I recently spent the week in Mexico celebrating my grandma's 80th birthday with my entire family. We rented a big house, which was essentially a resort in itself, for the 18 of us. With the house came an incredible chef who made all of our meals, and oh my goodness, the food was incredible. Every night, we would start dinner with a soup course. I'm a big soup recipe lover, so this was oh so exciting for me.
On our third night there, the chef came out with a corn chowder for everyone - including a vegan corn chowder for me and my dairy-free dad, and it was outstanding. We all talked about it for the rest of the trip and I knew I needed to recreate it as soon as I got home.
And boy, did I. Not going to lie...I think my version is even better. I'm a big fan of chunky soups, so while the version in Mexico was silky smooth, I kept my corn chowder more textured, with chunks of corn and potato throughout. It's creamy, filling, hearty, and absolutely delicious - especially if you serve it with some or . Let's get into what goes into this soup!
What you need to make vegan corn chowder
- Olive Oil: to saute the veggies in - avocado oil works just as well!
- Onion: I used a yellow onion, but white or sweet onions will work well too.
- Garlic: I used two giant cloves for this recipe, but three or four small to medium cloves will do the trick - or add more if you're a major garlic lover!
- Yukon Gold Potatoes & Celery: these veggies add extra bulk and the potatoes help make a super creamy soup! I peel them, but you can keep the peel on for more fiber and texture if you prefer.
- Sweet Corn: I used fresh sweet corn that I cut right off the cob (and scraped the milky bits from the cob for extra flavor). You can also use frozen - see below.
- Coconut Milk: full-fat coconut milk works great in this vegan corn chowder, and it doesn't taste coconutty. If you don't like coconut, you can also make a cashew cream instead.
- Salt, Pepper & Smoked Paprika
We also use water instead of broth to keep the flavors bright and bold, but water doesn't count as an ingredient, does it?!
Can I use frozen corn or canned corn for corn chowder?
Yes, you can! I used fresh sweet corn because it was super affordable at the grocery store (3 for $1!) but if you're making this in the off-season, or just want the ease of frozen corn, you can absolutely use it instead. Because corn is frozen at the peak of freshness, it will still be sweet and fresh tasting.
You can also use canned corn if you have that on hand instead. You'll likely need two to three cans of corn for this recipe.
I don't like coconut, can I use something else?
You don't taste the coconut milk strongly in this vegan corn chowder recipe at all, but if you want to use something else, cashew cream works great!
To make it, follow the ingredient amounts and instructions for the cashew cream in this soup recipe, and add it to the soup right before you blend.
How to store chowder
You can store this vegan corn chowder in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months; let thaw in the refrigerator before reheating over the stove or in the microwave.
What to serve with vegan corn chowder:
