25 to 30 minutes.
  • When the soup is done cooking, stir in the coconut milk. Use a ladle to scoop half of the soup into a blender, and carefully blend until smooth. (When blending hot liquids, be sure to lightly cover the vent in the lid with a thin dish towel, so steam can escape and you won't get splattered with hot soup.)
  • Pour the blended soup back into the pot, and then adjust the seasoning to taste. Serve warm with any toppings you love. Leftover soup can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Notes

Nutrition information is for 1 of 4 servings or roughly 2 cups of soup. This information is automatically calculated and is just an estimate, not a guarantee.
Update Note: This recipe was updated in May 2021. If you prefer the original recipe, omit the coconut milk and cayenne pepper. I think this updated version is even better, though, so I hope you’ll try it.

Nutrition

Calories: 251kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Sodium: 1191mg | Potassium: 710mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 945IU | Vitamin C: 63mg | Calcium: 46mg | Iron: 3mg
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American
Keyword: vegan corn chowder

If you try this Vegan Corn Chowder, please leave a comment below letting me know how you like it. (I hope you love it!) And if you make any modifications, I’d love to hear about those, too. We can all benefit from your experience.

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Megan Gilmore leaning on her white countertop.

Megan Gilmore

Hi, I’m Megan. A former fast food junkie turned best-selling cookbook author. I create healthy recipes made with simple ingredients to make your life easier.

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Comments

  1. This was a winner! My entire family enjoyed this recipe, which is saying something, since I have a couple of ‘vegan rejectors’ in the house. Even though I like coconut, and other creamy soups, I left that out since I have a couple of kids who don’t like creamy soups.
    I also used an immersion blender to blend about 2/3 of it rather than pulling some out of the soup to blend, and it worked great. Will definitely want to make this one again. It went great with a side of green peas and a green romaine, arugula, tomato and avocado salad. Thanks!

  2. This recipe was a BIG win!. I ended up adding 2 tbsp of butter, another teaspoon of salt and a half-teaspoon of cayenne at the end. I also served it with chopped green onions and chopped bacon as optional toppings. So much for vegan/vegetarian. Not much leftovers in the end: both a good and a bad (sad) thing.

  3. I just made this recipe for the second time this year. We love fresh corn but can’t eat all the cobs in a dozen. Making chowder was the perfect solution to the leftover sweet corn. And, this recipe is the alternative to the heavy cream, etc. that is in the traditional recipes. This recipe is so, so delicious. I don’t use the frozen corn, I use scraped fresh corn. I also don’t take hot soup out to blend. We like find soup tastes so much better the second day. Therefore, I make the soup, put in the fridge and then use my immersiom blender for a minute or two. I still want it to be chowder. It’s great. Genius recipe, IMO.

  4. This vegan corn chowder really is amazing! I love the added spice and can’t wait to eat the leftovers for lunch tomorrow.

  5. Yum! Per the replacement recommendations I replaced the potatoes with cauliflower for more veg and less starch and it came out great. Only thing I did different is let it simmer with the top off knowing cauliflower is a bit wetter than potatoes and it came out nice and creamy still.
    Doubling accident- I put it double the cayenne than recommended, I actually like the kick but my kids did not. Will stick with the recommended amount next time. Thanks for a great healthy recipe!!

  6. Delicious soup that our family will enjoy over and over! Thank you very much! Two of the three of us don’t care for hot seasonings so I omitted the three pepper ingredients; used onion powder rather than onions (for convenience); and almond milk rather than coconut milk. Also I omitted the oil because I’m on an oil-free diet. It was so very good!

  7. Made this just as directed and am enjoying a bowl as I review it. Used full fat coconut milk and first spoonful sure tasted coconutty! After that however, my taste buds adjusted. Might try a different milk next time? Thanks for the recipe!

  8. this delicious chowder is a fav of ours – tonite i added diced chicken breast-tried your recipe -IP frozen chicken breast – SO Delicious- my husband asked for seconds! So grateful for all your great recipes !