Easy Vegan White Bean, Potato and Corn Chowder

My vegan white bean potato corn chowder recipe is a hearty and delicious option for a comforting meal. Made with creamy white beans, tender potatoes, and sweetcorn, this chowder is packed with flavor. It is also dairy-free and perfect for those following a vegan diet. The combination of the beans and potatoes creates a velvety texture, while the corn adds a subtle sweetness.

The calendar tells me that it’s summer, but my goose bumps and two layers of clothes are telling me the opposite. This can only mean one thing: the unique British summertime. The occasional sunny days are always generously seasoned with showers, wind, overcast-ness and even hail. And, when the sun does shine, it reaches almost Dante-esque temperatures that are almost unendurable.

This has reflected itself vividly in my cooking too. Cosy soups have been on the menu in the Erickson household these past few weeks and with just a few simple ingredients and minimal preparation, you can enjoy a bowl of warm and satisfying chowder that will keep you full and satisfied.

What Is Chowder?

Despite its relatively local etymology (chowder is a derivation of the French word chaudiere, which roughly means “hot pot”, although it could also refer to the word “jowter”, old English for fishermonger), us closeted Brits don’t really cook chowder, preferring vegetable or tomato soups.

However, I have recently discovered the joy of chowder, just as the New Englanders did, so many years ago, when the Breton fishermen would serve up huge, bubbling cauldrons of soup, freshly made with the catch of the day. To this day, chowder is always affiliated with New England despite the many deviations from the original French recipes, which would have originally resembled bouillabaisse. Some versions add tomatoes, which are more redolent of the original fish stew served up by those French fishermen all those years ago.

Indeed, such is the widespread popularity of chowder that it is noted in Moby Dick and makes an appearance in an episode of the Simpsons. Expensive but inferior tinned versions are available on every supermarket shelf, although I often find these need loads of white pepper to give them a bit of flavour. That said, I just love the taste of pepper!

The most famous of all chowders though, is clam chowder, a typical New England version, using local shellfish catches and almost impossible to replicate if you live in the UK, far away from where clams tend to inhabit. Fortunately, tinned clams offer an ethereal taste of the Northeast and can be quite a convincing substitute.

But, if you don’t eat meat or fish, or are one of the unfortunate few who can’t tolerate shellfish, then forget the fish altogether and make this vegan version using potato, cannellini beans and corn. The familiar creamy chowder texture is still vivid and the corn adds a wonderful sweetness to the soup, offset by green pepper and onions. My vegan corn chowder is the perfect hearty soup for that time of year when it starts to get a little cooler in the evenings, and you dole out cups of the soup with big hunks of bread, to warm up, its savoury flavour a bolster against the chill of the cooler months.

You can use fresh sweet corn or canned, depending on the time of year. During the warmer months and corn season, fresh corn is so easy to find, yet I find that this thicker soup is perfect all year round.

Ingredients

• Yellow onion, garlic, celery, and green bell pepper. You could also use a red bell pepper if you prefer.
• Baking potato, peeled, and cut into cubes. Not only does it add flavor, but texture and thickening to the soup.
• Sweetcorn. Depending on the time of year, you can use canned or fresh corn, cut from corn cobs. The corn kernels add an irreplaceable sweetness and texture.
• Cannellini beans. I find that white beans add a delicious creamy flavor and make it a hearty vegan corn chowder.
• Fresh thyme. I also chuck in a bay leaf if I remember.
• Non-dairy milk. I use soy milk, but you could also use almond milk or your favorite unsweetened plant milk.
• Black pepper. This adds a gentle heat.

Method

Simmer onions, garlic, celery and green pepper in olive oil, until tender.

Add the diced potatoes and thyme, and cook for a couple of minutes more.

Now add the stock, bring up to a quick boil, then turn down to a low heat.

Now add the milk, cannellini beans and sweetcorn and the soup is virtually ready. A quick simmer, a readjustment of seasoning and the soup is ready to be served, steaming hot, into deep soup bowls, with crusty, buttered bread.

If you loved this soup, try my other delicious vegan soups

• Luxurious Jerusalem Artichoke
• Rich Butternut Squash and Coconut Soup
• Cool and tasty Gazpacho
• Spicy Green Chilli and Hominy Soup
• Warming Parsnip Soup
• Italian Classic, Ribollita

Vegan Potato Sweetcorn and White Bean Chowder

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A comforting, cosy soup

Freya

4.95 from 54 votes

Prep 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Ingredients

• ▢ 2 tbsp Olive Oil
• ▢ 1 tbsp Butter - vegan
• ▢ 1 Onion - peeled and finely chopped
• ▢ 1 clove Garlic - peeled and finely chopped
• ▢ 2 sticks Celery - de-stringed and finely chopped
• ▢ 1 small Green Pepper - finely chopped
• ▢ 300 g Baking Potato - peeled and cut into ½" dice
• ▢ 1 400g Sweetcorn - fresh, or, if tinned, drained
• ▢ 1 400g Cannellini beans - canned, drained
• ▢ 1 spring Thyme - or use a pinch of dried
• ▢ 420 ml Vegetable stock
• ▢ 280 ml Soy Milk - unsweetened, or plant based milk of your choice
• ▢ Salt and Pepper

Instructions

• Heat the oil and butter in a heavy bottomed saucepan and sauté the onions, garlic, celery, pepper for about 4 or 5 minutes, or until the vegetables start to look translucent and soft.
• Now stir in the diced potato and thyme.
• Turn the heat down to low, cover and leave to gently sweat down for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure the vegetables don’t stick.
• Pour over the stock or water, bring to the boil, turn down to a gentle simmer, cover and cook for another 10 minutes or until the potato is cooked.
• Add the beans, sweetcorn and milk, and a little seasoning. Bring to the boil once more, turn down and simmer for another couple of minutes, just to allow the flavours to amalgamate.
• Taste for seasoning and adjust as necessary.
• Add a swirl of cream if necessary and a chopped chives. Serve with thickly buttered crusty bread.

Please note that where the recipe asks for milk, butter or yogurt, this refers to any plant-based version that you prefer.

Nutrition Facts

Vegan Potato Sweetcorn and White Bean Chowder

Amount per Serving

Calories

202

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

11

g

17

%

Saturated Fat

 

3

g

19

%

Trans Fat

 

0.1

g

Polyunsaturated Fat

 

2

g

Monounsaturated Fat

 

6

g

Cholesterol

 

8

mg

3

%

Sodium

 

497

mg

22

%

Potassium

 

542

mg

15

%

Carbohydrates

 

22

g

7

%

Fiber

 

2

g

8

%

Sugar

 

5

g

6

%

Protein

 

4

g

8

%

Vitamin A

 

756

IU

15

%

Vitamin C

 

27

mg

33

%

Calcium

 

127

mg

13

%

Iron

 

1

mg

6

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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