Vegan Corn Chowder with Coconut Milk

Name: Vegan Corn Chowder with Coconut Milk
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil; 1½ cups (200 g) yellow onion, finely diced (about 1 large); 2 medium (120 g) celery stalks, finely diced; 1 medium (150 g) red bell pepper, seeded and cut into ¼-inch (6 mm) dice; 3 cloves (12 g) garlic cloves, minced; 3 tablespoons (24 g) all-purpose flour; 1 teaspoon (2½ g) smoked paprika; 1 teaspoon (1 g) dried thyme; 4 cups (960 ml) vegetable broth, low-sodium, at room temperature or warm; 1¼ pounds (570 g) Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled if desired, cut into ½-inch (1.25 cm) cubes; 2 whole (1 g) dried bay leaves; 4 cups (600 g) corn kernels, fresh (from about 5 ears) or frozen and thawed; 1 can (13.5 oz) (400 ml) full-fat coconut milk, shaken well; 1 tablespoon juice (15 ml) lime, freshly squeezed (about ½ lime); 1 teaspoon (6 g) fine sea salt, plus more to taste; black pepper, freshly ground, to taste; 2 tablespoons (6 g) fresh chives, thinly sliced, for serving (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A creamy, naturally dairy-free corn chowder built on sweet corn, tender Yukon Gold potatoes and full-fat coconut milk. Part of the soup is blended to thicken it, so you get a velvety base with plenty of chunky texture and a hint of smoky paprika.

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 35 min
Wait: 5 min
Total: 1 hr
Makes: About 8 cups (6 generous servings)

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Ingredients

6 servings

2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil
1½ cups (200 g) yellow onion, finely diced (about 1 large)
2 medium (120 g) celery stalks, finely diced
1 medium (150 g) red bell pepper, seeded and cut into ¼-inch (6 mm) dice
3 cloves (12 g) garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons (24 g) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon (2.5 g) smoked paprika
1 teaspoon (1 g) dried thyme
4 cups (960 ml) vegetable broth, low-sodium, at room temperature or warm
1¼ pounds (570 g) Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled if desired, cut into ½-inch (1.25 cm) cubes
2 whole (1 g) dried bay leaves
4 cups (600 g) corn kernels, fresh (from about 5 ears) or frozen and thawed
1 can (13.5 oz) (400 ml) full-fat coconut milk, shaken well
1 tablespoon juice (15 ml) lime, freshly squeezed (about ½ lime)
1 teaspoon (6 g) fine sea salt, plus more to taste
black pepper, freshly ground, to taste
2 tablespoons (6 g) fresh chives, thinly sliced, for serving (optional)

Equipment (5)

4-5 quart (4-5 L) heavy-bottomed soup pot with lid
Wooden spoon
Immersion blender or countertop blender
Chef's knife and cutting board
Ladle

Steps

Before you start

Shake the can of coconut milk well before opening so the cream and liquid are evenly combined.
If using fresh corn, cut the kernels off the cobs first; save the cobs to simmer in the broth for extra flavor (optional).
Cut the potatoes into even ½-inch (1.25 cm) cubes so they cook at the same rate.
Use a blender with a vented lid, or an immersion blender, because hot liquids expand when blended.

1
Soften the vegetables
- Heat the olive oil in a 4-5 quart (4-5 L) soup pot over medium heat for 1 minute.
- Add the onion, celery, red pepper and ½ teaspoon of the salt.
- Cook, stirring often, for 7-8 minutes.
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Ready when: Onion is translucent and soft, with no browning.
Tip: Lower the heat if the onion starts to brown; browned onion will darken and sweeten the chowder.
2
Add garlic and spices
- Stir in the garlic, smoked paprika and thyme.
- Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly, until fragrant.
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Ready when: Garlic smells fragrant and the vegetables look coated in spices.
Tip: Don't let the garlic brown or it turns bitter.
3
Cook the flour
- Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir to coat.
- Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, so the flour loses its raw taste.
- It will form a thick, pasty coating on the vegetables.
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Ready when: Flour smells lightly toasty and no dry white streaks remain.
Tip: For gluten-free, skip this step and rely on blending for thickness.
4
Add broth and potatoes
- Pour in the broth about 1 cup (240 ml) at a time, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pot after each addition to dissolve any browned bits and prevent lumps.
- Add the potatoes and bay leaves.
- Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil.
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Ready when: The liquid is boiling steadily and smooth, with no flour lumps.
5
Simmer until tender
- Reduce the heat to medium-low, partially cover, and simmer for 12-15 minutes, stirring once or twice.
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Ready when: A potato cube is easily pierced with a fork and just starts to crumble at the edges.
6
Add corn and coconut milk
- Stir in the corn and the coconut milk.
- Return to a gentle simmer over medium heat and cook for 5 minutes, until the corn is hot and tender.
- Do not boil hard.
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Ready when: Corn kernels are plump and tender, and the soup is steaming with small bubbles at the edges.
Tip: A hard boil can make the coconut milk separate and look grainy.
7
Remove bay leaves
- Turn off the heat.
- Fish out and discard both bay leaves.
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Ready when: Both bay leaves are removed.
8
Blend for body
- Using an immersion blender, pulse directly in the pot 6-8 times, about 10 seconds total, to partially puree the soup.
- Alternatively, ladle about 3 cups (700 ml) of the soup into a blender, vent the lid, blend until smooth, and stir it back into the pot.
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Ready when: The soup looks creamy and thick, with about half of the corn and potato pieces still whole.
Tip: Hold the lid down with a folded towel when blending hot liquid, and never fill the blender more than half full.
9
Season and rest
- Stir in the lime juice, remaining ½ teaspoon salt and a few grinds of black pepper.
- Taste and add more salt if needed.
- Let the chowder rest off the heat for 5 minutes so it thickens slightly.
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Ready when: The chowder coats the back of a spoon and tastes balanced: sweet, savory, and slightly bright.
Tip: If it is too thick, stir in broth or water, ¼ cup (60 ml) at a time.
10
Serve
- Ladle into warm bowls and top with sliced chives, if using, and extra black pepper.

Good to know

Tips

Blend only part of the soup so you get a creamy base and still have plenty of corn and potato in each bite.
Fresh corn in season gives the best sweetness, but frozen corn works well year-round; thaw it so it doesn't cool the pot.
Add the lime juice at the end for brightness; it balances the richness of the coconut.
Taste before serving: low-sodium broth often needs a little extra salt.

Make ahead

Make the chowder up to 3 days ahead through the seasoning step. Cool completely, refrigerate, and reheat gently, thinning with a splash of broth or water as it thickens when chilled.

Storage & reheating

Room temperature: up to 2 hours. Fridge: airtight container up to 4 days. Freezer: up to 2 months (potatoes soften slightly). Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat in a pot over medium-low heat, stirring often, 8-10 minutes until steaming; add a splash of broth if too thick.

Substitutions

all-purpose flour → 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons cold water. Gluten-free. Skip the flour step, and stir the slurry in with the coconut milk; simmer 2 minutes to thicken.
Yukon Gold potatoes → Red potatoes or sweet potatoes. Red potatoes hold their shape well; sweet potatoes make a sweeter chowder and cook slightly faster.
full-fat coconut milk → Unsweetened oat milk or cashew cream. This gives a milder flavor and a lighter body; use the same amount.
olive oil → Vegan butter. Gives a richer, buttery flavor.