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Home » Soups » Vegan Corn Chowder

Vegan Corn Chowder

January 4, 2021 by Kylie Lato 10 Comments

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This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

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This hearty, comforting, Creamy Vegan Corn Chowder is prepared with simple ingredients and takes about 45 minutes to throw together. It’s dairy-free and nut-free but still luxuriously creamy and loaded with flavor!

Large white bowl filled with vegan potato corn chowder garnished with cilantro

You’ll Love This

  • If you’re curious how to thicken a vegan corn chowder (without using heavy cream), let me tell you – it’s easier than you think! No need to make a roux, a slurry, or a cashew cream mixture! This corn chowder is thickened by blending the boiled potatoes which gives the soup the most creamy, velvet-like texture ever.
  • This creamy corn chowder is made with canned corn which makes it super convenient and easy to throw together. But if fresh corn is in season where you’re at, you can certainly replace the canned corn with corn from the cob! If you’re replacing the two 15 oz. cans of corn with fresh, you’ll need a little less than 4 cups of fresh corn kernels. No need to cook the fresh corn – just throw it right in the soup and it will cook with everything else.
  • You can also use frozen corn for this recipe which means you can enjoy this soup year-round and be ready to make it at a moment’s notice!
  • This vegan corn chowder will last in the fridge for up to 5 days which makes it perfect for meal prep! I like to make a big batch on Sunday afternoon and then heat it up on the stove throughout the week for a quick lunch or an easy dinner!
White marble counter top with ingredients to make vegan potato corn chowder

Instructions

Roast peppers until charred on all sides, then transfer to a bowl and cover to steam.

Glass bowl filled with charred peppers

Carefully peel the charred skin off, remove ribs, seeds, and stems and discard. Dice peppers and set aside. 

Wooden cutting board with  diced roasted peppers on it

Saute onion, then add garlic, cumin, chili powder, oregano, chipotles, and cayenne along with a couple pinches of salt and pepper.

Large white pot with onion garlic and spices

Cook for another minute, stirring frequently. Add a splash of broth to the pot to deglaze and scrape the yummy bits off the bottom.

Large white pot with onion garlic and spices

Add peppers, potatoes, corn, and vegetable broth to the pot.

Large white pot with ingredients to make vegan corn chowder

Turn heat to medium high and bring to a simmer.

Large white pot with ingredients to make vegan corn chowder

Simmer for 10 minutes or until potatoes are fork-tender. Use an immersion blender or high-speed blender to blend half the soup.

Large white pot with ingredients to make vegan corn chowder

Add lime juice and season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with tortilla strips and fresh chopped cilantro!

Large white pot filled with homemade vegan corn chowder garnished with fresh cilantro

Tips

  • Season. Season. Season. And then season some more. This recipe is super simple which means salt and pepper are going to be your best friends. They will amplify the flavor of the corn immensely and do a great job at showcasing the fresh flavors! Be sure to taste this soup frequently throughout the cooking process and add more salt and pepper to taste. 
  • Poblano peppers are slightly spicy compared to a plain old bell pepper or banana pepper, but they aren’t nearly as hot as a jalapeno. After charring the poblanos, I found that they added just the right amount of smoky heat to the soup, without it being too spicy for my 4-year-old. If you have picky eaters who are averse to spice, feel free to use bell peppers in place of the poblanos. You can roast them in the exact same way!
  • If you don’t have time to roast peppers, you can just dice the peppers and saute them along with the onion. You won’t get that same smoky flavor as from the roasted peppers, but this vegan corn chowder will still taste great and it will save you some prep time!

Roasting Poblano Peppers

  • If you’re curious about how to roast poblano peppers, or if you’ve never done it before – this is a great starter recipe for you to try!
  • It’s super easy to roast peppers – you literally just place the peppers on a baking sheet and broil them, rotating them frequently using long tongs, until they are completely charred all over. If you’re a professional at burning anything you try to cook – you’ll love roasting peppers because that’s the goal!
  • Everyone takes roasting their peppers to a different level – much in the same way that everyone takes their caramelized onions to a different level. I personally like my roasted poblanos to be COMPLETELY charred and black all over.
  • After charring the peppers, place them in a large bowl and place a large plate over the top of the bowl so that it seals all the steam inside. Trapping the steam is going to make it super easy to remove the skin from the peppers.
  • Once the peppers have steamed for at least 5 minutes and you’re able to handle them, carefully peel the charred skin off the peppers, revealing the perfectly roasted flesh inside. Don’t worry if you can’t get every single bit of skin off the peppers – those little charred bits of skin will just add more flavor. However, make sure that you remove any large chunks of skin that you can because the texture of those pieces will be undesirable in this soup.
Large white bowl filled with vegan potato corn chowder garnished with cilantro

Favorite Vegan Soups

  • Creamy Vegan Lentil Tortilla Soup
  • Easy Vegan Black Bean Chili
  • Creamy Vegan Chickpea Chili
  • Creamy Vegan Chickpea Gnocchi Soup
  • Simple Vegan Lentil Mushroom Stew
Print

Creamy Vegan Corn Chowder

★★★★★

5 from 2 reviews

This hearty, comforting, Creamy Vegan Corn Chowder is prepared with simple ingredients and takes about 45 minutes to throw together. It’s dairy-free and nut-free but still luxuriously creamy and loaded with flavor!

  • Author: Kylie Lato
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 35 minutes
  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: 6 servings 1x
  • Category: Main Dish
  • Method: Stove Top
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegan
Scale

Ingredients

    • 4 poblano peppers (or bell peppers)
    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • 1 yellow onion, diced
    • 6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
    • 2 teaspoons cumin
    • 1 teaspoon chili powder
    • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
    • 1–3 teaspoons chipotles in adobo
    • pinch of cayenne pepper
    • 1.5 lbs. potatoes, diced into 1/2” pieces
    • 2 (15 oz.) cans corn, drained 
    • 6 cups vegetable broth
    • juice of 1 lime (about 1 tablespoon)
    • Kosher salt
    • fresh cracked pepper

Garnish with:

    • homemade fried tortilla strips
    • coconut milk
    • fresh chopped cilantro
    • vegan Cotija cheese
    • lime wedges

Instructions

  1. Place whole poblano peppers on a baking sheet and turn your broiler to high. Broil peppers, rotating them frequently until they are completely charred and black all over. This will take about 10-14 minutes or so.
  2. Carefully transfer to a bowl and cover the bowl to trap the steam for about 5 minutes or until they are cool to the touch. Carefully peel the charred skin off, remove ribs, seeds, and stems and discard. Dice peppers and set aside. 
  3. Heat a large pot over medium-high heat.
  4. Add diced onion along with a couple pinches of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently for 4 minutes.
  5. Add garlic, cumin, chili powder, oregano, chipotles, and cayenne along with a couple pinches of salt and pepper. Cook for another minute, stirring frequently. Add a splash of broth to the pot to deglaze and scrape all the yummy bits off the bottom. 
  6. Add peppers, potatoes, corn, and vegetable broth to the pot.
  7. Turn heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer.
  8. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes or until potatoes are fork-tender, stirring occasionally.
  9. Use an immersion blender or high-speed blender to blend half the soup.
  10. Add lime juice and season to taste with salt and pepper.
  11. Garnish with tortilla strips and fresh chopped cilantro!

Notes

Season. Season. Season. And then season some more. This recipe is super simple which means salt and pepper are going to be your best friends. They will amplify the flavor of the corn immensely and do a great job at showcasing the fresh flavors! Be sure to taste this soup frequently throughout the cooking process and add more salt and pepper to taste. 

Poblano peppers are slightly spicy compared to a plain old bell pepper or banana pepper, but they aren’t nearly as hot as a jalapeno. After charring the poblanos, I found that they added just the right amount of smoky heat to the soup, without it being too spicy for my 4-year-old. If you have picky eaters who are averse to spice, feel free to use bell peppers in place of the poblanos. You can roast them in the exact same way!

If you don’t have time to roast peppers, you can just dice the peppers and saute them along with the onion. You won’t get that same smoky flavor as from the roasted peppers, but this vegan corn chowder will still taste great and it will save you some prep time!

Keywords: potato corn chowder, poblano corn chowder, easy corn chowder, vegetarian corn chowder

Did you make this recipe?

Be sure to share a photo on Instagram and tag @midwest.foodie!

This post was originally published in September of 2017. It was updated in January 2021 to include process shots and detailed instructions to help you make the very best vegan corn chowder every single time.

Filed Under: Family Style Dinners, Soups, Vegan

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jen Standing

    September 7, 2017 at 2:31 am

    Who ever thought a bowl of soup could be so beautiful?!?

    Reply
    • Midwest Foodie

      April 4, 2018 at 4:33 pm

      Awww, shucks! Love your blog Jen!

      Reply
  2. Melissa | Bless this Mess

    July 17, 2018 at 1:50 am

    Ooooh that looks so good! I grew up in Indiana where summer corn is a sacred thing – it would be delicious in this chowder!

    Reply
    • Midwest Foodie

      July 17, 2018 at 5:00 pm

      Same here in Wisconsin! Although it’s much too hot for soup right now, I like to cut if off the cob and freeze it for recipes like this one!

      Reply
  3. Robyn

    August 1, 2018 at 10:13 pm

    Quadrupled the recipe and pressure canned to enjoy all winter long – thank you!

    Reply
    • Midwest Foodie

      August 7, 2018 at 2:40 pm

      What a great idea! I might have to do the same…

      Reply
  4. Sue

    January 4, 2021 at 8:39 pm

    Such a delicious recipe! Totally worth the extra few minutes to char the peppers – phenomenal flavors!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Kylie Lato

      January 5, 2021 at 10:10 am

      I am so glad that you enjoyed this recipe! Thank you for leaving a review 🙂

      Reply
  5. Luke

    January 4, 2021 at 8:40 pm

    The whole family loved this soup – even our young daughter. Thanks for sharing such a delicious recipe!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Kylie Lato

      January 5, 2021 at 10:10 am

      I am so glad that you enjoyed this recipe, Luke! Thank you for leaving a review 🙂

      Reply

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HELLO FROM THE MIDWEST - I'm Kylie and as a busy mom, I understand how hard it can be to get a wholesome dinner on the table at the end of a long day. Here at Midwest Foodie I focus on sharing simple recipes that make it easy to feed your family real food. More about me →

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