Rich and creamy vegan Instant Pot corn chowder is packed with veggies and FLAVOR! No coconut milk needed.
Table of Contents
I make this vegan corn and potato chowder in the Instant Pot on an almost-weekly basis. It's a one-pot meal that my whole family loves, and I love that it's quick and easy to throw together on a busy evening.
Serve this up with some crusty bread for dipping, and you've got yourself a 30-minute, 1-pot meal that you're going to turn to again and again.
A lot of vegan corn chowder recipes use coconut milk for creaminess. Coconut milk definitely makes a creamy soup, but then your soup tastes like coconut. This vegan corn chowder gets its creaminess from cauliflower and from cashew cream instead, so the flavors of the herbs can shine through.
If you like making soup in your Instant Pot, also check out my carrot ginger lentil soup, white bean soup, and Instant Pot pumpkin soup recipes!
🥔 Ingredients and substitutions
- oil - To sauté. You can broth fry for oil-free, if you prefer.
- onion and garlic - These aromatics are the first layer of flavor in your Instant Pot corn chowder.
- vegan chicken broth - You can use vegetable stock, if you prefer.
- yellow potatoes - Or use thin-skinned potatoes or choice. You can also use peeled russet potatoes, in a pinch.
- corn - Use fresh, frozen, or canned corn to make your chowder.
- cauliflower - You can use fresh or frozen. This sneaks in some extra veggies, and when you puree later, it helps thicken the soup.
- herbs and spices - Season the soup with ground sage and thyme, black pepper, and crushed red pepper.
- soaked cashews - For the cashew cream, which makes the soup so creamy!
🔪 How to make vegan corn chowder in the Instant Pot
Heat the oil in your Instant Pot using sauté mode. Add the onion and garlic and a good pinch of salt and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion begins to brown. If the pot starts to dry out or the onion or garlic starts sticking, add splashes of water.
Once the onion is browned, hit the cancel button. Add the broth, veggies, and spices to the Instant Pot.
Mix well, then cook at pressure for 5 minutes with a 10-minute natural release.
Then, use your immersion blender to blend up the soup to preference, When blending, especially make sure that you break down the cauliflower pieces. Alternately, you can ladle some of the soup into an upright blender, then return it to the pot.
While the soup is cooking, make the cashew cream by adding the soaked cashews and ½ cup water to the blender.
Blend until completely smooth and creamy. This might take two or more rounds of blending.
Stir the cashew cream into the soup, then taste and adjust salt. Serve hot.
💡 Helpful tips
- If you're using a regular blender, rather than an immersion blender, be sure to let the corn mixture cool before blending. If you put it into the blender still piping hot, it can cause the top to blow off, spewing hot soup everywhere!
- When you're blending your soup, make sure to blend the bigger cauliflower pieces. That's going to help it get creamier.
🫙 Storage directions
Leftover corn chowder will keep for three to five days in a covered container in the fridge.
You can also freeze this soup for up to six months in an airtight, freezer-safe container. Make sure to leave about an inch of headroom before freezing. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, and reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave.
🍲 More Instant Pot soups
📖 Recipe
🌽 Vegan Instant Pot Corn Chowder
Equipment
- Instant Pot - optional
- Immersion Blender - optional
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or broth fry for oil-free
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 cups vegan chicken broth or vegetable stock
- 2 yellow potatoes diced
- 1 cup corn kernels fresh, frozen, or canned is fine
- ½ cup cauliflower florets fresh or frozen is fine
- ½ teaspoon ground sage
- ½ teaspoon ground thyme
- ½ teaspoon black pepper use less for less heat
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper use less or omit for less heat
For the Cashew Cream
- ½ cup cashews soaked in hot water for 15 minutes
- ½ cup water NOT the soaking water
Instructions
Make the corn chowder in the Instant Pot.
- Heat the oil in your Instant Pot using sauté mode. Add the onion and garlic and a good pinch of salt and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion begins to brown. If the pot starts to dry out or the onion or garlic starts sticking, add splashes of water. Once the onion is browned, hit the cancel button.
- Add the broth, veggies, and spices to the Instant Pot, then cook at pressure for 5 minutes with a 10-minute natural release. Then, use your immersion blender to blend up the soup to preference, When blending, especially make sure that you break down the cauliflower pieces. Alternately, you can ladle some of the soup into an upright blender, then return it to the pot.
Meanwhile, make the cashew cream.
- Add the soaked cashews and ½ cup of water to the blender, and blend until completely smooth and creamy. This might take two or more rounds of blending.
- Stir the cashew cream into the soup, then taste and adjust salt. Serve hot.
Sharon
Just made this for lunch and we thoroughly enjoyed it! I used diced carrots instead of shredded and added celery, onion powder (next time I'll add chopped onions instead), smoked paprika and a dash of salt. I used a full cup (or more ... 3 palm-fulls) of nutritional yeast ... we love that stuff! Thanks for sharing such a delicious and quick recipe!
Becky Striepe
So glad to hear it! I love the subs that you made - I bet the paprika went really well with the creaminess of the broth.
Andrea
I love fast soups for the nights when there isn't much time to cook — especially if the recipe contains potatoes and broccoli. I can't imagine adding a whole cup of yeast, though — maybe 1/4 cup. Cashews make a great topping for just about anything, don't they?
Becky Striepe
Yeah, I like a ton of nooch. Definitely adjust to your tastes!