Vegan Creamy Potato, Leek and Corn Chowder
My Potato, Leek and Corn Chowder recipe is a tasty, creamy, umami bowl of plant-based goodness.
Its so easy to prepare and you can have a pot ready in under an hour!
Perfect for busy families. And uses budget-friendly ingredients.
What is a Chowder?
It is believed that chowder originated in England and France hundreds of years ago, with immigrants to America bringing their recipes along for the journey to the new world. Chowder quickly became a ship staple during the 17th-19th centuries.
A chowder is basically a mix of vegetables, meat, or fish that is cooked in a creamy, thick stock. Chowder has traditionally been thickened with crackers, hardtack/sea biscuits.
For a hardtack recipe scroll down below to an amazing YouTube video by the very knowledgeable and entertaining Marys nest channel. I love watching Mary’s videos and learn so much.
Vegan Creamy Potato, Leek and Corn Chowder
This is a no-oil recipe but feel free to sauté the vegetables in some vegetable or olive oil if desired. Happy cooking!
Serves 4-6 portions
Vegan Creamy Potato, Leek and Corn Chowder
A creamy bowl of plant-based goodness and savoury tastiness. Perfect for lunch, dinner or tea. Kids particularly love this soup.
Equipment
- Large Saucepan
- Blender/stick blender/food processor, optional
Ingredients
- 3-4 medium potatoes, chopped into rough small cubes or roughly 350 grams/3 cups chopped
- 2 leeks, sliced about 350 grams/ roughly 4 cups
- 1 cup frozen sweetcorn about 130 grams measured with a 250ml cup size
- 1 cup frozen peas about 130 grams
- 2 stalks celery, chopped small
- 4 cloves garlic, fine chopped
- 2 teaspoons dried mixed herbs optional: add a bay leaf
- 1 cup firm tofu, chopped into small pieces about 100-150 grams
- 2 tablespoons gluten-free plain flour or use a plain flour or an oat flour if soup doesn't have to be gluten-free. I used the Doves Farm brand of GF flour.
- 1 cup plant-based milk I used an oat milk but if your soup needs to be GF check that the milk you use is GF.
- 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast this is optional but adds so much flavour and umami to the soup. A tub of nutritional yeast may be a few pounds but the tub will last for many meals and provide your dishes with a nutritional boost.
- 2 vegan/vegetable stock-cubes I use the Marigold brand. If your soup is GF then check that your stock cubes are GF. Use only 1 stock cube if desired.
- 1 litre water about 1.05 US quarts, plus 1 cup for sautéing vegetables. I usually use boiling water fresh from the kettle.
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder, optional salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add 1 cup of water and stock cubes to a large saucepan. Bring to the boil and add leeks, fresh garlic, garlic powder, dried herbs (bay leaf if using), and celery. Place a lid on the saucepan and sauté for around 10 minutes. (If using oil I would leave the lid off and sauté for around 7-8 minutes.)Stir occasionally.
- Remove the lid and sauté for a few minutes until the liquid has mostly evaporated.Add the flour, and mix well.
- Add the cubed potatoes, tofu pieces, frozen sweetcorn and peas. Mix.
- Pour in about 1 litre of water and mix well.
- Bring to the boil. Lower the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes.Stir occasionally to ensure chowder doesn't stick to the bottom of your pan.
- Add 1 cup of plant-based milk and simmer gently for a few minutes.
- Make sure your potatoes are soft. At this stage you can blend about 2 cups of the chowder and then pour back into your soup. This results in a creamier and thicker soup but isn't necessary.
- Add nutritional yeast. Mix well as it can clump up! Check the seasoning, and add enough salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve!
Recipe notes for Vegan Creamy Potato, Leek and Corn Chowder
- Tofu is used for my recipe. A good substitute for tofu would be a can of drained, creamy white beans such as butter beans, cannellini beans or haricot beans. My daughter has requested butter beans for our next batch of chowder as they are her favourite bean.
- For a creamier Chowder try drizzling some plant-based/vegan cream over the top of each bowl before serving.
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If you don’t have or like nutritional yeast, some plant-based grated cheese or a heaped tablespoon of plant-based soft cheese could be mixed through the pot of chowder before serving. Or use the plant-based cheese as a topping.
- Nutritional yeast is a natural ingredient worth having and can be used as and when parmesan cheese would be added to a dish. My son adores it on pasta sauce! Nutritional yeast has become so common these days that most supermarkets stock it. Even Aldi’s and Lidl’s, UK, both often have it on offer during vegan promotion weeks. I tend to purchase mine from Amazon, UK, in a bulk buy of 6 tubs as its much cheaper. And as I live rural in the Scottish Highlands a choice of supermarkets is not something I have!
Served with Crispy Kale, and Salad Sandwiches. -
I topped my family’s chowder with some dried, crispy Kale that I dehydrated in my little food dehydrator.
- Kale can also be dehydrated in an oven. I love kale when its crispy and as a topping its delicious. For an oven-based method just wash and dry your kale well. As you wash it scrunch the kale up with your hands. This just helps to tenderise it more. Remove any tough stalks. Once dry lay the kale out on a baking sheet and bake at about 180 Fan/200 Celsius/Gas 6/Fahrenheit 400 for around 20-25 minutes until crisp. You will likely need to turn the kale half way and check it carefully as it can burn too easily! Although my daughter seems to like the charred bits! Any seasonings can be mixed through through the kale before baking such as paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, mixed herbs, Cajun/fajita/barbecue/potato dry seasonings, etc. For a salt and vinegar batch of kale try a few tablespoons of apple cider vinegar and sprinkling of sea salt. Yum!
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Alternatively top your chowder with some chopped chives, or sliced spring onions, or scatter some chopped parsley over.
- Some dry pan roasted sunflower, pumpkin or mixed seeds are a tasty addition for a topping.
- Serve your chowder with a chunk of crusty bread, toasted soda bread, or even sandwiches for an extra filling lunch or main meal. I had my recent bowl of chowder with a salad (just some chopped cabbage, romaine lettuce, cherry tomatoes, cucumber and sweet red peppers) sandwich and I was certainly filled up for hours!
- Your chowder should keep in the fridge for 3 days. It can be cooled and frozen but the texture will likely change due to the potatoes being frozen, but will still taste yummy. I don’t think it matters much if the potatoes go a little soft, after all you can freeze mashed potatoes! Defrost and reheat till piping hot, simmer for a few minutes, before serving.
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For a fun, historical recipe why not prepare some 18th Century, ship-biscuits called Hardtack? Hardtack is a perfect, authentic, traditional, accompaniment for your Chowder!
Looking for more traditional meal idea inspiration?
Check out my family favourite Vegan Sausage Pasta recipe
And for supper a slice of my Traditional Vegan Fruit Loaf Cake which is my all-time favourite!
Looking for a Gluten-free, Fat-free, Sugar-Free, Nut-Free, Soy-Free, Vegan Fruit Loaf Cake?! Check out this perfect recipe that does it all!
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