Growing up in Minnesota, my Dad had a real big thing about eating corn at nearly every dinner. It’s a Midwest staple, dontcha know?!
My personal favorite: good old creamy sweet corn from the can! MY GOODNESS, it’s SO sweet and delicious and has me feeling all sorts of nostalgia just writing about it. I fondly remember mixing the creamy corn into my mashed potatoes and covering it in black pepper. A weird young girl I was… and still am, thank you very much.
These days I don’t find myself eating corn all that often (unless it’s in my famous turkey chili), but a few summers ago Tony’s mom gave us some really delicious sweet corn to use up and so my corn chowder-makin’ adventure began, and this beautiful vegan corn chowder.
To be honest, this recipe was inspired by a corn chowder I had in Napa at the Auberge du Soleil restaurant. I had never eaten anything similar before; the chowder was SO creamy, thick, and perfectly sweet. We had huge slices of bread to soak it up and nearly fell off our chairs after drifting into a sweet corn heaven. Dramatic, but true.
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What’s in this vegan corn chowder?
This easy vegan corn chowder recipe is made with coconut milk, which makes it a cream-less, healthier version for you all to try. Each summer I love to make it at least once with seasonal sweet corn. You won’t need many ingredients for this corn chowder recipe, here’s the short list:
- Sweet corn: feel free to use fresh or frozen corn.
- Yukon gold potatoes: one of the secret ingredients for making this vegan corn chowder super creamy!
- Vegetarian broth: to help blend the soup and keep the soup vegan & vegetarian.
- Garlic: love a little flavor boost from garlic.
- Onion & poblano pepper: these two veggies add an amazing flavor to the corn chowder.
- Light coconut milk: the coconut milk adds the perfect amount of creaminess and a light, delicious sweetness. Feel free to use regular milk if you’re not vegan or dairy free.
The creamiest corn chowder (without any cream!)
The key to this super creamy vegan corn chowder? Besides the coconut milk, we’re also cooking down the potatoes and blending half of the soup to reach a lovely, thick, delicious texture! No cream, flour, or cashews necessary. I like to stir in sour cream as well (because I’m not vegan) but feel free to omit or use a vegan sour cream.
Looking to add a kick of heat or an extra veggie?
Feel free to swap the poblano pepper for a jalapeño for a little extra spice! If you want to pack in the veggies here feel free to dice a bell pepper with the veggies and enjoy sweet bites of pepper in every spoonful.
Our favorite curry twist
If you love curry flavor, try mixing in a teaspoon or two of curry powder for a coconut curry corn chowder. It’s SO good and adds an even more warming flavor to the soup.
Incredible vegan corn chowder in 4 steps
- Cook the veggies. In a large soup pot start by cooking down all of the veggies with a little olive oil until the potatoes start to soften.
- Add the broth. Slowly stir in the milk, vegetarian broth, and sour cream (if not vegan), scraping up any bits from the bottom of the pan as you stir. Season with salt and pepper and then simmer the soup uncovered until the potatoes are tender.
- Blend it up. To give a creamy texture, carefully blend half of the soup, then return the mixture to the pot. Stir it up and add more salt and pepper as needed.
- Garnish & serve. I like to sprinkle my bowl with fresh cilantro, scallions, and an extra swirl of sour cream (if not vegan). You could also add a little regular cheese or vegan cheese on top! Serve with crackers or crust bread — this homemade bread would be AMAZING.
How to store & freeze corn chowder
- To store: let the chowder cool completely, then store it in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- To freeze & reheat: simply let the corn chowder completely cool, transfer it to a freezer-safe container, and store it in the freezer for up to 2 months. When you’re ready to eat it, let the corn chowder thaw in the refrigerator, then simply reheat it in the microwave or on the stovetop until heated through.
Anyway, if you find yourself with a lot of sweet corn or if you just have a craving for corn chowder, then you need to try this recipe. You’re gonna want to slurp it up. Don’t forget the bread for dipping!
More ways to use fresh corn this summer
- Grilled Corn Salad with Avocado, Goat Cheese & Hot Honey Vinaigrette
- Street Corn Pasta Salad with Cilantro Pesto + Goat Cheese
- Summer Garden Crustless Zucchini Pie
- Avocado Peach Salsa
- Creamy Sweet Corn & Brown Butter Ricotta Pasta
Get all of my corn recipes here!
If you make this vegan corn chowder recipe, be sure to leave a comment below and rate the recipe! You can also snap a picture and post it on Instagram using the hashtag #ambitiouskitchen. xo!
Ambitious Kitchen
Cookbook
125 Ridiculously Good For You, Sometimes Indulgent, and Absolutely Never Boring Recipes for Every Meal of the Day
Creamy Vegan Corn Chowder
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium white onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 poblano pepper, seeded and diced (can also use 1 seeded jalapeno)
- 4 cups diced yukon gold potatoes
- 4-5 cups cups fresh sweet corn (can also use frozen)
- 1 (15 ounce) can light coconut milk (or regular milk if not vegan)
- 2 1/2 cups vegetarian broth
- Optional if not vegan: 1/4 cup sour cream to give it additional creaminess
- 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper
- To garnish, if desired: greek yogurt or goat cheese, cilantro and scallions
Instructions
- In a large soup pot over medium heat add the olive oil, onion, garlic, poblano, diced potatoes, corn and saute for 6-8 minutes or until potatoes start to soften.
- Slowly stir in the milk, vegetarian broth and sour cream, scraping up any bits from the bottom of the pan as you stir. Next stir in salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes uncovered or until the potatoes are tender and can easily be pierced with a fork.
- To give a creamy texture, blend half of the soup (BE CAREFUL WHILE DOING THIS!) then return to the pot. Stir to incorporate and then taste and adjust seasonings as necessary -- adding in more salt and pepper if necessary.
- To serve, sprinkle with cilantro, a swirl of sour cream (if not vegan) and scallions. Serve with bread or your favorite crackers. Makes 4 servings.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by: Eat Love Eats
This post was originally published on July 21st, 2020, and republished on July 18th, 2023.
I made this in the summer and it was delicious! I followed the recipe and kept it vegan. It turned out a bit yellow-green from the poblano but I didn’t mind.
So glad you enjoyed!
I used coconut milk and added a bay leaf & tons of Italian seasoning but still feel it lacked flavor in general. Maybe add rosemary or some herb to help this recipe flavorful.
Hi! I recommend adding salt to taste to bring out all of the flavors. I typically use low-sodium broth so that readers can add the amount of salt they like 🙂
Perfect recipe to use up three ears of corn.
I used coconut milk, a few dashes of hot sauce,the curry powder option. Mine had no dairy. A hearty and warming stew. Very satisfying.
Love that!
This was absolutely delicious! I added bacon because I’m only dairy free and it added so much extra flavor! My husband had 3 helpings. Can’t wait to make it again.
Love that! Great idea to add bacon 🙂
Excellent!
Excellent corn chowder recipe! Very tasty and pleases the family members who have issues with dairy and those of us who don’t. Mahalo!
So happy to hear that!
A 6-8 minute sauté and 10-15 minute simmering hasn’t been nearly enough to make the potatoes soft.
Hi! Make sure your potatoes are diced (and not just quartered), and then sauté them for 6-8 minutes OR until they start to soften. That way once they’re simmering they’ll be ready to blend.
Have not tried this yet but plan on doing it this week! Question, I don’t have light coconut milk, but I have a pantry full of regular full fat coconut milk lol. Will that do as well, or is it too heavy?
Great question! Full fat is heavier than light coconut milk, so you may need to add a bit more broth and the chowder might be pretty thick. I think it will still be delicious, though!
This was amazing!!! I didn’t realize it would be SO tasty. I highly recommend. This just became my new favorite soup. I used roasted frozen corn from Trader Joe’s and it turned out wonderfully. I also added one sliced celery stalk.
Isn’t it delicious?? Glad you loved it!
This is such a simple recipe and is seriously so delicious! After a few trial runs at home to make sure we loved it, I made it on Christmas and it was a big hit with our family. Even my picky toddler loves it. It has become a regular on our weekly meal plan. To lean into the poblano pepper and cilantro topping, I switched the corn to a frozen roasted corn. I love the flavor it gives it!
Amazing! So glad it was a hit!
Does this have a coconut taste ? Trying to incorporate healthier options without husband saying it tastes healthy 🙂 I love all the light options – he’s a true meat and potato type.
The coconut milk just gives it a creamy texture and a touch of sweetness, but it shouldn’t taste like coconut! Let me know if you give it a try 🙂
Ok I made this soup today because I was today years old when I learned that corn and peppers are yummy for your tummy during ovulation! I subbed out bell peppers because that’s what I had and you MUST blend half because it is revolutionary for the texture!! Also I added som paprika and a little cayenne for spice! Love it! So cozy yet fresh!
Ahh yay! I am so glad you found this recipe and are loving it, Grace!
Soooo delicious! Like no soup I’ve ever made before – great texture, creamy and chunky at the same time; sweet earthy taste with a perfect amount of kick from the poblano peppers. Will become part of my soup repertoire. Thank you! Everyone loved it!
Amazing! So glad this was a hit!
Can’t wait to try this! I’m sorry if this sounds like a silly question, but I’m not too experienced cooking with corn. I have some corn on the cob at the moment that I would like to use. Should I boil or bbq them and then carve off the corn and add to the recipe? Or should I simply carve off the corn without cooking it beforehand and then add? Please let me know. Thanks!
Hi! You can just cut the corn straight off the cob and add it to the recipe. Hope you enjoy 🙂
I made this exactly as described and garnished with cilantro and scallion plus a dash of curry powder, which makes a big difference in the flavor. Also goat cheese sounds like a good idea.
Oh sounds delicious! Glad you are enjoying this recipe 🙂
Added a little Nutpods for “cream”. It was delicious!
Such an easy, creamy, and delicious soup recipe for the summer! I will definitely be making this again!
This is literally the best! It’s a copycat of Paneras corn chowder. The only change was I used full fat coconut milk. Thank you so much!
Such a nice compliment!! Thank you! Thrilled to hear you love it 🥰
Delicious new take on corn chowder. I doubled the recipe, used “no-chikn’ bouillon & water in place of veggie broth, added 4 cooked chopped slices of Morningstar “Bacon’ as well as fresh cilantro. Delish!
Nice, thanks for sharing! I’m so glad you enjoyed it 🙂
I’ve found that adding a little cooked rice to soups before blending gives a creamy texture as well. I guess I’ll try potatoes next time.
Oh, that’s a great idea! And yes, potatoes work great 🙂
This was great! Even my preschooler ate two bowls full! Only wish it had a bit of protein, or maybe more veggies…or both. Any side dish recommendations?
Happy you guys loved it! Each serving has about 9 grams of protein, but if you want more I’d recommend my homemade chicken nuggets or fish sticks 🙂
I don’t see sour cream on the ingredient list. How much?
It’s there! It says “Optional if not vegan: 1/4 cup sour cream to give it additional creaminess” 🙂
Would vegan sour cream work, or would it sort of fall apart in the recipe?
I haven’t tried dairy-free sour cream in here and it probably depends on the brand, but I think it should work! Let me know if you try it 🙂
Just made this and it’s delicious! I substituted the potatoes for cauliflower and it turned out great.
Brilliant idea, I’m so happy you loved it!
Yum! Tastes like summer and it’s so easy
Right!? So summery! Glad you loved it 🙂
I used bone broth because it’s what I had and added bacon, too. Sautéed onions and then cooked it in the crockpot. So easy and SO GOOD!
Just made this for lunch and it did not disappoint. Love the coconut milk!
I make this chowder every time I get corn in my CSA box! There’s never a doubt that this is on the menu when I get my hands on fresh sweet corn! It’s super easy to make and really delicious!
Isn’t fresh corn THE BEST?! I’m so happy you love this chowder!!
The perfect way to use fresh farm corn! Better than most restaurants and I would bet much healthier
Yes, isn’t summer corn the best?! 🙂 Thanks, Carlie!