Vegan Sweet Potato Corn Chowder
on Dec 04, 2020, Updated Aug 28, 2024
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You’ll love this easy 30-minute vegan 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. The recipe is:
- 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.
For more easy soups, this Vegan Summer Corn Chowder, Vegan Chickpea Vegetable Chowder and Sweet Potato Lentil Soup are also delicious.
Ingredient Notes
- 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.
- 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).
This list is not complete. Please see the recipe card at the end of the post for the complete ingredient list with measurements and detailed instructions.
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.
- Serving Ideas: Lime wedges, thinly sliced scallions or chives, scoop of vegan sour cream or plain yogurt, nutritional yeast, Coconut Bacon.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: 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 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 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: 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.
Step 5: 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.
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.
More Vegan Soups
More Recipes to Try!
Vegan Sweet Potato Corn Chowder
Ingredients
Instructions
- Add the onion, garlic and celery to a large soup pot or Dutch oven with a splash of water or vegetable broth. Cook for 5 minutes until starting to soften.
- Add the sweet potato and broth, bring to a light simmer and cook for 7-8 minutes.
- Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer lightly for another 5-10 minutes until the sweet potato is easily pierced with a fork.
- 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.
- Pour the blended portion back into the pot with the unblended soup and stir to combine. Taste and season with salt and pepper and serve right away.
Notes
Nutrition
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.