This Creamy Vegan Corn Chowder is rich, thick, so comforting, and full of corn flavor. It’s made with sweet corn, tender potatoes, cashew cream, and finished with chives. It’s hard to resist, and can be enjoyed all year long!
Put the cashews, salt, and nutritional yeast (if using) in a high-speed blender with ¾ cup water. Process until smooth and creamy, 45 to 60 seconds. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. You will need ½ cup of the cashew cream for this soup.
Make the soup:
Heat a large nonstick pot over medium heat; when it’s warm, add the corn kernels and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring every 90 seconds. The corn will become translucent and parts of it will brown and stick to the bottom of the pot.
Deglaze the pot by pouring in ½ cup of the broth; use a spoon to remove any pieces of corn that have stuck to the bottom of the pan. Add the onion, celery, paprika, thyme, and pepper, then sauté until the onion is translucent, 4 to 5 minutes.
Add the gold potatoes to the pot with the remaining broth and 2 cups water. Raise the heat to high; when the mixture starts to simmer, reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook for 15 minutes, until the potatoes are fork tender.
Transfer 2 cups of the soup to a high-speed blender. Add the cashew cream to the blender and blend on high speed for 30 to 40 seconds, with the blender vent open. Pour the smooth liquid back into the pot and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste, if necessary.
Transfer the soup to serving bowls and top with chives. Serve warm.
Notes
Leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days, or can be frozen for up to 2 months. Makes about 9 cups of soup. At about a 2 cup serving, it should feed 4 people. This cashew cream has a thick, drizzle-able consistence straight out of the blender, but will thicken to more of a spread in the fridge. If you are planning to use it at a later date, blend the cashews with 1 cup water instead.