“Chowder” is basically a thick, hearty soup. As the name suggests, corn chowder is made from corn as the main ingredient. Food allergy families spend so much time in the kitchen cooking from scratch. That’s why we love recipes that are quick and easy and don’t have a long list of complicated ingredients. This dairy free and vegan corn chowder is definitely quick and easy.
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Jump to RecipeMaking it dairy free and vegan
Many traditional cord chowder recipes contain milk or cream. This recipe doesn’t contain any dairy products and relies on the creaminess of blended corn instead.
Often corn chowder has bacon or seafood too. We’ve left these out to make sure this recipe is vegan and allergy-friendly.
Ingredients
To make dairy free and vegan corn chowder you’ll need:
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 brown onion, diced
- 2 cloves fresh garlic, finely chopped
- 900g (2lb or 7 cups) sweet corn kernels
- 1 litre (2 pints) vegan chicken stock
- 2 tsp cajun spice
- 1 red capsicum, seeds removed and finely diced
- 1 celery stick, diced
- ground black pepper
and fresh coriander leaves (cilantro) for garnish.
Sweet corn
To keep this corn chowder recipe quick and easy, it is made with frozen corn kernels. I use organic corn kernels from the freezer section at the supermarket. You could also use tinned corn (rinsed and drained). If you happen to have lots of fresh corn and more preparation time, you could definitely use cooked fresh corn instead.
Vegan stock
Australian brand Massel makes our favourite ready-made vegan stock flavours. They are available in chicken style, beef style and vegetable flavours, in stock cubes and in liquid stock. For stock cubes, make up the correct quantity of liquid stock by mixing with boiling water according to the packet instructions.
If you have difficulty finding a vegan “chicken” style stock, you can use a vegan vegetable stock instead. Just be sure to check that any pre-prepared stock or stock cubes don’t contain milk. As a milk-allergy family, we have noticed that many ready made stocks do contain dairy.
Homemade vegetable stock would also be delicious in this recipe if you prefer.
Cajun spice
We’ve used a store bought cajun spice mix in this recipe. If you don’t have any on hand, you can substitute with a combination of spices like cayenne pepper, paprika and black pepper.
As always, make sure to carefully check the ingredient list of any pre-packaged products to make sure that they are safe for your allergies.
Method
Heat half of the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add finely chopped brown onion and garlic and cook until soft (about 4 minutes), stirring regularly. Add 4 cups (about 2/3rds) of the corn and half of the stock (2 cups/1 pint). Simmer the mixture for around 15 minutes then set aside to cool slightly. Once cooled, use a stick or immersion blender (I love my Bamix) and blend the mixture to a smooth puree. Transfer blended mixture to a separate bowl.
Next heat the remainder of the olive oil in the saucepan over medium heat. Add finely chopped capsicum (bell pepper) and diced celery and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes, stirring as you cook. Add cajun seasoning and mix well.
Return the blended corn mixture to the saucepan together with the rest of the stock and the corn kernels. Simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring regularly. Add the black beans, stir to combine and season with ground black pepper.
Serve the chowder in bowls and garnish with fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves.
More allergy-friendly recipes
Looking for more delicious allergy-friendly recipes? You can find them on our recipes page. If you are in the mood for soup, try our deliciously dairy free creamy spiced roast pumpkin soup or our creamy dairy free potato and leek soup.
Dairy free and vegan corn chowder with black beans
Equipment
- large saucepan
- mixing spoon
- chopping board
- Sharp knife
- stick (immersion) blender
- large heatproof bowl
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium brown onion
- 2 garlic cloves (chopped finely)
- 900 g (1lb) frozen sweetcorn kernels (or tinned corn)
- 1 litre (2 pints) vegan chicken-style stock
- 1 red capsicum (bell pepper), seeds removed and finely chopped
- 1 stalk celery, diced
- 2 tsp cajun seasoning mix (or mix of cayenne pepper, paprika and black pepper)
- 400 g (14 oz) canned black beans, well rinsed and drained
- ground black pepper to season
- fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves to garnish
Instructions
- Heat half of the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add finely chopped brown onion and garlic and cook until soft (about 4 minutes), stirring regularly.1 tbsp olive oil, 1 medium brown onion, 2 garlic cloves (chopped finely)
- Add 4 cups (about 2/3rds) of the corn and half of the stock (2 cups/1 pint). Simmer the mixture for around 15 minutes then set aside to cool slightly.900 g (1lb) frozen sweetcorn kernels (or tinned corn), 1 litre (2 pints) vegan chicken-style stock
- Once cooled, use a stick or immersion blender (I love my Bamix) to blend the mixture to a smooth puree. Transfer blended mixture to a separate bowl.
- Heat the remainder of the olive oil in the saucepan over medium heat. Add finely chopped capsicum (bell pepper) and celery and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes, stirring as you cook. Add cajun seasoning and mix well.1 tbsp olive oil, 1 red capsicum (bell pepper), seeds removed and finely chopped, 1 stalk celery, diced, 2 tsp cajun seasoning mix (or mix of cayenne pepper, paprika and black pepper)
- Return the blended corn mixture to the saucepan together with the rest of the stock and corn kernels. Simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring regularly. Add the black beans, stir to combine and season with ground black pepper.900 g (1lb) frozen sweetcorn kernels (or tinned corn), 1 litre (2 pints) vegan chicken-style stock, 400 g (14 oz) canned black beans, well rinsed and drained, ground black pepper to season
- Serve the chowder in bowls and garnish with fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves.fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves to garnish
I LOVE corn chowder! Never tried with black beans in it, so excited to try this recipe!
This is perfect for gluten and dairy free families like ours!