Vegan Corn Chowder

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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!

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!

Instructions

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

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

Saute onion, then 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 the yummy bits off the bottom.

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

Turn heat to medium high and bring to a simmer.

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

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

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

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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.