Healthy? Check. Comforting? Check. Easy? Super check. Oh, and vegan?! Check check!
Yup, this Slow Cooker Corn and Red Pepper Chowder hits all the right marks. Hearty, creamy, satisfying, chock-full of sweet corn countered perfectly by smoky red bell pepper, cumin, smoked paprika, and a smidge of cayenne.
We have a favorite corn chowder around here, but it's heavy on the cheddar and the cream. This version is much (much!) lighter, and it's made in the slow cooker to boot. Healthier and hands-off?! Love it. And I know it sounds a little cliched, but when we're eating this corn chowder instead of our usual dairy-heavy version, we really don't miss the fattening stuff.
I do have to admit that I found it a bit challenging to create a thick, rich, and creamy vegan corn chowder without my usual dairy products--it took me a few tries to get it right. I include buttery Yukon Gold potatoes, and then I puree the whole darn thing before adding the majority of the corn. And then for good measure, I finish with a couple glugs of soy milk, which gives it a bit of richness and a velvety texture.
I know I should suggest a nice light green salad served alongside this soup, and it probably would be wonderful. But the truth is, I really prefer a whole mess of saltine crackers piled in and around this one. Comfort food to the max? Check!
📖 Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced (about 2 cups)
- 1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and diced
- 3 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, diced (about 3 cups, or 1 pound)
- 4 cups frozen sweet corn kernels, divided (or fresh corn kernels - approx. 4 ears of corn)
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup soy or almond milk
- Additional salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Chopped red bell pepper, corn kernels, and sliced scallions to garnish
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until transparent and soft, about 5 minutes. Transfer the onion to the slow cooker, along with the red bell pepper, potatoes, 1 cup corn, broth, cumin, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, and salt.
- Cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-6 hours, until the potatoes are tender.
- Turn the slow cooker off and remove the lid. Allow the soup to cool slightly. Using an immersion blender or working in batches with a regular blender, puree the soup. Return it to the slow cooker and turn it back on.
- Stir in the remaining 3 cups corn and soy milk. Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for another 20-30 minutes, until heated through. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve topped with additional corn, diced bell pepper, and/or sliced scallions.
Notes
Nutrition (estimated per serving)
This post was originally published on February 27, 2014.
Tara says
Just made this for dinner with a side of cornbread. So amazing and filling. I'm all about simple recipes with big flavor and this was a winner! I'll be making this again for sure and trying out roasted pablano peppers in place of the red. Thanks for the great recipe! 🙂
Lisa Somerville says
This is delicious, just made it and it's so good, the smell when I came through the door really lifted me after a long day. Trying to kick sugar at the moment and the sweetness of the corn is really helping me with the cravings.
Ashley D says
I made this last night and it was magical. I doubled the cayenne and added a tsp of liquid smoke, yum! I'll definitely be making this again with some fresh off the cob corn this Summer.
Lisa says
Amazing!! Definitely a keeper!
I was looking for a recipe for tonight's dinner, so there was no time to wait for the slow cooker....so I just sauteed the onion and red pepper, added in 2 diced carrots and the corn to simmer, then added the potato with vegetable broth and spices and a couple dashes of liquid smoke, and let simmer for about an hour.
After about an hour I used my immersion blender to blend, then added the remainder of corn. Sprinkled with slivered scallion and diced jalapeno when served. I realized while we eating it that I actually forgot to add the milk but we really didn't miss it at all.
This is a corn chowder recipe I've been looking for! It's getting filed under 'family favorites'!
Divorced Kat says
I like this but I found it a touch bland. I would double the seasoning, and that was even with using a hot pepper.
Rose says
I am looking for gluten free, healthy and organic recipes. I know this recipe would only be organic if I used ingredients that are organic but is this recipe gluten free? My other question is do you have a catagory for gluten free?
Rachael says
How does this still taste after a few days? Want to make it for a work potluck, but I'd have to make it a few days before and then reheat. Still think it'd taste just as good as fresh?
Kare Raye says
It keeps well in the fridge for 2-3 days, beyond that I'm not sure I'd eat it!
Dan says
This should last refigerated for almost a week (7), if not more. Ensure it's chilled (not steaming) beore you place the lid completely on it in the fridge and enjoy. Freezing would be better for long term if, for example you double the recipe.
mjskitchen says
What a deliciously awesome chili!! It looks so rich and hearty. Thanks for sharing!
Eric L says
We love this recipe! Last time I added a can of black beans after blending, pretty fun twist on an already great soup
Erin says
Can't wait to try this tomorrow! What do you think about substituting coconut milk for the soy or almond milk?
Genevieve says
Love this recipe, I changed it up a bit to include sweet potato, so good! Surprised how creamy it is without the dairy. Thanks
http://basicnourishment.blogspot.com.au/2015/06/vegan-creamy-corn-chowder.html
Anita says
Can I use cashew milk as an alternative to soy or almond milk? Thanks!
O'Ress says
Thanks for the great recipe! It was really easy and turned out delicious! The leftovers freeze well - it looks a bit odd after defrosted but once reheated it looks and tastes just like freshly made.
Michelle Isernia says
Where can I find the nutritional values for the recipes? I love them all!! But have started watching my caloric intake as well as the other values.
Lesley says
I have very long workdays. What's the maximum time I can let it go in the slow cooker. Will it breakdown too much or get overdone at 11 or so hours on low? Thanks.
Allyssa says
This was delicious! I followed the recipe exactly, except for adding a bit more cayenne and used regular milk. Thanks for the great recipe!
Jenny G says
Made this tonight. I enjoyed the smokey flavour of the paprika and liquid smoke. I think next time I’d add a couple of carrots to broaden the flavour as the potatoes mellow it out a fair bit... And I might reduce the broth a bit to keep it thick. I didn’t add the soy milk as I preferred the full veggie flavour. Thanks for the recipe ?
Lorna says
This was delicious! I read the comments and doubled the cumin, smoked paprika, and cayenne pepper. I'm so glad I did. I don't like super spicy foods, but I do like good flavors to what I eat. I will be repeating this recipe with the modifications I made.
Becca says
This was good, but I did find it a bit bland. I added the juice of 1 lime, some honey and some hot sauce. I also added a can of black beans to boost up the protein. With those additions it’s great!
Sara Ross says
This is the bestttt!!!!! We use fire roasted corn (from Trader Joe's) and add in a can of (drained) fire roasted tomatoes at the end after it's blended. Soooo good!👌👌👌👌
Arbella says
Wow, just made finished the last step and couldn't resist trying it - so good!!! We're having this for dinner with salad. Thank you for sharing the recipe - it's one I'll come back a lot!