You won't believe how easy this vegan corn chowder recipe is to make! Slowly cooked and simmered with organic sweet corn, potatoes, and dairy-free coconut creamer or milk. Make it in the slow cooker, the Instant Pot, or on the stove, all three methods are below.
We love corn and potato soup, and this one tastes best slowly cooked in the Instant Pot or Crockpot. For more creamy dairy-free bowls try my creamy white bean potato soup and carrot butternut squash soup.
Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 15 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 4 hours slow cooker (30 to 45 minutes stovetop)
- ⏳ Total Time: About 4 hours 15 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 6 servings
- ⚡ Calories: 229kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Sweet corn and creamy coconut with thyme, paprika and a little white pepper
- ✋ Difficulty: Dump and eat, with an optional blender step. 32 ounces of corn is 4 cups, see ounces to cups.
Quick Answer
Add 4 cups vegetable broth, 32 ounces frozen sweet corn, 2 cups diced golden potatoes, a diced onion, 2 celery stalks, a carrot, 2 garlic cloves, 3 tablespoons corn starch, parsley, chives, thyme, paprika, salt and white pepper to a slow cooker and cook on low 4 to 6 hours. Stir in 1 ½ cups coconut milk creamer, reserve 2 cups of chowder, puree the rest in a blender, stir it back together and serve, with hot sauce if you like.
Watch How to Make It
Watch the quick video of the chowder coming together:
Jump to:
Instant Pot, slow cooker, or stove top - make this corn chowder however you please and what works for you! The longer it simmers, the more rich in taste it becomes as it's loaded with corn flavor!
It's all about those potatoes in corn chowder! Potatoes in soup and chowders are a wonderful way to achieve a hearty and creamy consistency in broth. Once they are tender they mash well, creating a thick soup.
Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Potatoes make it creamy without cream. Once they are tender they mash well, creating a thick soup.
- Pureeing part of the pot is the trick. Reserving 2 cups and blending the rest gives a creamy base with whole corn and potato pieces still in every spoonful.
- Coconut creamer goes in late. If adding the coconut milk creamer in the beginning it may start to curdle due to high heat; add it 20 minutes before serving unless you are pureeing.
- Corn starch thickens the broth so the chowder coats the spoon.
- Sweet corn carries the flavor. Start with the freshest most flavorful sweet corn, frozen or sliced off the cob.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Three methods. Instant Pot, slow cooker, or stove top.
- Vegan, vegetarian, dairy-free and gluten-free - start with the freshest most flavorful sweet corn and vegetables, dairy-free creams, and gluten-free ingredients.
- A dump and eat dish. Fifteen minutes of chopping and the pot does the rest.
- Kids can have it chunky. You can skip the puree step. Kids tend to prefer it that way.
- Fall entertaining. Serve it with gluten-free corn muffins and a lemony corn and tomato salad.
Key Ingredients
- Corn: 32 ounces frozen corn (two 16 ounce bags, prefer sweet corn), although you can also use fresh corn on the cob sliced off either fresh or cooked. 32 ounces is equal to 4 cups.
- Vegetables: 2 cups diced golden potatoes, 1 white onion, 2 celery stalks, 1 carrot (or 1 small red bell pepper in place of the carrot), 2 garlic cloves.
- 4 cups vegetable broth which provides rich salty flavor to compliment the sweet corn.
- 3 tablespoons corn starch to thicken the chowder. Out of it? See my starch substitute guide.
- Seasonings: 1 tablespoon each fresh parsley, chives and thyme, 1 teaspoon paprika, 2 teaspoons pink Himalayan salt and ½ teaspoon white pepper. A bay leaf is optional for added flavor.
- Creamer: 1 ½ cups dairy-free cream. I love the taste of coconut milk creamer, which provides creamy flavor. This can also be substituted for canned coconut milk or coconut cream.
- Hot sauce, optional, for serving.
Full recipe ingredients and measurements are in the recipe card below.
Variations
- For all the non-vegans: to make a non vegan version, try adding a little bacon fat or crumbled bacon and use chicken stock or broth in place of vegetable broth.
- Canned corn: replace frozen corn with two 15 ounce cans of corn with the liquid drained and decrease the broth to 3 ¾ cups.
- Saute first: add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the pot and heat on medium-high. Add the onion, celery, carrot (or red bell pepper) and garlic and heat for about 5 minutes until the onion becomes transparent, then add the remaining ingredients.
- Chunky: skip the puree entirely.
- Red pepper: swap the carrot for 1 small red bell pepper, cored and diced.
- Beef stew night: the same Instant Pot makes my Instant Pot beef stew.
How to Make Vegan Corn Chowder
Slow Cooker or Instant Pot
1Add all the ingredients (except hot sauce and cream) into the slow cooker or an Instant Pot. Set the setting on low for the slow cooker (4-6 hours) or in the Instant Pot use either the 'Slow Cooker' setting or for a speedy version, set it to 'Soup'. If you are planning on pureeing it you can add the cream now or wait 20 minutes before serving.
2Add the coconut milk, cream, or creamer. Reserve 2 cups of the chowder and add the remaining chowder to a blender to puree. Once blended add back in the reserved corn chowder. Serve right away, and if desired top with hot sauce.
Stovetop
3In a large pot heat to medium and add the broth and frozen corn. Then add potatoes, onion, celery, carrot, garlic, corn starch, parsley, chives, thyme, paprika, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 30-45 minutes until the potatoes are tender.
4Add the coconut milk, cream, or creamer about 5 minutes before blending part of the chowder. Reserve 2 cups of the soup and puree the rest with an immersion blender or in a blender. Stir the reserved chowder back in and serve. Again, you can skip the puree for a chunky vegan corn chowder.
As always, be sure to check out the full recipe details in the recipe card below.
Expert Tips
- Heating coconut milk creamer. If adding it in the beginning, it may start to curdle due to high heat but for convenience it is fine to add in the beginning if you puree the vegan corn chowder, otherwise add it in 20 minutes or right before serving.
- Organic GMO-free corn. Corn contains essential vitamins like vitamin C and B vitamins as well as iron, fiber, magnesium and potassium. Yellow corn in particular is good for maintaining healthy eyes thanks to two antioxidants, zeaxanthin and lutein. Over the years corn has become genetically modified to mass produce it, and many people were having toxicity effects such as allergies, organ damage, and other serious health issues related to consuming GMO foods (will GMOs hurt my body?). Make sure to purchase organic GMO-free corn, which also contains more of the nutrients listed above.
- Let it simmer longer. The longer it simmers, the more rich in taste it becomes.
- Freeze it. Cool and freeze in portions for up to 3 months; the potatoes hold up better if you pureed the batch.
- Corn night. Use the rest of the bag for 10-minute creamed corn or pop some stovetop popcorn for the kids.
Serving Ideas
Elegant and comforting, this is perfect for fall entertaining. Serve it with gluten-free cornbread muffins, a chickpea corn tomato salad on the side, and for a bigger soup night rotate it with my tomato basil soup, hearty vegetable soup or mushroom zucchini tomato soup.
Vegan Corn Chowder FAQs
Yes, this is a quick and easy vegan corn chowder recipe typically made in the slow cooker for a 'dump and eat' kinda dish. You can also saute the vegetables in olive oil first. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the pot and heat on medium-high heat, then add in the onion, celery, carrot (or red bell pepper), and garlic and heat for about 5 minutes until the onion becomes transparent. Then add in the remaining ingredients, cover and simmer as instructed.
Yes, replace frozen corn with two 15 ounce cans of corn with the liquid drained and decrease the broth to 3 ¾ cups.
The potatoes and the puree step. Once the potatoes are tender they mash well, and blending most of the pot with coconut milk creamer gives a thick, creamy chowder.
Refrigerate for up to 4 days in an airtight container or freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat gently and add a splash of broth or creamer if it thickens.
Yes. Slice the kernels off the cob, fresh or cooked, and measure out 32 ounces, which is 4 cups.
Yes. It is thickened with corn starch and potatoes, so there is no flour, and every ingredient is naturally gluten-free.
More Favorite Corn and Soup Recipes
If you make this Vegan Corn Chowder recipe from Delightful Mom Food I would love to see your creations and share it! Follow along with me on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter for a feature and more recipe inspiration! And don't forget to leave a comment below!
Vegan Corn Chowder Soup Recipe
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Equipment
- Slow Cooker or Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 32 ounces organic frozen corn (2 -16 ounce bags) prefer sweet corn
- 2 cups golden potatoes diced
- 1 white onion diced
- 2 celery stalks diced
- 1 carrot diced (or 1 small red bell pepper, cored and diced)
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 3 tablespoons corn starch
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh chives chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme chopped
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 2 teaspoons pink Himalayan salt
- ½ teaspoon white pepper
- 1 ½ cups coconut milk creamer or canned coconut milk or coconut cream
- hot sauce (optional)
Instructions
Slow Cooker
- Add all the ingredients (except hot sauce & cream) into the slow cooker. If you are planning on pureeing it you can add the cream now or wait 20 minutes before serving. Cook on low for 4-6 hours. Add the coconut milk, cream, or creamer. Reserve 2 cups of the chowder and add the remaining chowder to a blender to puree. Once blended add back in the reserved corn chowder. Serve right away, and if desired top with hot sauce. Please note you can also skip the puree step. Kids tend to prefer it that way.
Instant Pot
- Add all the ingredients (except hot sauce & cream) into the Instant Pot. Set the setting for either 'Slow Cooker' or for a speedy version, set it to 'Soup'. If you are planning on pureeing it you can add the cream now or wait 20 minutes before serving. Cook according to settings. Add the coconut milk, cream, or creamer. Reserve 2 cups of the chowder and add the remaining chowder to a blender to puree. Once blended add back in the reserved corn chowder. Serve right away, and if desired top with hot sauce. Please note you can also skip the puree step. Kids tend to prefer it that way.
Stovetop
- In a large pot add the broth, frozen corn, potatoes, onion, celery, carrot, garlic, corn starch, parsley, chives, thyme, paprika, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then simmer covered on medium-low for 30-45 minutes. Add the coconut milk, cream, or creamer. Reserve 2 cups of the soup and add to a blender to puree. Once blended add back in the reserved corn chowder. Serve right away, and if desired top with hot sauce. Again, you can skip the puree for a chunky vega corn chowder.
Video
Notes
- Can I saute the vegetables first? Yes, this is a quick and easy vegan corn chowder recipe typically made in the slow cooker for a 'dump and eat' kinda dish. You can also sauté the vegetables in olive oil first. To do so for the Instant Pot Method and Stovetop Method, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the pot and heat on medium-high heat. Then add in the onion, celery, carrot (or red bell pepper), and garlic and heat for about 5 minutes until the onion becomes transparent. Then add in the remaining ingredients, cover and simmer as instructed.
- If adding the coconut milk creamer in the beginning, it may start to curdle due to high heat but for convenience it is fine to add in the beginning if you puree the soup, otherwise add it in 20 minutes or right before serving.
- To use canned corn in place of frozen corn, replace frozen corn with two 15 ounce cans of corn with the liquid drained and decrease the broth to 3 ¾ cups.
Rachel Rose says
This is delicious. I didn't have coconut milk so used an almond heavy cream and it seemed to work just fine. My husband who is a meat and potatoes kind of guy loved it. He wants me to make it again.
Danielle Fahrenkrug says
I am so glad y'all love this recipe! Thank you for commenting:-).