Hearty Vegan Sweet Potato Corn Chowder

This Vegan Sweet Potato Corn Chowder is thick and chunky, slightly sweet and slightly spicy. It's free of fat, dairy, meat, and gluten, and it's incredibly delicious! Creamy, without any cream!

Can I interest you in a warm bowl of vegan Sweet Potato Corn Chowder?

This wholesome vegetarian chowder has a natural sweetness from corn kernels and just enough spice to keep it interesting. It's velvety smooth with chunks of sweet red pepper, onions, celery, corn kernels, and sweet potatoes, of course. Guaranteed to warm your tummy on a chilly day!

Not only that, but this vegan corn chowder recipe is an easy one. It's cooked in one pot on the stove top with ingredients you probably have on hand. Ready to eat in about half an hour, it's perfect for those on special diets. It has no meat, no dairy, no gluten, or oil!

It's a bowl full of nutritious yum.

I don't eat corn very often. Corn is often genetically modified and in Canada, food is not required to be labeled GMO. Bags of frozen organic corn are easy to find in supermarkets, however, so that's what I used in this chowder recipe.

Earlier this week, I was out for lunch with friends. I spotted Sweet Potato Corn Chowder on the menu and decided to give it a try. Three of the four of us ordered it and it was a hit. While we were chatting, I was secretly analyzing the ingredients, knowing that I was going to head home and try my best to reproduce it!

Here's what I came up with.

🛒 Ingredients

• onion: white or yellow
• celery: 4 big stalks (also called ribs)
• garlic: fresh
• sweet potato: 3 cups chopped, which is about one large sweet potato
• red pepper: one large
• frozen corn: or use fresh in the summer months
• vegetable broth: homemade or store-bought
• seasonings: chili powder, paprika, turmeric, dried red pepper flakes

Let's get started! You'll need a big pot.

🔪Instructions

1. Begin by adding onion, celery and garlic to the pot. You don't need oil. Simply add about ⅓ cup of vegetable stock to the pot and cook until the onions and celery are softening.
2. Next, add the sweet potatoes, vegetable stock and seasonings. Cook for about 10 minutes.
3. Add the red bell pepper and corn and continue to cook until the sweet potatoes are tender.
4. Transfer two thirds of the chowder to a blender and process until smooth. Pour it back into the pot. Taste to check the seasoning and correct to your liking. It's ready to serve!

Sweet potatoes or yams:  What's the difference?

Even though they are often referred to as yams in North American supermarkets, those sweet orange-coloured root vegetables are actually sweet potatoes. Sweet potatoes come in a variety of colours, even purple. Depending on which name you're most familiar with, this recipe could also be called Yam Corn Chowder!

True yams are quite different. We almost made the mistake of buying yams when we were in the Caribbean, where they are readily available. Markets there carry true yams which are a very starchy, rough-looking root vegetable. They are not rich in beta-carotene like our sweet potatoes.

🍽 Serving Suggestions

This easy vegan corn chowder recipe makes a great lunch. It would also be good as a starter for a casual meal or a barbecue. It's satisfying and filling enough for a soup and salad dinner, especially when served with fresh-from-the-oven gluten-free baking powder biscuits!

Storage and freezing tips

Have it for dinner, then save some for tomorrow's lunch! Refrigerate leftovers in a tightly sealed container for up to 4-5 days. Freeze for up to 3 months.

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