I’ve always been a soup person. Soup is one of my favourite meals, and luckily one of my favourite things to experiment with making. It’s low maintenance, healthy and a super easy thing to make in large batches to freeze for later.  I often make a large pot of whatever veggies need using up, and we feast on soupy goodness for the foreseeable future. I’ve been trying to be more conscious about eating seasonally and selecting foods that are grown locally; which brings me to today’s glorious offering.

We’ve been thoroughly enjoying corn season, and this week as the temperature dipped, I was really craving a creamy corn chowder to warm me up. We stopped by the local roadside market and grabbed 1/2 dozen corn along with stocking up on our usuals.

Now… you don’t have to take my word for it- but this vegan chowder (in its cream-less, chicken-less glory), is hands-down, the best corn chowder I’ve ever had.

It’s super hearty and full of flavour but doesn’t leave you with a gurgly dairy belly or pain. It’s creamy without the cream. There is no compromise. This one will even impress your classic meat and potatoes friend.

Now… I’m not an ‘exact measurement’ kinda girl and writing recipes with precise amounts is a newer experience for me. I finally got around to writing this one down, and the following recipe is what my creamy Corn Chowder has evolved to become over the years.

This chowder is creamy thanks to the soaked and blended cashews. It really brings that classic buttery, creamy texture, but it’s a way healthier option.

This took me just shy of an hour to put together (but I also have v. poor time management skills and likely could be done much quicker)

CREAMY VEGAN CORN CHOWDER:

• 2 Cups of plain cashews, soaked overnight (in enough water to cover them)
• 1 Cup Almond Milk
• 1 Cup Water
• Olive Oil
• 2-3 cloves Garlic
• 1/2 Head Cauliflower
• 1/2  Zucchini
• Mushrooms -I used Crimini- White, brown or portobello work well too. (about a handful)
• Tiny baby Potatoes  (about a handful)
• 1 Cup Celery
• 1 Cup Carrots
• 1 Cup Green Beans
• 1/2 Large Red Onion
• 1 Capsicum
• 6 Corn on the cob (though you can use frozen- maybe 2 cups ish?)
• 2 carton Vegetable Stock (or bouillon cube equivalent)
• Bay Leaves
• Fresh Cilantro
• Chilli Flakes
• Dill
• Cumin
• Paprika
• Rosemary
• Salt & Pepper

Instructions:

Soak your cashews the night before in enough water to cover them. If you forget & are doing this last minute, use boiling hot water and let them sit as long as possible.

After the cashews have soaked, tip out the water and rinse them well.

Add Cashews to your blender with 1 cup water & 1 Cup Almond Milk. Blend until totally smooth. Set aside.

Peel corn, bring some water in a pot to a boil and cook your 6 cobs of corn until tender. You could also pre do this step and have them ready to go in the fridge.

Start by chopping up all your veggies into tiny bite-sized pieces. Try and keep things uniform so everything cooks relatively evenly. I chopped my mini potatoes into small chunks that were hearty enough to not fall apart when soft, but small enough to still enjoy in a bite.

I always start with cooking my mushrooms- so in my largest soup pot I toss ’em in with some olive oil so they don’t stick. Mushrooms need a little extra room in the pan to properly brown and I’ve also read that some mushrooms (like portobello) should be cooked first on high heat, in a well-ventilated area due to the release of mycotoxins. SOOOooo. Ya know. Once the mushrooms are browned (5 min?), I add the carrots, potatoes, celery and the garlic (basically the harder, more dense veggies) and cook them for about 5- 8 minutes.

Add in your Zucchini, Capsicum, Cauliflower and Red Onion and cook on medium heat for 5 minutes-ish stirring often and then turn heat to low.

Take your boiled corn, and (if you have a gas burner) roast it quickly over the burner until it’s slightly charred in some spots. When all corn has been roasted- cut it off the cob and plop it into the soup. You don’t HAVE to roast- but it tastes reallll nice.

Rinse and strain a can of white beans (cannellini, baby lima beans, white kidney bean, whatever you got!) and ADD beans to the veggie mix.

Add in the veggie stock and the cashew cream that you had set aside in your blender & stir in well.

Lower the temp to a simmer.

At this point, I added my seasonings, including a few shakes of paprika & cumin, a pinch of salt & lots of cracked black pepper. Some chilli flakes, lots of dried dill and a big handful of fresh cilantro. I also love adding rosemary and added 3 bay leaves (don’t forget to remove them before serving)

I like to let my soups simmer for at minimum a full hour before eating. DON’T LET IT BOIL!! Give it a stir whenever you walk by.

Serve with more cracked pepper on top and gluten-free crackers or see if your grocery store sells Un Buns- MAN they are good. Like a whole wheat soft bun BUT IT’S KETO // LOW CARB // HIGH PROTEIN INSTEAD! WIZARDRY!!

Hope you give this a go & remember- get creative!! Use what you have in the fridge/ what you like and follow the recipe as a base structure. 😛

Enjoy! Don’t forget to tag me in photos if you make it!