Dairy Free Corn Chowder

This creamy and healthy dairy free corn chowder is a summertime staple! Filled with fresh veggies, yukon potatoes and coconut milk, it’s jam packed with flavor and is incredibly easy to whip up. Ideas for optional add-ins included in the post.

A white bowl filled with Dairy Free Corn Chowder with a spoon in the dish.

Today we talk sweet summertime soup!

Creamy, fresh and hearty (in a non-weigh-you-down-sort-of-way), this healthy corn chowder is packed to the max with our favorite garden veggie finds.

We have zucchini, bell pepper, carrot, sweet corn!

Which are all blended together with some dreamy coconut milk + yukon potatoes.

Resulting in a lusciously fantastic soup that is so darn tasty you’ll be craving it all throughout the dead heat of summer.

Ummm, says the girl who eats soup ALL year long.

But still. I have a feeling you’ll love this one too.

Added bonus? The soup gets even better as it sits, making it perfect for leftovers or as a dish to whip up on the weekend so it’s ready to go all week long.

And when served with some spicy fresh basil + crusty bread for dunking? It’s summertime perfection.

Small bowls filled with chopped veggies, and a dutch oven filled with cooked Dairy Free Chowder.

How To Make Dairy Free Corn Chowder

So, this simple chowder takes about one hour from start to finish (although most of that is hands off time!). Here’s how it goes down:

Sauté the veggies. In a large stock pot or dutch oven, we cook our onion, bell pepper, carrots and zucchini until just softened.

Add in the liquids + starchy veggies. Next, we stir in our broth, coconut milk, seasonings, yukon potatoes and fresh corn.

Simmer until tender. We bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and allow it to simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are nice and soft.

Puree a portion of the soup. Finally, we’ll transfer a few cups of the soup to a blender, process until smooth and then stir back into the pot. {You can see the difference in texture by looking at the photo above compared to the one below!}

A final sprinkle of fresh basil and we are ready to chow down!

A dutch oven filled with Non Dairy Corn Chowder with a ladle in the pot.

Optional Add-Ins / Toppings

Now, while this soup is absolutely delicious plain as is, it’s also fantastic bulked up with a protein of choice. Let’s chat a few options to stir in after it’s done cooking:

  • In the mood for chicken corn chowder? Mix in some cooked shredded chicken breasts or thighs.
  • How about a seafood vibe? Cooked salmon, shrimp, crab and / or lobster would all make excellent additions.
  • Looking for a little crunch? Top the soup with some crispy bacon.
  • And finally, if you want to keep this chowder vegan / vegetarian, you can stir in some drained and rinsed chickpeas.

Two white bowls filled with Dairy Free Corn Chowder.

Tips & Tricks

  1. It’s important to chop the potatoes into the listed ½ inch chunks. This way they cook in the allotted time and get nice and tender fairly quickly. If you cut them too large, the soup will take longer to finish.
  2. You want about 2-ish cups of corn kernels for this recipe. The four medium ears should give you this amount, but adjust as needed depending on their exact size.
  3. If you don’t need to keep this vegetarian / vegan, you can use any type of broth that you’d like. I’ve made it with veggie, chicken and bone broth and they’re all delicious.  
  4. And finally, let’s talk serving. My favorite way to enjoy this chowder is with a big ol’ salad and some crusty bread for dunking.  

How To Store

Let the soup cool to room temperature then transfer to an airtight container.

Keep in the fridge for up to four days.

Two white bowls filled with Healthy Corn Chowder with torn bread to the side.

Additional Dairy Free Soups You Might Enjoy:

Did you make this recipe? Rate and review it down below! I’d love to hear from you.

This creamy and healthy dairy free corn chowder is a summertime staple! Filled with fresh veggies, yukon potatoes and coconut milk, it’s jam packed with flavor! And is incredibly easy to whip up! Vegan & gluten free, with ideas for optional add-ins!

Dairy Free Corn Chowder

Yield: about 4 to 6 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour

This creamy and healthy dairy free corn chowder is a summertime staple! Filled with fresh veggies, yukon potatoes and coconut milk, it’s jam packed with flavor. And is incredibly easy to whip up.

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 medium red onion, chopped
  • 3 large cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
  • 1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 medium zucchini, chopped
  • 1 pound yukon gold potatoes, cut into ½ inch chunks
  • 4 medium ears corn, kernels removed
  • 2 ¼ to 3 cups low-sodium vegetable broth*
  • 1 (13.5 ounce) can full-fat coconut milk
  • ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • ¾ teaspoon smoked paprika
  • chopped fresh basil, for serving

Instructions

  1. Add the olive oil to a large stockpot or dutch oven set over medium heat. When hot, add in the onion and cook for about 2 to 3 minutes, until it starts to soften. Add in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant.
  2. Next, stir in the carrots, bell pepper and zucchini and cook for about 5 minutes, until softened.
  3. Add in the potatoes, corn kernels, broth, coconut milk, salt, pepper, and smoked paprika. Increase the heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the potatoes are tender. Remove from the heat.
  4. Very carefully, transfer about 3 cups of the soup to a blender and process until smooth (being mindful of the hot steam!). Return the pureed portion to the pot and mix until combined.
  5. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper as desired (I usually add more salt!). Serve topped with some fresh basil!

Notes

*How much broth you want to add will depend on your personal preference. With the 3 full cups, the soup is on the thinner side for chowder. If you cut it back to the 2 ¼ cups, it will be thicker (what you see in the photos).

If you are planning on adding a protein to the soup (see the optional add-ins section above for ideas!), I think the soup is better with the full 3 cups (as it gets thicker as you add in more stuff). If you’re enjoying it plain as is, then I’d go with the 2 ¼ cups. But again, adjust to your own taste! Remember, you can always add more broth - so start with the lower amount while cooking and then thin out as desired once it’s done.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 352Total Fat: 20gSaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 462mgCarbohydrates: 42gFiber: 5gSugar: 9gProtein: 7g

Nutrition data shown is an estimate provided by an online calculator and is for informational purposes only. It should not be considered a substitute for a medical professional’s advice.