Serves 6
Total time: 40 minutes || Active time: 20 minutes
For a girl that lives in Nebraska now, I sure don’t post enough corn recipes! And I must reallllly love corn chowder because there’s a different recipe for it in three of my books.
What I dig about this version, is that you really can dress it up or down for any season. It being almost summer and me with a freshly sprung garden, I like to run out and snip whatever fresh herbs call out at me. In this case, basil and chives. A few radishes poking their heads out? Well, great, let’s slice ‘em up and throw ‘em on!
I find that coconut oil and coconut milk give this chowder a heavenly richness while providing the perfect backdrop for all that corn flavor. The chowder is thick, rich and creamy with nice chunks of potato and carrot, and a little lime juice to give it a bit of ZING. It’s filling, yes, but also fresh and summery. I like a big pinch of red pepper flakes for some spice, but you can suit to taste. A jalapeno might be nice if you’ve got some around. Some chopped fresh tomato when they become ripe.
In the summer, serve with a salad (this Garlicky Zucchini Ribbon Salad, maybe?) and in the colder months, serve with a sandwich or just a nice crusty hunk of bread. Maybe a Banh Mi? It really can be a soup for all seasons.
Notes
~ Many supermarkets have already husked corn in their produce department! I (shamefully) take that shortcut when I can, because it shaves like 10 minutes off prep time. Maybe more if you’re a little slower than me.
Ingredients
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
4 cup fresh corn (from 5 to 6 ears)
1/2 lb carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch chunks
1 lb thin skinned potato (like yukon gold), cut into 1/2 inch chunks
4 cups vegetable broth, divided
1 tablespoon corn starch or arrowroot
3/4 cup coconut milk, regular or lite
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Salt to taste
Fresh black pepper to tasteTo garnish:
Chopped fresh chives (1/2 cup should do it)
Thinly sliced fresh basil (1/2 cup or so)
Thinly sliced radish
A few extra fresh corn kernels
Directions
Add remaining 3 cups of broth to the pot, along with the potatoes. Cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, break the corn cobs in half and add them to the pot. Lower heat to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Remove corn cobs. Add remaining vegetable broth and starch mixture, and cook to thicken, about 3 minutes. Add coconut milk, black pepper, salt to taste and lime juice.
Use an immersion blender to blend about half of the soup. If you don’t have an immersion blender (get one!) then transfer about half of the soup to a blender or food processor and puree until smooth then add back to the pot. If the soup is still steaming hot, make sure to either keep the opening on top of your food processor open, or lift the lid often for steam to escape. If steam builds up in a close container it can explode the lid off. Ouch.
Taste for salt and seasoning. Serve garnished with fresh corn kernels, fresh herbs and radishes.
This recipe looks fantastic, but not sure if I understand what order you meant to have the veggies added – Should the first paragraph be potatoes and carrots? Thanks!!
Ah, third paragraph is supposed to be potatoes, not carrots. I updated!
Looks delicious… but when do you add the potatoes and corn kernels?
Never mind, I get it now. Thanks for the fix. 🙂
I am making this as soon as the corn starts rolling in at the farmers markets here.
By ‘coconut milk,’ you mean the canned variety?
Yes, not that coconut beverage stuff 🙂
Can’t wait for fresh corn this season! Just a few more weeks here in the Midatlantic. This take with coconut milk / oil sounds awesome! Thanks!
This looks so lovely!! Such a gorgeous recipe!
Thank you!
Sounds good, but when do you add the potato? And when do you add the cup of broth into which you mixed the corn starch?
I updated the recipe!
Where in Nebraska did you move? I live in Omaha!
Yup, Omaha!
This looks so good, I printed it, go up went to the produce stand bought everything and will be cooking it for dinner tonight!
You are my star pupil.
How many servings? Looks great! I love corn soup and basil and chives–heavenly.
Looks scrumptious- I’ve never had chowder before and always thought of it as kind of a heavy dish, but this looks light and fresh. I ove that I can use my garden basil and chives in it 🙂
This is exactly what I want to eat now that the fresh summer corn has hot the market. I love the idea of coconut milk in a silky chowder. 🙂
I’ve just been thinking about corn chowder and finding a good vegetarian recipe for one. All the ones I’ve found when I googled this seem to have bacon in it, This looks lovely, I’ll have to book mark and try it soon.
Could that picture be any more beautiful? No.
Love the idea of coconut milk and basil, but can’t wrap my limited intellect around the concept of carrots in a corn chowder so it’s red peppers for me instead. Thanks Isa for the recipe now but even here in the Ontario sunbelt it will be early August before the real corn is available. I’ll be coming back here then for this recipe.
Thank you so much for the recipe! I made this last night, and though it took a bit of time, it was really worth it!
I made this for dinner last night (see my comment). I think you should double this recipe because I just had some leftovers. It was even better today. I didn’t think that would be possiable but it’s true!
My pregnant mind could not clear the image of this soup out of my mind. I left it on the table and my rockstar husband made it for dinner tonight. He didn’t use oil and we only had 2 cobs (the rest was frozen but the two cobs went into the soup) He also used red potatoes……ok…..WOW. I look like I am 8ths preggo now instead of 6 I ate much. We just ate with a crusty bread. Our 5yr old dug it too and pulled basil from his garden to add on his (we did red pepper flakesand chives) anywho….crazy good! Thank you!!!!!!
haha, thanks for the happy review!
Made this last night and it was AWESOME! It was also my first time cooking with coconut oil and I found myself singing ‘If you like pina coladas…..’ while stirring. It was like a vacation in my house.
I just made this soup for dinner. WOW! It is absolutely beautiful and delicious. It is so fresh and all of the flavors just go together so well. Thanks a lot for sharing the recipe. It is great hot, at room temperature, and cool. I cook for meat eaters, a vegetarian, and me (Vegan). Everyone loved this! I will definitely be making it again and again and again.
Sounds wonderful. I haven’t had corn chowder in a long time, I think this would be amazing. Thanks for sharing!
Anyone who comes up with a real recipe is truly creative and on their way to cooking success! Here’s my tip though, coconut oil is too expensive. It’s like adding real saffron. It’s a fad and an expensive habit to get into. As is using coconut milk. When you’re cooking with corn just boil a couple of potatoes, blended with their their water. Maybe blend in a little avocado too. I use a hand held blender and like most people I’m on a strict budget.
Tried this tonight. Big hit with the entire family. Everyone went back for seconds!
I’m not sure if I I’d everything in the right order but it tasted fabulous. Thanks for another great recipe!
made this tonight and it was just what i wanted. have made your other corn chowder from VWAV and this one seemed to pull together much quicker. i used earthbalance coconut spread because that’s what i had on hand. i also served mine with thai basil and sriracha as condiments. thanks again for your inspirational recipes.
This is gorgeous! I love fresh corn, and the colors you have going on with the toppings is great!
Never mind, I get it now
I am now on my second bowl of this luscious soup. This soup may finally get me off my minestrone phase. Just a note — coconut milk in cans is everywhere now and not that expensive. I keep it in my pantry just for these types of recipes. Thanks for a great website.
This was delicious! I used low sodium vegetable broth and lite coconut milk. The fresh corn makes it so flavorful and the soup was very creamy.
Got a friend you loves corn but is allergic to coconut. Yes, I could just use almond milk or rice milk, but I’d lose a lot of richness and creaminess. If you were choosing a nut to compliment the corn would it be cashews, almonds? Maybe pepitas?
Cashew cream, for sure!
This chowder is so so good.
Only one word can describe it.
“Love”
Awesome recipe! And just in time for jersey corn season! You are amazing 🙂
Thanks for the recipe! I was wandering around my kitchen trying to figure out what to do with some potatoes and onions so I looked up your recipes under ‘potatoes’ and found this marvel! I just happened to have organic frozen corn lurking at the back of my freezer, and everything except carrots. The soup is literally on the stove right now AND IT’S DELICIOUS. Tastes just like the stuff I used to get from this mom n pop diner down the street from my childhood home. YUM
I just gave this recipe a shot with all of the fresh corn at the market now. WOW! You are amazing! I should have known as everything you’ve written that I have tried was wonderful but I still get nervous with a new recipe. Thank you again! You’re a vegan goddess!
I’ve made this twice now and it is soooo good. We love it for lunch the next day too. It only gets better the next day!
I went out and bought an Immersion blender just for this recipe! This soup is amazing. We can’t get enough of it. Serious withdrawals will set in when it’s winter and we don’t have access to fresh corn.
Just made this and I cannot believe how good it is. I was skeptical it would come together so well, but I am so happy this soup proved me wrong.
Quick, easy, and ridiculously both healthy and tasty! Thanks so much for sharing!!
Fantastic recipe! Another great us for NJ corn. Another poster mentioned adding red bell pepper. I, too, used a bell and the potatoes. Delicious. Thanks for sharing the recipe, Isa!
This is out of sight insanely delicious!
This is delicious…I couldn’t stop refilling my bowl! It took a little prep work, but now that I’ve made it once it should be pretty easy to do again, and I will definitely make this again! I dipped huge chunks of french bread in this, and it was divine! Maybe I’ll make croutons next time 🙂
Absolutely perfect, no substitutions, I loved how this recipe added coconut milk, I think that really made it super creamy 🙂
made this tonight and it was so good. used a jalapeno from my garden.
love using summertime sweet corn.
Nebraska ears of corn must be serious business. I used 6 ears of corn and it was still under 4 cups (i live in New England)
I’m a bit confused… so you use a knife to remove the corn from the cobs first, then add that. Then you put the cobs that have the corn removed into the broth for flavour…. is this correct? And the fresh corn kernels you add at the end are raw, not cooked at all?
This is what I’m going to do, regardless! I’m sure it will work out, it sounds delish.
You got it!
Made this last night and it was a huge hit! My carnivore boyfriend and uncle nearly licked the pot clean. Boyfriend asked me to add it to our regular rotation. Only changes – added a little more red pepper flakes and a dash of dried sage. Didn’t bother with the garnishes (out of convenience, I had everything else on hand).