This vegan and Dairy Free Corn Chowder is ultra creamy and comforting. It’s packed with nutrients, fiber, and even lots of plant proteins!
The past few months have been a whirlwind of travel for us. Since June, we have been in 4 countries on 3 continents, and are gearing up for another trip trans-Pacific flight in a few weeks.
That’s life when your family is spread out on 3 continents.
Xander is quite the traveling baby. Before his first birthday, he had left Malaysia, where he was born, for a trip to see family in Australia, flown to America twice, and been on vacations to both Borneo and Thailand. He has handled it so well. It wasn’t until we had 2 trans-Pacific flights in a week that he got his very first cold.
Part of this I attribute to breastfeeding, part to all the veggies I pack into our diets around travel times. Smoothies, green juices, and salads and soups. I am a big believer in getting our nutrients from whole foods, and not relying on supplements.
And when too much plane travel overtakes even the best intentions. . . (long hours awake, so many people crammed into small spaces, a little baby who wants to TOUCH everything and then put things in his mouth, too!) . . .there is soup to make us feel better- and this Dairy Free Corn Chowder is a regular around our house.
Alex, Xander and I all ended up with colds after our flight back from Australia. This soup has been nursing us back to health.
Contents
Tips for the RECIPE
- Like most soup recipes, the veggies in this soup are customizable! I wanted to keep this on the simpler side, but we often add other veggies like kale, broccoli, and green beans to this soup. Use up what you have in your veggie drawer.
- I make cream soups with a cauliflower base because I am lactose intolerant. However, this is a great recipe for everyone because using a cauliflower and cashew base not only cuts calories from the classic, but also adds a ton of fiber, and replaces saturated fats from cream with the monounsaturated fats in cashews.
- Lower the Calories: I have made soups similar to this for years with only cauliflower in the “cream” base. If calories are a concern for you, omit the cashews to lower the amount in this recipe. However, healthy fats help your body digest the nutrients in all of the vegetables in this soup!
- Increase the Protein: Often, we make this soup and add some crumbled up chicken sausage. If you’d like to keep it meatless, white or black beans would be a good addition!
Dairy Free Corn Chowder
Ingredients
- 1 cauliflower medium (2 pounds)
- 1/2 cup cashews soaked overnight
- 1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable bouillon (I love Rapunzel Vegetable Bouillon)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 yellow onion medium
- 2 ears of corn (or 2 cups organic frozen corn)
- 2 potatoes medium
- 2 carrots large
- 1/3 cup fresh thyme (or 1 1/2 tablespoons dried thyme)
- 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt (start with 1/2 and add to taste)*
- fresh ground black pepper to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes optional, mildly spicy
- cheddar, bacon, chives optional, garnish
Instructions
- Soak cashews overnight. If you do not have time for this step, pour boiling water over cashews and allow to soak while you are preparing the cauliflower.Soak cashews overnight. If you do not have time for this step, pour boiling water over cashews and allow to soak while you are preparing the cauliflower.
- Add roughly chopped cauliflower to a steamer, and steam for 15 minutes.Add roughly chopped cauliflower to a steamer, and steam for 15 minutes.
- While the cauliflower is steaming, prepare your vegetables by removing corn from the ears, peeling and chopping the potatoes into large dice sized cubes, and peeling and chopping carrots.While the cauliflower is steaming, prepare your vegetables by removing corn from the ears, peeling and chopping the potatoes into large dice sized cubes, and peeling and chopping carrots.
- Dice an onion, and add it to a soup pot with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Saute the onion over medium heat, stirring, and not allowing the onion to over brown or burn (will affect the pretty white color of the soup!).Dice an onion, and add it to a soup pot with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Saute the onion over medium heat, stirring, and not allowing the onion to over brown or burn (will affect the pretty white color of the soup!).
- Once the cauliflower is steamed, add it to a blender, and add 2 cups of the water used for steaming. Add the soaked and drained cashews and vegetable bouillon, and blend for 2-3 minutes until the mixture is super creamy.Once the cauliflower is steamed, add it to a blender, and add 2 cups of the water used for steaming. Add the soaked and drained cashews and vegetable bouillon, and blend for 2-3 minutes until the mixture is super creamy.
- To the pot with the onions, add the potatoes and carrots, plus 3 cups of water. Allow the vegetables to cook for about 10 more minutes.To the pot with the onions, add the potatoes and carrots, plus 3 cups of water. Allow the vegetables to cook for about 10 more minutes.
- Add the cauliflower cream and corn, and season with fresh thyme, sea salt (begin with 1/2 teaspoon, and add more to taste), and black pepper. Allow to continue to simmer until all vegetables are tender.Add the cauliflower cream and corn, and season with fresh thyme, sea salt (begin with 1/2 teaspoon, and add more to taste), and black pepper. Allow to continue to simmer until all vegetables are tender.
- Garnish with chives, cheese, or bacon, if desired. We love it with a bit of cheddar and extra herbs on top.Garnish with chives, cheese, or bacon, if desired. We love it with a bit of cheddar and extra herbs on top.
Notes
Nutrition
Other Dairy Free Cream Soup Recipes:
- Creamy Minestrone Soup, by iFOODreal
- Dairy Free Potato Soup, by Gal on a Mission
- Dairy Free Cream of Chicken Soup, by Home Based Mom
- Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup, by Sunkissed Kitchen
- Dairy Free Cream of Mushroom Soup, by Sunkissed Kitchen
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O yum!! Love the cauliflower and cashews!
Thanks Rebecca 🙂 It makes such a creamy and rich base.
I’ve just found out that I’m lactose-intolerant, too. Can’t wait to try this nutritious dairy-free soup!
It’s hard at first if you’re used to using dairy! I have been lactose intolerant for 15 years now, so it gets easier and easier if you experiment with soups like this 🙂
That is some good looking chowder. Can’t wait to make a batch up for the family.
Thank you! My family asks for this soup all the time. It’s a regular for sure!
The corn chowder looks so creamy and I would definitely not be missing my dairy in this recipe.
You really don’t miss it at all 🙂 The cashews really make it nice and thick.
What a creative way to make the chowder dairy free. It looks creamy, delicious and oh so comforting!
What a gorgeous soup for a chilly fall day! I am all for soups with fresh, delicious ingredients like this!
mmmm… corn chowder! Such a comforting soup and this one looks so creamy but very healthy. Love your photos too.
Wow so clever to use cashews! Never knew you could do that…looks delicious!
I can’t believe this recipe doesn’t have a drop of dairy in it. It looks so creamy! Well done!
A healthy chowder easy to make is always a great recipe to have at hand. Thank you Michelle!