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.
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.
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!
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.
Tips & Tricks
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Additional Dairy Free Soups You Might Enjoy:
- Dairy Free Tomato Soup
- Sweet Potato Chicken Soup
- Dairy Free White Chicken Chili
- Roasted Cherry Tomato Soup
- Dairy Free Pumpkin Soup
- Sweet Potato Corn Chowder
- Dairy Free Broccoli Soup
Did you make this recipe? Rate and review it down below! I’d love to hear from you.
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.
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
- 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.
- Next, stir in the carrots, bell pepper and zucchini and cook for about 5 minutes, until softened.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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: 1Amount 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.
This was delicious and so easy to make! Thanks!
And I meant to give it 5 stars…
So glad you enjoyed Iris!
So delicious! Made a big pot today. Added shredded chicken and homemade salty croutons on top. Will be making again.
So happy to hear this Jenna! Thanks so much for taking the time to let me know 🙂
I loved this recipe!!! My daughter is sensitive to milk and sometimes just subbing almond milk for cream or milk does not work out for me. This is so delicious, I think it is tastier then my “regular” corn chowder! I took the suggestion to add bacon, yum!Janice
This totally made my day! Thanks so much for letting me know Janice 🙂
OK , so we are a very complicated family of sixOne vegetarian and two who are sensitive to milk And one who is always trying to cut caloriesI loved the look of your soup in the pictureI doubled the recipe except for the following changes: I did not double the coconut milk I only put one can and put the other cans’ worth of extra veggie brothI did not double the oilI did not double the corn I used 2 cups of corn and 2 cups of chickpeasI did not double the potatoes I used 1 pound of potatoes and 1 pound of half cauliflower half pumpkin mixtureThe soup looked the same as the pic after blending and and tasted deliciousThank you for a great recipe Ashley!
Oh I’m so happy to hear you all enjoyed it! Thanks so much for letting me know Janice 🙂
Made this for my book club and it is divine!! Thank you! I added one jalapeño and also cubed avocado as a garnish.
Oh I’m so happy to hear this Patti! Thanks for taking the time to let me know. And those garnishes sound fantastic!
Coconut milk is so amazing. I hadn’t considered a corn chowder with it, but I can easily imagine how delicious it would be.
Thanks Jeff!
I just printed it out and am making it next week after I return from my son’s water polo tournament! I’m so excited, and am including it in my corn produce guide. 🙂
Yay! I love this! Hope you enjoy Marcie!!
Soup or chowder made with coconut milk tastes so GOOD!