Vegan Corn Chowder

This easy vegan corn chowder recipe is one of our all-time favorite soups! Smoky, sweet & creamy, it's destined for your regular meal rotation.

Vegan corn chowder recipe

It’s hard for me to pick favorites, but I’ll come out and say it: this vegan corn chowder recipe is one of my favorite soups on the blog. I don’t care what temperature it might be outside – I could eat a bowl of this creamy, smoky corn chowder anytime.

Vegan Corn Chowder Recipe Ingredients

Vegan Corn Chowder Recipe Ingredients

This vegan corn chowder recipe uses veggies and spices to get a delicious creamy texture and smoky flavor without any meat or dairy. Here’s what’s in it:

  • Onion, garlic, and celery make up its aromatic base.
  • Sweet corn is the star of the show! It contributes to the creamy texture, adds essential sweetness, and dots the soup with crispy kernels.
  • Potatoes thicken the soup’s creamy base and add chunky texture.
  • Red bell pepper adds great veggie flavor and deepens the golden color.
  • Light coconut milk works with the corn and potato to perfect the creamy texture. If you’re not vegan, you can swap in whole milk to make this a vegetarian corn chowder.
  • Sherry vinegar brightens it up!
  • And smoked paprika and celery salt add rich, smoky flavor without any meat!

Vegetarian Corn Chowder Recipe

How to Make the Best Vegan Corn Chowder

Great veggie ingredients are the base of this soup, but these steps are essential for making it smoky, satisfying, and delicious:

  • After you slice the kernels off cobs of fresh sweet corn, use the back of your knife to scrape the juices off the cob. Add this starchy, milky liquid to the chowder to make it extra creamy and rich.
  • Blend half the soup, and leave the rest chunky. Because of the starches in fresh corn and potatoes, these vegetables blend into a luscious creamy broth. I like to blend part of the chowder to create this creamy base and leave the rest chunky for texture.
  • Don’t forget to garnish. Save a few raw corn kernels and pieces of diced red pepper to sprinkle over bowls of chowder. They’ll create the perfect crispy contrast to the creamy soup. For extra smoky flavor, try topping it with coconut bacon or tempeh bacon bits!

Vegan Corn Chowder in bowls with spoons

More Favorite Soup Recipes

If you love this plant-based corn chowder, try one of these delicious soup recipes next:

Or find more of my favorite soups here!


5.0 from 60 reviews

Vegan Corn Chowder

 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
This creamy vegan corn chowder is one of my favorite soup recipes! Totally dairy-free, its rich texture comes from blended corn, potatoes, and light coconut milk. Gluten-free.
Author:
Recipe type: Soup
Cuisine: American
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 ribs celery, chopped
  • 1 Yukon gold potato, chopped
  • 4 ears fresh sweet corn, husked
  • 1 red pepper, diced
  • ½ teaspoon celery salt
  • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar, or white wine vinegar
  • 2 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 (14-ounce) can light coconut milk (or 1¾ cups whole milk)
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Chopped chives, for garnish
  • Reserve some corn kernels and diced red pepper for garnish (optional)
Instructions
  1. Heat the olive oil in a large dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and a few pinches of salt.
  2. Cook until soft, then add the garlic, celery, and potatoes.
  3. Slice the kernels off the corn, then use the back of your knife to scrape the juices off of the corn cob and add to the pot. Add the red pepper, celery salt, paprika, a pinch of salt, black pepper, and stir. Cook until the potatoes are slightly softened, about 5 minutes, then add the sherry vinegar, vegetable broth, and coconut milk.
  4. Cover and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 15 more minutes. Let cool slightly, then transfer half the soup to a blender. Blend until creamy then return it back to the pot and stir.
  5. Taste and adjust seasonings and serve with chopped chives.

 

148 comments

Leave a comment:

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Rate this recipe (after making it):  

  1. Kay
    09.20.2024

    Every time sweet corn season rolls around, I try out non-dairy corn chowder recipes with the hope that one of them is similar to a corn chowder that I had while on vacation once. This recipe is the closest I’ve ever come to capturing that memory.

  2. Jane
    08.17.2024

    I just started down my vegan journey and this chowder is absolutely incredible! I enjoy it much more than the non-vegan version that I used to make. I have made it 3 times now and added some mushrooms this last time which was a nice addition. Thank you so much for the recipe!!

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      08.23.2024

      Hi Jane, I’m so glad you love the recipe!

  3. Beth
    08.14.2024

    This is soooo delicious! I didn’t have smoked paprika, so used regular, and added come curry powder–yum!

  4. Jackie
    08.11.2024

    Hi,
    Can this soup be frozen?

  5. Lydia Mazzullo
    09.27.2023

    Could I use frozen corn kernels instead and, if so, how much should I add? Thank you!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      09.27.2023

      Hi Lydia, you could – it would be about 3 cups

  6. Linda Williams
    09.14.2023

    Love this chowder. Made it for the first time this past Monday, and it was so delicious that here it is Thursday, and I am making it again. Thank you for this recipe.

  7. Divya Marwaha
    07.26.2023

    Would this work for a cold summer soup? Thanks in advance!

  8. CJ
    01.23.2023

    Hi! This looks delicious, but when I clicked through from #46 on previous page it said this would be a recipe for Split Pea Corn Chowder. Thanks!

  9. Nina M
    08.24.2022

    Fantastic! Hubby and I both loved it. very filling as is.

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      08.24.2022

      I’m so glad you loved it!

  10. Dave
    07.15.2022

    I love this soup SO much!!! I made it last week and will make it again in a few days. It’s sweet and savory and so comforting. Oh…and it’s a calming experience cutting the corn off the cob. We got two meals out of it served with fresh bread. 10 stars!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      07.16.2022

      I’m so glad you’ve been loving it!

  11. Daniel
    03.16.2022

    Roughly how many quarts does this soup make?

  12. Elaine
    12.21.2021

    Could sweet potatoes be substituted, or would it make the soup too sweet? Thank you in advance!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      12.22.2021

      Hi Elaine, I think they could work, I haven’t tried it myself so it’s hard to say.

  13. Caroline
    10.05.2021

    This is a staple recipe for my family when fresh corn is available. I usually use 4 pre-husked ears, but they’re not full-sized. Used 7 short ears tonight and the soup was thick and creamy. Sooo good!

  14. Alison
    09.28.2021

    hi, i made this with leftover grilled corn and it was delicious! i didn’t have potatoes so left them out, and used water and instead of broth and regular coconut milk – what a great way to transition from summer to fall thank you!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      09.28.2021

      I’m so glad you enjoyed it!

      • Brenda Hissong
        11.09.2021

        Can I get the nutritional info in this soup per 1 cup? Thanks

A food blog with fresh, zesty recipes.
Photograph of Jeanine Donofrio and Jack Mathews in their kitchen

Hello, we're Jeanine and Jack.

We love to eat, travel, cook, and eat some more! We create & photograph vegetarian recipes from our home in Chicago, while our shiba pups eat the kale stems that fall on the kitchen floor.