Vegan Corn Chowder

Homemade corn stock and potatoes paired with chili peppers and ginger puts a unique spin on corn chowder. This vegan corn chowder is creamy, complex, rich and so delicious!

Jump to:

• 🥗 Why We Love This Recipe
• 🌽 Ingredients
• 📋 Ingredient Notes
• 🔪 Step-by-step Instructions
• 💭 Expert Tips and FAQs
• 🍽 Related Recipes
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Reviews

🥗 Why We Love This Recipe

• Unique: This soup is a special spin on corn chowder, with coconut, ginger, and chilis lending it a bit of spice and a flavorful southeast Asian twist.
• Great hot or cold: It works just as well cold as it does hot, meaning it can be served as a refreshing appetizer in the summer or a warming, hearty soup in late summer or fall.
• Nothing wasted: Making use of the corn cobs helps to reduce food waste, and also lends this soup extra body flavor. The corn stock can also be frozen for future use in plenty of other recipes!
• Vegan: we use coconut milk and potatoes to make this corn chowder super creamy and thick without any of the dairy.

🌽 Ingredients

Here's everything you'll need to make our vegan corn chowder:

📋 Ingredient Notes

• Corn stock: If you want to skip this step to save yourself some time, just replace the corn stock with a store-bought vegetable broth. (Did you know you can also make vegetable broth from leftover veggie scraps?)
• Choice of potatoes: We opted for Yukon gold potatoes – they have the best texture for blended soups and chowders. You can also use russets, but we'd suggest staying away from red potatoes, which can produce a waxy texture when blended.
• Fresno chili peppers: If you've never seen a fresno before, they basically look like red jalapeño peppers. If you can't find these at your grocery store, you can opt to replace them with jalapeños or serranos. If you're not a fan of spice, you can leave out the pepper altogether.
• Coconut milk: we used lite coconut milk in this vegan corn chowder, which is thinner and has less fat than full fat coconut milk. Technically you can use either, but we find the lite version keeps this soup from being too heavy. You can find this kind of coconut milk canned, typically near other Southeast asian staples.
• Ginger: I know it's not a typical ingredient in vegan corn chowder, but we promise it adds SO much flavor. The subtle spice pairs so well with sweet corn and adds so much depth to this recipe. If you don't have fresh, leave it out altogether. It won't be the same with powdered ginger.

🔪 Step-by-step Instructions

Make The Corn Stock:

NOTE: If you want to skip this step, feel free to sub the corn stock with regular vegetable broth.

(1) Slice kernels off of 5 ears of corn and set kernels aside – you'll use these later on in the corn chowder.

(2) Add 3 of the corn cobs to a large stock pot with all of the other broth ingredients: 2 large smashed cloves of garlic, 1 large Fresno chili, halved, 1 large carrot, chopped into 4 pieces, 1 medium onion, quartered, 1 large stalk of celery, leaves included, chopped into 3 pieces, 5-6 sprigs of fresh cilantro, ½ inch piece of ginger, peeled and halved, 8 cups water, 2 teaspoon kosher salt.

(3) Bring stock to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover the pot and let simmer on low heat for 2-2 ½ hours, stirring several times throughout.

(4) When done, strain through stock a fine mesh sieve, using the back of a large spoon to press liquids out from broth solids. This should yield 4-5 cups of broth, and any extra stock can be frozen and used within 3 months.

Make The Vegan Corn Chowder:

(1) Heat 2 tablespoon of olive oil in a large stock pot over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add 1 diced onion and cook for 5-6 minutes. Add 2 teaspoon minced garlic and 1 teaspoon minced ginger and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring often, until onions are translucent.

(2) Add 2 cups diced potatoes, half of the corn kernels that you set aside earlier, half of the chopped celery (½ cup), half of the carrots (½ cup), and 1 tablespoon of chopped cilantro with 1 teaspoon of salt and some cracked pepper. Stir well and cook for 5-6 minutes.

(3) Stir in 1 can of coconut milk, 2 cups of our homemade corn stock (or vegetable broth if substituting), and 1.5 tablespoon lime juice and bring just to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and let simmer for 20-25 minutes, stirring a few times. Veggies should be fork tender when done.

(4) While the soup is cooking, add 1 tablespoon of oil to a medium stir fry pan. Once it is heated, add the other half of corn kernels, carrots, and celery. Season with a little salt and pepper and cook for 7-8 minutes or until vegetables are softened. We will add this batch of veggies to the soup AFTER BLENDING to provide texture. If you want a completely smooth chowder, you can add them to the blender.

(5) To purée the soup, transfer to a heat safe blender and blend until smooth.

(6) Return the soup to the pot and stir in the batch of sautéed vegetables. Heat for another 5 minutes and serve.

💭 Expert Tips and FAQs

• Should I really make the corn stock? I know it adds more prep time, but it adds major flavor to this vegan corn chowder. So yes, if you have the time, don't skip it! However, we totally understand that everyone is busy, so to make this recipe much quicker, you can use vegetable broth in place of the homemade stock if need be.
• Blending: You can blend until smooth or until chunky, depending on the texture you prefer. Be sure to use a heat safe blender or an immersion blender. An immersion blender is easiest here as you don't have to transfer the hot soup to another container!
• You can substitute Fresno chili peppers for jalapeños or serranos.
• For a completely smooth chowder, add in all of the vegetables when making the soup instead of sautéing one half separately. When it comes time to blend, you'll just blend all of the soup and won't have anything to stir in. We like a bit of texture, but it's totally up to you!
• This soup is also great served chilled. So feel free to refrigerate any leftovers and eat them without heating them up.
• Storage: You can store soup in an airtight container and consume within 2-3 days. Excess homemade stock can be frozen and used within 3 months.
• Serve with: a simple salad, homemade corn bread, naan or another bread for dipping, or something grilled.

🍽 Related Recipes

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