This vegan potato corn chowder is rich, creamy, smoky, and just plain delicious! This gluten-free and dairy-free potato soup is creamy vegan comfort food at its best!

A bowl filled with vegan potato corn chowder in a creamy smoked paprika broth. with potatoes in the background and a blue and white tea towel.

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Why make this vegan chowder

We are big fans of creamy soups like vegan cream of chicken, cream of broccoli, cream of celery, broccoli potato soup, and vegan white chicken chili. However, this may be my family’s all-time favorite soup! The hearty potatoes fill up my hungry boys, and I can’t get enough of the creamy smoky broth!

This plant-based potato corn chowder is gluten-free and dairy-free too so it’s great to make a big pot for holidays and game days to share with family and friends.

Ingredients and substitutions

  • Olive Oil – or any other neutral-flavored oil that you want. You can also use vegetable broth instead to saute the onions and garlic for an oil-free option.
  • Onion – yellow onion, sweet onion, or white onion all work well.
  • Garlic – fresh minced garlic tastes best, but you can use 1 teaspoon of garlic powder instead if you don’t have fresh garlic.
  • Smoked Paprika – this gives the soup its smoky flavor. You can use regular paprika if you don’t want the smokiness.
  • Salt – for flavor
  • Vegetable Broth – You can use any vegan broth that you like. I like to use my homemade vegetable broth, not chick’n, or Better Than Bouillon.
  • Potatoes – you can use any type of potato that you want. Russet potatoes or Yukon gold work well. If you use yellow potatoes or red potatoes, you don’t have to peel them since the skin is thin and tender.
  • Carrots – this adds color and a little sweetness to the soup.
  • Corn – I usually use frozen corn, but you can also use fresh corn or even canned corn.
  • Plant-Based Milk – soy milk or oat milk works best in this soup since they are the creamiest, but you could also use almond milk or any other non-dairy milk. Just be sure to use plain and not vanilla.
  • Black Pepper – Fresh ground black pepper tastes best. You can also add a dash of cayenne and/or some red pepper flakes for a little heat.
  • Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning – (optional for spice) This adds a lot of flavor and heat to the soup. If adding this, you may want to reduce the salt since this has added salt.

Helpful tools

  • A large soup pot – You will need a pot that holds at least 16 cups of liquid.

How to make vegan potato corn chowder

A full printable version of this recipe with ingredient measurements is available at the bottom of this post.

Step 1 – Peel and dice the onion, garlic, carrots, and potatoes. (Dice the potatoes into 1/2 ich cubes. The smaller that you dice the potatoes the faster they will cook.)

Step 2 – Add the diced onion to 3 tablespoons of olive oil and cook for 5 minutes over low heat. Add the minced garlic, salt, and smoked paprika then saute for an additional 1 minute.

Step 3 – Add the vegetable broth, carrots, potatoes, and corn then turn up the heat to medium-high and bring the soup to a slow boil.

Sauteed onions, garlic, and smoked paprika in oil.
Sauté onions, garlic, and smoked paprika.
Broth, corn, and potatoes added to the vegan chowder.
Add broth, potatoes, corn, and carrots.

Step 4 – Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes until the potatoes are tender. (The size of the potato cubes will determine how long it will need to simmer.)

Step 5 – Add the plant-based milk and simmer for 5 more minutes. Then add additional salt and ground black pepper to taste or some Tony Chachere’s for a little spice.

Soy milk being added to the vegan potato corn chowder to make it creamy.
Add plant-based milk when the potatoes are soft.
A large pot of vegan potato corn chowder in a large blue soup pot.
Simmer until warm.

Top this soup with some fresh parsley, vegan bacon bits, vegan cheddar cheese, or some vegan sour cream for extra flavor. You can even add some cubed vegan ham or tempeh bacon to this soup for extra protein and a smoky taste.

Serve this soup hot with some homemade focaccia, drop biscuits, vegan skillet cornbread, or vegan cheddar bay biscuits.

Pro Tips

  • Sauting the onions slowly, in the beginning, helps to bring out their sweetness and gives the soup a lot of flavor.
  • Smoked paprika is the key to giving this broth an amazing smoky flavor. I highly recommend using smoked paprika over regular.

How to make it thicker

My family likes the broth in this potato chowder to be a thinner, lighter-tasting broth, however, if you prefer the broth to be thicker it’s easy to do. Simply make a vegan roux and add the broth to the roux to thicken it. You can also make a slurry out of 1/4 cup of potato starch or corn starch dissolved in 1/2 cup of cold water and add it to the soup.

Storage and reheating

Refrigerate: This vegan potato corn chowder will keep well in the fridge for 3 – 5 days in an airtight container.

Freeze: Potato corn chowder freezes well and can be stored in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.

Reheating: Reheat a serving of potato soup in the microwave for about 3 minutes or reheat it in a pan on the stovetop.

A white bowl filled with smokey vegan potato corn chowder.

If you love potatoes, check out my recipes for vegan potato salad, roasted potatoes with Brussels sprouts, deviled potatoes, or vegan potato casserole.

More vegan soups

Vegan potato corn chowder

A white bowl filled with vegan potato corn chowder with potatoes and parsley around it.
Diet
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5 from 2 rating

Vegan Potato Corn Chowder

Yield: 14
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 25 minutes
Total: 45 minutes
Author: Monica Davis
A hearty dairy-free, gluten-free potato corn chowder in a smoky broth.
Print Leave a Review Pin Recipe

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 medium onion
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 2 tablespoons smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 4 cups vegetable broth
  • 4 cups potatoes, peeled and diced
  • 1 cup carrots, peeled and diced
  • 2 cups frozen corn
  • 3 cups plant-based milk, (soy milk or oat milk work best)
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon tony chachere's, (optional for spice)

Equipment

Instructions
 

  • Peel and dice the onion, garlic, carrots and potatoes. (Dice the potatoes into 1/2 ich cubes. The smaller that you dice the potatoes the faster they will cook.)
  • Add the diced onion to 3 tablespoons of olive oil and cook for 5 minutes over low heat. Add the minced garlic, salt, and smoked paprika then sauté for an additional 1 minute.
  • Add the vegetable broth, carrots, potatoes, and corn then turn up the heat to medium-high and bring the soup to a slow boil.
  • Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes until the potatoes are tender. (The size of the potato cubes will determine how long it will need to simmer.)
  • Add the plant-based milk and simmer for 5 more minutes. Then add additional salt and ground black pepper to taste or some Tony Chachere’s for a little spice.

Notes

How to thicken the broth
If you prefer the broth make a vegan roux and add the broth to the roux to thicken it. You can also make a slurry out of 1/4 cup of potato starch or corn starch dissolved in 1/2 cup of cold water and add it to the soup.
Serving: 1cup, Calories: 139kcal, Carbohydrates: 22g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 4g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Sodium: 473mg, Potassium: 493mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 2365IU, Vitamin C: 20mg, Calcium: 89mg, Iron: 1mg
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