Vegan Sweet Potato Corn Chowder
You’ll love this easy 30-minute sweet potato corn chowder for a warm and comforting meal any night of the week.
About the Recipe
This soup makes a great choice year-round. It’s a delicious way to use fresh corn when it’s in season but also works well with frozen corn so can be made any time.
The rest of the ingredients are easy to find, you’ll need just a few veggies, spices and a broth of choice. Even better, you can whip this easy chowder up in under 30 minutes and it’s sure to be a hit with the whole family!
Highlights
- Vegan (dairy-free), gluten-free and oil-free.
- Low in fat with no added sugar.
- Ready in 30 minutes.
- Basic ingredients.
- Can be made in advance.
Ingredient Notes
Scroll to the end for the full written recipe with ingredient amounts and written instructions. The following sections cover notes on the ingredients and a visual overview of how to make the soup.
- Onion: White onion is recommended but yellow onion also works.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic is recommended but you can substitute 1 tsp garlic powder.
- Celery: Use fresh celery or you can substitute carrot (or use half and half).
- Sweet Potato: You’ll need 1 medium sweet potato or about 2 cups chopped. Regular potato also works in this recipe.
- Bell Pepper: Red bell pepper is best here.
- Corn: You can use fresh, canned or frozen corn. Frozen fire-roasted corn or grilled or roasted corn would be even better!
- Broth: Any vegetable broth or stock you enjoy works (homemade or store-bought).
- Chili Powder: Use a mild or medium chili powder.
- Paprika: You can use regular paprika or smoked paprika for some smokiness.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 2: Cook the Veggies
Chop up the onion, garlic and celery and add them to a large soup or Dutch oven with a couple of tablespoons of water or vegetable broth.
Cook them over medium heat for about 5 minutes until softened and fragrant.
Step 2: Add Sweet Potato & Liquid
Add the chopped sweet potato and vegetable broth and bring the mixture to a light simmer. Cook it for another 6-7 minutes, uncovered.
Step 3: Add Remaining Ingredients.
Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer lightly until the sweet potato is easily pierced with a fork. This should take about 10 minutes.
Step 4: Blend Soup
Carefully scoop about 1/2-3/4 of the soup into a blender and puree until it’s smooth and creamy. Be sure to allow the steam to escape while blending!
You can also use an immersion blender right in the pot, blending to your desired consistency.
Pour the blended soup back into the pot with the unblended portion.
Stir to mix everything together then taste and season with salt and pepper if needed.
Serving
- Serve with lime wedges.
- Sprinkle with thinly sliced scallions or chives.
- Add a dollop of vegan sour cream or plain yogurt.
- Sprinkle with nutritional yeast for a bit of cheesiness.
- Serve with crispy roasted chickpeas.
- Serve with crumbled tempeh bacon or coconut bacon.
- Pairs well with sandwiches, wraps and salads (try this broccoli salad, Tuscan kale salad or southwest pasta salad.
Variations & Additions
- You can use peeled Yukon gold or red potatoes in place of sweet potatoes.
- Cumin and oregano work well for additional herbs and spices. Add up to 1 tsp of oregano and/or 1/2 tsp cumin.
- You can add 1 jalapeno or 2 serrano peppers with the veggies at the beginning to add heat to the soup. Alternatively, add up to 1/2 tsp chili flakes or cayenne pepper when you add the paprika.
- Mix in a 4.5 oz can of green chilies with the rest of the ingredients for a Southwest flavour.
- You can stir in a bit of heavy cream, coconut cream or cashew cream at the end for a creamy finish.
Slow Cooker Method
To make this soup in a crockpot, you can either saute the veggies on the stovetop for 5 minutes then add everything to your slow cooker (for more flavour), or just add everything to the slow cooker all at once and cook for 3-4 hours on low or 2-3 hours on high.
Blend 1/2-3/4 of the soup in a blender or using an immersion blender in the crockpot. Combine, season and enjoy!
Storing
- Fridge: Let cool completely then store in a sealed container for up to 5 days.
- Freezer: Let cool completely then store in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Can be stored in one batch or in smaller portions. Thaw overnight in the fridge when ready to enjoy.
- Reheating: Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave until heated to your preference.
Did you try this recipe? I’d love to hear about it! Scroll down to the comment section to leave a star rating and review.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Vegan Sweet Potato Corn Chowder
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 25 mins
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 6
- Category: Soup
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This healthy vegan sweet potato corn chowder can be on the table in about 30 minutes for a delicious dish the whole family will enjoy.
Ingredients
- 1 white onion, diced (3 cups, 350 g)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 ribs celery, chopped (2 cups, 200 g)
- 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cubed (2 heaping cups, 250 g)
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 4 cups frozen corn (680 g)
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- sea salt and fresh-cracked black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Cook Vegetables: Add the onion, garlic and celery to a soup pot with a splash of water or vegetable broth. Cook for 5 minutes until starting to soften.
- Add Sweet Potato & Broth: Add the sweet potato and broth, bring to a light simmer and cook for 7-8 minutes.
- Add Remaining Ingredients: Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer lightly for another 5-10 minutes until the sweet potato is easily pierced with a fork.
- Blend: Carefully scoop about 2/3 of the soup into a blender. Blend until smooth and creamy. Make sure you allow the steam to escape while blending. You can also use an immersion blender directly in the pot and blend until you reach your desired consistency.
- Combine: Pour the blended portion back into the pot with the unblended soup and stir to combine.
- Season: Taste and season with salt and pepper and serve right away.
Notes
Store leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 5 days. To freeze, cool and freeze in heavy-duty freezer bags or a sealed container for 2-3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge. Reheat soup in a pot on the stovetop, stirring until simmering, or individual servings in the microwave in 30-45 second intervals, stirring between intervals until heated through.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6th of recipe
- Calories: 186
- Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Fiber: 6 g
- Protein: 6 g
Originally published on September 3, 2014.
I really enjoyed this soup. I love corn chowder and was pleased to find a vegan version just as delicious. I would definitely make this again. This freezes well too. I am also now seeing that this can be put into a crock pot as well.
I made this in a cold winter night it was so good. I do Weight Watchers I’m on the Purple plan. It turned out if I followed your recipe to the t, which I did, it was Zero points for me. What a delicious way to eat something healthy and filling for Zero points. Thank you.
That’s great! I’m so happy you enjoyed it!
I rarely leave ratings or comments on recipes online – but had to with this one! Delicious soup that gives you the essence of a hearty/creamy soup, without all the calories & dairy! I don’t typically follow a vegan diet, but love how simple it was to do so for a meal 🙂
Thanks, Molly! Comments and ratings are very helpful for me, so I’m so glad you did! I’m so happy you enjoyed the soup. Thanks for trying my recipe!
I’m going to use butternut squash instead of sweet potato…..hope it turns out okay!
Let me know if it does!
Is the red pepper taste strong? My husband doesn’t like bell peppers, but this recipe looks so good!
No, it’s not strong but you can also just leave it out or use another veggie instead.
Delicious! I had leftover butternut squash so I used that instead of the sweet potato. I used my immersion blender to mix things up at the end. I will definitely make this again and I’m so happy that it’s loaded with nutrients! To make it richer I may add coconut milk next time.
Stephanie before using coconut milk, please try using the sweet potato. I think that will give you the richer taste. I just made this soup tonight and I’m amazed how tasty, rich and filling. Have fun and enjoy your next batch.
Delicious!! I added a dollop of vegan sour cream and I am in love! Thank you!
Is that a red bell pepper or a red chili pepper?
Red bell pepper. Enjoy!
This was a huge hit with my family
I am giving this a 3 only because of the way I made it and how it turned out. I made this in the crockpot and doubled the recipe. I used butternut squash instead of sweet potatoes or regular potatoes. The broth of the chowder had good flavor but, there was to much broth. My guess is, When making it in a crockpot , probably less liquid needs to be added. My crockpot setting has 4,6,8,10 hours, I chose for it to be done in 4 hours, but the butternut squash got to soft. Also, I think a potato probably makes it a little more thicker than butternut squash after it is blended. Because there was to much liquid I added 2 cans of chickpeas to it and I still have a good amount of liquid left. Because the broth of the chowder was tasty, I will make it again and use sweet potatoes or regular potatoes and make it on the stove. Hopefully it will have less liquid and be a little more creamy in texture. It was good made with the butternut squash but, I will definitely make it on the stove next time if I try using butternut squash again. I am not giving up with the crockpot method on this recipe, I will keep experimenting.
I tripled the recipe and found it to have a lot of liquid left. I did add some cornstarch as a thickening agent and it helped get it to a better consistency.