Ok, ok, it’s time. I’m finally ready to say goodbye to summer and hello to fall. Or do you say Autumn? Whenever I think of Autumn I think of the movie 500 Days of Summer. And now I want to watch it right this minute, mostly for this montage.
What was I talking about?? Oh, right.
This vegan corn chowder is my fond farewell to the most beautiful summer I can recall. Farmer’s Market days, trips to the park and the beach, and enjoying the fruits of the garden (ever a work-in-progress). It’s truly been wonderful. But I’m ready for soup weather. So I’ve been making this chowder over and over again to get myself geared up, and now I’m sad that the fresh sweet corn is fading away. But it’s still out there to be found, and you should find some and make this soup. Let’s get started!
It’s hard to believe that 5 ingredients plus a few seasonings can make such a rich, hearty chowder, but it’s true! All you need are:
Red lentils (they break down and you don’t even notice them)
Corn (not to point out the obvious)
Raw cashews (for the ultimate in creamy texture)
Potatoes (for life)
Onion
Season it up with some minced garlic, dried thyme, and salt, and you’re in business! Oh, and if you are fast at prepping vegetables, you can make this chowder in 30 minutes. YES.
I am not fast at ANYTHING. So I make it in an hour. But I’m the slowest cook alive, so you can probably make it in 45 minutes.
That is a lot of corn. This IS a corn chowder, after all. I’ve seen a lot of recipes for corn chowder that have a bunch of extra vegetables in it, like carrots and celery and sweet potatoes and all that jazz. That sounds great to me, but not for corn chowder. You have to let the corn SING, baby. And 6 ears of corn will get that beautiful music into your mouth.
Oh, and you might be wondering about the red lentils. They are my secret weapon! They add protein, body, and extra nutrition to the soup, but if you didn’t add them yourself, you wouldn’t even know they were there. Covert cooking!
The creamy component of this soup comes from my all-time-favorite dairy alternative, cashew cream. A traditional recipe for corn chowder calls for 2 cups of heavy cream. YIKES! By replacing it with cashew cream, the calories per serving are reduced by 160 calories and 20 grams of fat. This version also has 4 additional grams of protein. All the indulgence, none of the guilt. Wow, that sounded like a bad diet pill commercial or something. Anyway, cashews rock my socks and I’m so thankful for whoever it was that discovered that raw cashews are so versatile. You have my undying gratitude, perfect stranger who I’ll never meet.
Watch out for the pigtailed corn nibbling bandit. She’s a sneaky one.
There you have it, friends. A perfectly simple and deceptively healthy corn chowder that warms your heart and your belly. If you make the smart decision to make this, please let me know here in the comments or tag #eatwithinyourmeans on Instagram. It makes me all giddy with joy.
And with that, I bid you adieu, Summer. See you next year.
Vegan Corn Chowder
Ingredients
- 1 yellow onion (diced)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme (or 2 Tablespoons fresh thyme leaves)
- 1/2 cup red lentils (picked over and rinsed)
- 2-3 Russet or Idaho potatoes (peeled and diced)
- 1 cup raw cashews (see note for prep tip)
- 10 cups water (divided)
- 5-6 cups ears of fresh corn kernels (or 6 frozen corn)
- salt and pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- In a large pot, sauté the onions, lentils, garlic, and thyme over medium-low heat until the onions have softened, about 3-5 minutes.
- Blend 2 cups of water with the cashews in a blender until creamy (see note about how to soften the cashews)
- Add the potatoes, cashew cream, and remaining water into the pot, and bring to a hard boil for 7 minutes.
- Add the corn to the pot and bring to a simmer.
- Simmer the soup for 10 minutes, season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve hot.
Notes
Hot sauce (Cholula is my fav!) *If you don't have a high-speed blender, here's a quick tip to soften the cashews for easier blending. In a small saucepan, bring 2 cups of water and 1 cup of cashews to a boil, then simmer for 15 minutes. Drain the cashews and then make the cashew cream as directed.
Funny, I have a farewell-to-summer post written up that I’m posting tomorrow! I’ve been preparing Abbie for awhile with the reality that I’m starting to feel the autumn-flavor/soup-cravings coming on (she doesn’t like soups so well); on the chilly days, all I want for dinner is soup. Easy soups for the win!! (BTW, I’ve been a staunch “autumn” person forever, because it sounds so much more poetic than “fall”, but I’ve also come to accept the reality that basically everyone else in the world says fall nowadays…)
Oh, fun! I need to go read that post. 🙂 I agree that autumn sounds more poetic than fall – let’s keep it going. This autumn sure feels like summer! I don’t remember a time when we’ve had 70-80 degree days in October. It’s wonderful and weird all at the same time. I can still go out to the garden and pick tomatoes! What world is this? I hope Abbie will give this soup a go, it might change her mind!
Scrumptious chowder! Spectacular title graphic! How clever 🙂
Thank you so much, Elaine! I had fun making that graphic. 🙂
I can tell you with certainty that this chowder is incredible. The pot that was made to photograph this recipe got to come home with me. It’s very satisfying with just the right amount of sweetness and texture with the crunchy corn. My husband (Beth’s dad) ate two bowls with no crackers. The no crackers thing is very impressive for him.
Thanks Beth!
I’ll return your crock pot when you’re ready to make some more.
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Enjoyed this greatly at the start of corn season! From Maryland so I seasoned it with Old Bay seasoning and it was heavenly. Thanks for the recipe!
Hi Judy! So sorry for the delayed response, I took a bit of a break this summer and am playing catch-up now. I’m thrilled that you enjoyed this so much! And of course, Old Bay seasoning! Perfection. And…now I’m hungry. 🙂
Do you have a suggestion for creaminess for someone who is allergic to tree nuts?
Hi Melissa! I am so sorry for the delayed response – my computer was out of commission for almost a month, and I’m finally getting back into the swing of things. For creaminess, and extra nutrition, I would suggest cooking some chopped cauliflower florets (maybe half a head? in with the potatoes and lentils, and then take a couple of cups out and puree them before adding back in with the corn. If you have an immersion blender, you could also just blend the soup up a bit before adding in the corn, and some of the cauliflower will be pureed and make the soup creamier. I hope that helps! Please reach out if you have any other questions. I’ll respond more quickly, promise. 🙂
This looks like a great recipe, and I can’t wait to try it! I have one question, though: The lentils do not need to be cooked at all before being thrown in? (I don’t have much experience with cooking lentils, but I was always under the impression that they have to cook for some lengthy amount of time in order to get nice and soft. I’d hate to ruin my attempt at this recipe by making some silly rookie mistake!)
Hi Genni! Good question. 🙂 This recipe calls for red lentils, which cook considerably quicker then green/brown lentils, and they break down into the soup as it cooks. If you were to sub another kind of lentils, it wouldn’t be successful nor would it look anything like the pictures. Red lentils are my not-so-secret weapon to add protein and body to a soup without making it look “lentil-y.” 😉 Hope that helps!
That was SUPER-helpful!!! Especially since I happened to have green lentils in my cupboard and was wondering if they could be used as a substitute. Now I know to pick up some red ones. It seems like they are a good staple to have on-hand! Thank you! 🙂
I just made a big pot of this because it is cold and a good soup day. It is delicious and gets bonus points for making enough for leftovers. Even my picky child liked it after the prerequisite “I’ve never had this before, I hate it I’m not eating it… (takes a teeny dramatic bite)… actually this isn’t too bad” then ate the whole bowl. This recipe is a keeper.
Awesome! Rich and delicious,! My family couldn’t get enough!
This is my very first vegan recipe so ….in step 1 what I’m sautéing the ingredients in?
Thanks.