Description
A creamy and comforting corn chowder made with fresh sweet corn, Yukon Gold potatoes, and a blend of aromatic spices. This recipe features a vegan option using cashews for creaminess, with the option to add sour cream for extra richness. Perfect for a hearty and flavorful meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 6 ears fresh sweet corn, husks and silks removed
- 2 tablespoons butter or vegan butter
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 3 celery stalks, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and diced
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 5 cups water
- 4 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, chopped
- 2 teaspoons Old Bay Seasoning
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 bay leaf
- Pinches of cayenne pepper
- ⅓ cup raw cashews
- 1½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice
For Garnish and Serving
- Chopped chives, for garnish
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Sour cream or vegan sour cream, optional, for serving
Instructions
- Prepare the Corn: Slice the kernels off the corn cobs and use the back of a chef’s knife to scrape off the milky liquid remaining on the cobs. Snap the cobs in half and set aside.
- Sauté Vegetables: Heat the butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add chopped onion, celery, and red bell pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes until softened. Stir in the garlic until fragrant.
- Add Liquids and Spices: Pour in the water, then add the chopped potatoes, Old Bay Seasoning, sea salt, dried thyme, smoked paprika, bay leaf, cayenne pepper, several grinds of black pepper, and the corn cobs. Bring to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes.
- Simmer Soup: Remove and discard the corn cobs and bay leaf from the pot. Add the fresh corn kernels and milky corn liquid back to the pot. Simmer for another 10 to 15 minutes until the potatoes are tender.
- Blend Cashew Cream: Transfer 2 cups of the soup to a high-speed blender and add the raw cashews. Blend until creamy and smooth. Stir this creamy mixture back into the soup and add the fresh lemon juice. Adjust seasoning to taste.
- Serve: Garnish the chowder with chopped chives and serve hot with optional dollops of sour cream or vegan sour cream.
Notes
- For a traditional chowder, omit the cashews and after pureeing 2 cups of soup, add it back with ½ cup heavy cream. Simmer gently over very low heat for 5 minutes to thicken and mellow the flavor.
- Use vegan butter and vegan sour cream for a completely vegan version.
- Old Bay Seasoning adds a unique, savory flavor but can be substituted with celery salt, paprika, and a pinch of cayenne if unavailable.
- For thicker chowder, mash some of the potatoes directly in the pot before blending.
- Fresh corn is best for flavor, but frozen corn can be used if fresh is not available.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 210 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 650 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 15 mg
