Sinking your teeth into a perfectly ripened ear of sweet corn straight from the stalk is one of the finest pleasures of summer. I long for that moment all winter long. But a girl can only eat so many ears of raw corn, so it's nice to branch out. With the chillier weather we've had here recently, this vegan corn chowder recipe has become a new favorite way to eat this summertime treat.
If you are interested in growing corn in your garden, I highly recommend it—if you have the space. Unfortunately, if your garden is on the small side, it may be a little tricky as corn needs plenty of room to grow. Since corn is primarily pollinated by wind, you will want to make sure to plant corn in blocks of short rows rather than in a single long row. Corn appreciates full sun and fertile, well-drained soil. To keep your harvest coming, make sure to plant a few successions of corn throughout the season.
Now that the days are getting shorter and the arrival of fall isn't far away, I find myself craving heartier meals that are still packed with summer flavors. Enter this Sweet Corn and Coconut Milk Chowder.
This soup has everything going for it. It's sweet, spicy and creamy, and packed with farm-fresh flavors—summer "comfort" food at its best. The garnishes are definitely a must, so please don't skimp on them!
If you're in need of a new soup to add to your recipe book, this should be at the top of your list. Pour a glass of your favorite wine, invite a few friends over for dinner and dig into this lovely chowder. Cheers!
Recipe
Ingredients
Soup:
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1-2 fresh jalapeño peppers seeded and diced (use two if you like more heat)
- 3 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels thawed if frozen
- 14 ounce full-fat coconut milk 1 can
- 3 cups water
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon fresh lime zest
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Toppings:
- ½ cup fresh cilantro minced
- 3 pickled jalapeños sliced into thin rounds
- ½ cup fresh or frozen corn kernels thawed if frozen
- 3 tablespoons unsweetened coconut flakes
Instructions
- Add the coconut oil to a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the onion and sauté until lightly browned and tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, fresh jalapeños, and corn. Cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in coconut milk and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the vegetables are soft and the soup is fragrant, about 15-20 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Use an immersion blender or, working in batches, carefully transfer the soup to a high-speed blender and puree until smooth.
- Return the soup to the pot. Stir in the lime zest and juice. Taste and add additional salt and pepper if desired.
- Ladle the soup into individual bowls and garnish with plenty of minced cilantro, pickled jalapeños, corn kernels, and coconut flakes.
Millie | Add A Little says
Sounds absolutely fantastic!!
Andrea says
I hope you give this soup a whirl! It's fantastic!
Anneli says
This sounds great! The days are getting shorter and last week it was so grey and dreary here that it felt like immediate winter! This weekend has been great though. I'm making my grocery shopping list and looking for inspiration, so, I'm definitely buying some fresh corn from our farm market and making this chowder this week when our weather gets cooler again.
Andrea says
woohoo! Cheers to cooler weather. I hope you enjoy this soup as much as we did!
Sam @ PancakeWarriors says
There is nothing that says summer to me than the perfect ear of corn. This soup captures all my favorite flavors: corn, coconut milk and lime. That jalapeño topper - oh bless sounds so good. Thanks for sharing.
Lori @ RecipeGirl says
Adding this to my must-try soon list! So delicious!
Ordinary Blogger (Rivki Locker) says
Every time I get corn with the intent of making it into a soup or other dish, it doesn't happen because we just devour it on the cob, raw or steamed. This recipe does look lovely though. Maybe the trick next time is to hide some from my kids!
Andrea says
haha! I do the same thing with fresh corn. No need to cook it, it's best right off the stalk raw!!! But this soup comes in as a close second! I hope you give it a whirl!
kristie @ birchandwild.com says
I love this soup! I looks creamy but fresh. I can't wait to try it!
Polly @ Tasty Food Project says
I would've never thought of pairing coconut flavors with corn. This looks so delicious!
Andrea says
They pair nicely together 🙂
Maggie says
This soup is so delicious. I recommend you make some right away. You won't be disappointed.
Andrea says
YAY!!! so happy you enjoyed it as much as we did! Cheers.
Purbi says
Can't wait to make this soup!!!
Joanne Bruno says
I am definitely still in the mood for summer flavors, but I won't say no to comfort food either! This sounds so good.
Colleen B. says
Just made this soup for dinner and had to come back to comment on how delicious it is!! I added some tofu and red bell pepper after the blending to beef it up but otherwise followed the recipe exactly. Thank you for sharing, I can't wait to eat it ALL!
Jessica says
I made this soup last night and it was AMAZING! I'm thinking of making it again tomorrow and freezing it, so that way I can enjoy some summer corn flavors in the cooler months.
Elena says
Could this be made with low fat coconut milk? This looks absolutely delicious but that's all I have 😮
Andrea says
Yes! It wont be quite as creamy but it will still be lovely. Enjoy!
Amanda says
This soup was AMAZING!!! It is cold and rainy outside, this soup was the dish for today!!
kj says
This is EXACTLY what I was looking for today! Can't wait to get it in my belly!
Aliya says
Wow. I just made this and I'm obsessed. I even used light coconut milk and didn't blend it (I don't have a blender) and it's so freakin good. Such a cozy comforting and healthy meal for a frigid day like today. Thanks for the recipe!
cole says
just made this for lunch and served with garlic bread. a huge hit! very easy and oh so yummy. i needed a quick soup recipe with very few ingredients and this was perfect. thank you for this recipe!
GrapeDeals says
This soup was delicious! Thanks for sharing the recipe! I paired it with a delicious chilled Albarino 🙂
Becca says
This is officially my new favorite soup in life!! Plus it was sooooo fast and easy in the pressure cooker, I only pre-sauteed the onion/garlic/jalapeno. I will say though: I had a heck of a time trying to blend corn with an immersion blender; I will blend in the food processor next time. Well done!
Joy says
Hi There!
I make this recipe often in the slow cooker. It is a great last minute meal too, I keep frozen corn & coconut milk stocked in my kitchen. I am also bringing this soup out to a friend today, it's a great comfort food even in the summer time. Thanx again!!
-Joy
Karla says
I made this I added mushroom, cayenne pepper ,ginger I put it in a smoothie blender very good.
Beth says
This is a delicious recipe! I realized very quickly why I should have defrosted the corn all the way since it has a tendancy to clump together with the oil. No worries we managed to just keep stirring and it worked out well. I did a split mix of super sweet corn with regular corn and it was a nice touch. I would suggest though, to be prepared (depending on your palate,) to add some spices. It took a lot of taste testing but after some sea salt, pepper grinder, cayenne pepper, garlic salt, and a touch of curry it was fantastic! Thank you so much for this recipe and I can't wait to share with others.
julia says
I also added some smoked paprika and cayenne. I used less water, 2 cups, because I like thicker soups. I used white pepper and salt to season, and an extra clove of garlic. It was exactly what I wanted for dinner. Thanks for the recipe!
Beth says
BTW don't get scared with the immersion blender step. I just added bit by bit to my blender and it pretty much is the same thing.
Christina says
Made this last night for my (mostly vegetarian) family. Everyone loved it including the picky ones in the bunch. I used 3 medium poblano peppers instead of the jalapeño's and added 3 more cups of whole corn to the finished product to make a chunkier chowder. And I only had low fat coconut milk so I used that vs the full fat you recommend and it turned out just fine. Thank you for posting!
Lola says
Just made this for the second time. Followed the recipe the first time using water. This time used vegetable broth. Delicious.