Return to top
featured in… The Huffington Post CookingLight Reader's Digest Women's Health BuzzFeed Glamour Whole Foods Oprah Winfrey Network CNN Food Network Healthline Shape

Hello! I’m Anjali. I’m a board certified health coach, author, wife, mom and food lover from the SF Bay area (now living in Seattle, WA!); with a passion for delicious food and a desire to make healthy eating easy, tasty and fun! Learn more about me here and stay for a while!

Anjali Shah

Vegan Corn Chowder with Quinoa

This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure.

Vegan Corn Chowder will keep you warm on a chilly day with all its comforting and delicious flavors. This lightened up version is hearty and filling without being too heavy and overwhelming. It’s super creamy and ready in just 30 minutes!

vegan corn chowder in a white bowl

This vegan corn chowder is a soup that I could eat all year long. It doesn’t have to be a cold, dreary day for me to crave all the incredible flavors and ingredients. The sweetness from the corn, the heartiness from the potato, and the freshness from the lime, cilantro, and bell pepper always keep me coming back for more. 

Latest Recipe Video!

My whole family is more than happy to eat a bowl whenever I make it for dinner. Next time you are heading to a potluck or inviting friends or family over for dinner, I recommend making a batch of this vegan corn chowder. No one will believe it’s dairy-free. Everyone will devour it and rave about how wonderful it is!

How To Make the Most Comforting Vegan Corn Chowder

Tools and Equipment You’ll Need

Recipe Ingredients and Notes

  • Quinoa: Any type of quinoa will do! This adds bulk and a texture to the soup that makes it even more hearty and satisfying.
  • Corn: Because you can’t have a creamy corn chowder without corn!
  • Potato: A secret ingredient for adding creaminess (once the soup is blended) without cream in this vegan corn chowder.
  • Unsweetened Soymilk: Any unsweetened plant milk will do. Coconut milk would be a great substitute as well. This is a healthier and vegan friendly replacement for heavy cream.
  • Red Bell Pepper: For color and flavor
  • Shallots or Onions: Gives the broth a depth of flavor
  • Spices: You’ll need cumin seeds, cumin powder, crushed red pepper, salt and black pepper.
  • Vegetable Broth: An essential for any soup! Low sodium is best here.
  • Garnishes: I used cilantro and lime wedges for a pop of color and flavor.

What Is The Secret To Making This Vegan Corn Chowder Creamy with No Cream?

There are 3 ways we get a rich creamy consistency in this corn chowder without needing any cream at all! They are:

  1. Unsweetened plain soymilk (or any plant milk)
  2. Potatoes
  3. Broth

Each of these ingredients adds a different type of creaminess to this corn chowder. Once they are cooked down and blended together, you’ll end up with a thick and creamy soup! You definitely need either an Immersion Blender or any high powered blender to make sure your soup is completely pureed to get that creamy consistency too.

Step by Step Instructions

Step 1: Toast quinoa and cumin seeds in pot over medium-high heat, 3 to 4 minutes, or until golden and fragrant, stirring constantly. Transfer to bowl.

quinoa in a pot

Step 2: Heat oil in pot; add corn, potato and shallots. Sauté 5 minutes, or until shallots are translucent.

potatoes and corn in a pot

Step 3: Add broth and soymilk and bring to a boil. Stir in quinoa mixture and all spices (cumin powder through black pepper). Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer 10 minutes.

broth added to pot

Step 4: Stir in bell pepper, cover and simmer 5 minutes, or until quinoa and vegetables are tender. Remove from heat; stir in chopped cilantro.

corn soup in a pot

Step 5: Ladle into soup bowls, and garnish with cilantro sprigs and lime wedges (squeeze lime juice into soup and stir before eating).

vegan corn chowder in a white bowl

What Makes This Vegan Corn Chowder Healthy?

  • Nutrients: Potassium, vitamin C, folate, iron, vitamin A, copper, and vitamin B6 are just a few of the nutrients in this incredible vegan corn chowder. 
  • Low Calories: Each batch of corn chowder makes six servings! Each serving has only 253 calories to keep you satisfied and content until your next meal.
  • Protein and Fiber: Two important nutrients you need are protein and fiber. Enjoy a hot bowl of chowder and get 8 grams of protein as well as 5 grams of fiber per serving. 

Recipe FAQs

Is Vegan Corn Chowder Kid Friendly?

Yep! There really aren’t any strong-flavored ingredients in this vegan corn chowder that kids won’t like. The quinoa, as well as the corn kernels, are always a hit with kids. If you do have a kiddo that struggles with eating veggies, you may need to give them a smaller helping with a side of bread to get them accustomed to the chowder. 

What Can I Use Instead of Quinoa?

If you find yourself out of quinoa or just want something different, you can easily swap it for another grain or legume. You could use brown rice, white rice, or even chickpeas or cannelini beans for additional protein. The flavor and texture will be slightly different, as well as the nutritional information, but the taste is still going to be wonderful. 

How to Store and Keep

Once the vegan corn chowder has cooled completely, place it in an airtight container. 

To Refrigerate: The leftovers will last in the fridge for 4-5 days as long as it’s kept airtight. 

To Freeze: Pour the chowder in a freezer bag and remove any excess air. Then lay flat in the freezer for 2-3 hours or until frozen. Then you can move the bag to allow more space in the freezer. You can also pour the chowder in a freezer-safe container with an airtight lid.

To Reheat: Allow the leftover vegan corn chowder to thaw in the fridge. Then warm it in a saucepan over medium heat or in the microwave for 1-2 minutes or until hot. Stir frequently when reheating, so it warms evenly. 

Top Tips For Making This Easy Vegan Corn Chowder Recipe

  • Be sure to stir the quinoa and cumin seeds constantly. Otherwise, they will burn and stick to the bottom of the pan. If that happens, start over, so the soup doesn’t lose it’s incredible flavor and taste burnt. 
  • For a slightly different texture, try blending only half of the soup and leaving the rest chunky.
  • Don’t forget to garnish! Fresh corn kernels, cilantro, lime wedges, green onions, or even some diced tomato would all taste great on top of this soup.
vegan corn chowder in a white bowl

Check Out These Other Comforting Soup Recipes!

If you have tried this Vegan Corn Chowder Recipe or any other recipe on my blog, then please rate it and let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM, and PINTEREST to see more delicious, healthy, family friendly food!

🎥 Watch How to Make It

vegan corn chowder in a white bowl
Print Recipe
5 from 5 votes

Vegan Corn Chowder

Vegan Corn Chowder will keep you warm on a chilly day with all its comforting and delicious flavors. This lightened up version is hearty and filling without being too heavy and overwhelming. It's super creamy and ready in just 30 minutes!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Appetizer, Side Dish, Soup
Cuisine: American, Vegan
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 253kcal
Author: Anjali Shah

Ingredients

  • ¾ cup white quinoa rinsed and drained
  • 1 tsp. cumin seeds
  • ½ Tbsp olive oil or organic canola oil
  • cups fresh or frozen corn kernels
  • 1 cup diced red potato
  • 4 small shallots chopped
  • 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
  • 2 cups plain unsweetened, organic soymilk
  • 1 large red bell pepper diced
  • 3 tbsp chopped cilantro plus a few sprigs for garnish
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • ⅛-¼ tsp crushed red pepper to taste, depending on how spicy you like things
  • ½ tsp salt more to taste
  • ¼ tsp ground black pepper
  • Lime wedges for garnish

Instructions

  • Toast quinoa and cumin seeds in pot over medium-high heat, 3 to 4 minutes, or until golden and fragrant, stirring constantly. Transfer to bowl.
  • Heat oil in pot; add corn, potato and shallots. Sauté 5 minutes, or until shallots are translucent.
  • Add broth and soymilk and bring to a boil. Stir in quinoa mixture and all spices (cumin powder through black pepper). Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer 10 minutes.
  • Stir in bell pepper, cover and simmer 5 minutes, or until quinoa and vegetables are tender. Remove from heat; stir in chopped cilantro.
  • Ladle into soup bowls, and garnish with cilantro sprigs and lime wedges (squeeze lime juice into soup and stir before eating).

Notes

Top Tips For Making This Easy Vegan Corn Chowder Recipe
  • Be sure to stir the quinoa and cumin seeds constantly. Otherwise, they will burn and stick to the bottom of the pan. If that happens, start over, so the soup doesn’t lose it’s incredible flavor and taste burnt. 
  • For a slightly different texture, try blending only half of the soup and leaving the rest chunky.
  • Don’t forget to garnish! Fresh corn kernels, cilantro, lime wedges, green onions, or even some diced tomato would all taste great on top of this soup.
Adapted from Vegetarian Times

Nutrition

Calories: 253kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 7g | Sodium: 378mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 1g

61 responses to “Vegan Corn Chowder with Quinoa”

  1. Made this tonight but used Coconut Milk instead of Soymilk (I am allergic to soy, or it probably would have been thicker, so I added a little cornstarch). It was delicious! I did forget the lime at the end (And I had cut it and everything!) but I’ll remember it for when I have leftovers tomorrow. Thanks! I’ve directed people to this post now because I posted mine on FB and had requests for the recipe.

    • Aw thanks so much for letting me know Ashley! I like coconut milk as a substitution for soy – I could see it tasting just as good 🙂 Have fun eating the leftovers today!

  2. This soup is so simple yet so delicious!!!!! My whole family loved it. My sister-in-law requested the recipe too. Thank you for the wonderful recipes on your blog!!

  3. Hi! I’m looking forward to trying this recipe. I was just wondering you say it makes 6 servings – could you tell me what volume or weight a single serving is equal to? Thanks!

    • Hi Alexandra! My guess is one serving is about 1-1.5 cups of the soup. I’ve never measured it out exactly, but my suggestion would just be to divide the soup into 6 equal portions and then you’ll be able to get exactly 1/6 of the soup! Hope that helps!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Subscribe to newsletter

Copyright 2024 The Picky Eater®, LLC. All rights reserved.