Sweet corn and poblano peppers make the dreamiest summer chowder-creamy, gently smoky, and finished with fresh lime and cilantro. Dairy-free. Video.
Sweet corn and poblano peppers were made for each other. This creamy Poblano Corn Chowder brings them together with tender potatoes, red bell pepper, warm spices, and a bright finish of lime and cilantro.
Instead of relying on heavy cream, we blend some of the sweet corn with plant-based milk to create a naturally creamy broth that’s rich and silky without feeling heavy. It’s one of my favorite soups for that delicious transition from late summer into fall, when fresh corn is still abundant but the evenings are starting to cool.
This was another winning recipe. I made it as written sans one of the poblanos. My wife doesn't like spicy. I used some Aleppo flakes in my bowl. This was a great warming chowder for a chilly January night. Thank you so much for all your wonderful recipes.
Why you’ll love this Corn Chowder Recipe
Creamy without heavy cream. Blending some of the sweet corn with plant-based milk creates a silky, creamy broth that feels comforting without being overly rich.
Made in one pot. This easy corn chowder comes together in just over 30 minutes, with minimal prep and cleanup-perfect for a weeknight dinner.
Celebrates late-summer produce. Sweet corn, poblano peppers, red bell pepper, and potatoes make the most of the season’s bounty, while lime and cilantro keep everything fresh and bright.
Cozy, but not too heavy. It’s the perfect soup for that transition from late summer into fall-hearty and satisfying, yet still vibrant and veggie-packed.
Corn Chowder Recipe Ingredients
- Corn: The star of the chowder! Fresh summer corn is especially delicious, but frozen or canned corn works year-round. Some of the corn is blended with milk to create the creamy broth.
- Poblano peppers: Add earthy, subtly smoky flavor and gentle heat that mellows as the peppers cook.
- Potatoes: Yukon Gold, red, or baby potatoes add heartiness and help naturally thicken the chowder.
- Red bell pepper: Adds sweetness, color, and a nice contrast to the earthy poblanos.
- Onion and garlic: Create the savory, aromatic base of the soup.
- Milk: Unsweetened plant-based milk ( soy, oat, or cashew) – Whole milk works too. It’s blended with some of the corn to create a creamy broth without heavy cream.
- Vegetable broth: Use a flavorful vegetable broth or bouillon. Chicken broth works too if the soup doesn’t need to be vegetarian.
- Spices: Cumin, coriander, oregano, and bay leaf add warmth and savory depth.
- Olive oil: For sautéing the vegetables and building the flavorful base of the chowder.
- Cilantro and lime: Add a fresh, bright finish that balances the creamy, savory flavors.
- Optional garnishes: Sour cream, extra cilantro, scallions, avocado, or cheese are all delicious on top.
How to Make Corn Chowder
Sauté the vegetables. Heat olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until fragrant. Lower the heat to medium and add the bell pepper, poblano peppers, and garlic. Sauté for 4-5 minutes until fragrant.
Add the potatoes, broth, and spices. Add the potatoes, broth, salt, pepper, cumin, coriander, oregano, and bay leaf. There should be enough liquid to cover the potatoes. If not, add a little more. Cover the pot and bring to a gentle simmer, cooking until the potatoes are tender. This should take about 10 minutes.
Layer in the corn. Divide the corn into two halves. Place half of the corn in a blender with the milk. Blend until silky smooth.
Pour into the soup pot. Add the remaining corn and stir.
Taste. Taste and adjust the salt to your desired preference. Add a squeeze of lime, if needed.
Serve. Serve the corn chowder with lime wedges and cilantro, and a dollop of sour cream for extra richness if you like.
Corn chowder Tips
- Adjust the heat. Poblanos are generally mild, but their heat can vary. For a milder chowder, remove the seeds and membranes before chopping. For more heat, add a pinch of red pepper flakes or a jalapeño.
- Blend just enough. Blend only a portion of the corn with the milk, leaving plenty of whole kernels in the soup. This creates a naturally creamy broth while keeping lots of texture.
- Don’t overcook the potatoes. Simmer just until fork-tender so they hold their shape. For an even thicker chowder, gently mash a few potatoes against the side of the pot.
- Finish with lime. Add fresh lime juice at the end rather than while the soup simmers. That little burst of acidity brightens the sweet corn and creamy broth and really makes the flavors pop.
- Fresh corn is wonderful, but not essential. When corn is in season, use it! Otherwise, frozen corn works beautifully-there’s no need to wait for summer to make this chowder.
Storing & Reheating
Store the soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can also freeze this recipe for 2-3 months.
To reheat, add the soup to a saucepan over medium heat until it is warm throughout. You can also heat the soup in the microwave for a few minutes.
What to Serve with Corn Chowder
Here are some of our favorite pairings; my favorites are the classic cornbread or cornbread muffins.
Love this recipe? Please let us know in the comments and leave a 5-star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below the recipe card. For another delicious corn recipe, try our Fresh Corn Fritters!
Poblano Corn chowder VidEo
Creamy Poblano Corn Chowder
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 20
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 10 cups 1x
- Category: 30 minute Dinner, easy dinner idea, Soup, vegetarian comfort food, weeknight dinner
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Dairy-Free, Gluten Free, Gluten-Free, high fiber, Vegan, Vegetarian
Description
This Corn Chowder recipe is creamy, vegan, and full of summertime flavor. Corn, potatoes, and poblano peppers with Mexican spices in a creamy vegan base. Easy to make and deliciously addicting.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- one onion, diced
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1–2 large poblano peppers, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, rough chopped
- 3 cups potatoes, diced small – yukon, baby, red, or peeled
- 3 cups veggie broth (or use water and 2 teaspoons broth base or boullion cubes)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon fresh black pepper
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 cups corn (divided), fresh or frozen.
- 2 cups milk (whole milk, soy milk, cashew, almond, or oat). I used soy milk and loved it.
Garnish with cilantro and lime; optional sour cream
Instructions
- Saute. In a large pot or dutch oven, heat oil over medium high heat. Saute onion, 3-4 minutes until fragrant. Lower heat to medium, add bell pepper, poblano peppers and garlic, saute 4-5 minutes until fragrant. Add potatoes and broth and salt, pepper, cumin, coriander, oregano and bay leaf. You should have just enough liquid to cover potatoes- if not, add a little more.
- Simmer. Cover and bring to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat until potatoes are tender, about 10-15 minutes, depending on size.
- Blend half the corn. Place half of the corn in a blender with the milk. Blend until silky smooth. Pour this into the soup pot, along with the remaining corn kernels. Simmer for a few minutes until heated through.
- Season. Taste and adjust the salt to taste. Add a squeeze of lime, if needed.
- Serve with lime wedges and cilantro, and a dollop of sour cream for extra richness if you like.
Notes
Leftover corn chowder will keep in the fridge for up to 4 days, or freeze it for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 ¼ cup
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 11.2 g
- Sodium: 691.1 mg
- Fat: 4.8 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 31.5 g
- Fiber: 4.1 g
- Protein: 6.2 g
- Cholesterol: 1.2 mg
FAQs
Yes! You can make this recipe 1-2 days in advance. Once made, cool completely before storing in an airtight container. Reheat the chowder in a large pot over medium-low heat until warm all the way through.
This recipe can be frozen for up to 3 months. Reheat by letting the soup thaw in the fridge overnight first. Then reheat on the stovetop in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-low heat until warmed to 145F.
Waxy potatoes are best! They have a medium level of starch and are subtly sweet. We love using Yukon Gold potatoes, but baby and red potatoes work well here too.
No. The skins on the potatoes help to make this soup even more rustic. They are flavorful too!
Traditionally, chowder is made with cream and flour to create a thick and rich texture. We simply blend half of the corn with milk to create a creamy consistency that’s still light and healthy.
Sylvia you’re the BEST…So consistently great recipes..I sure can count on you without a doubt ….much gratitude for your knowledge.
This means so much to us Sharline!❤️
This soup was amazing. I used heavy whipping cream and added some Fly by Jing chili sauce to mine for a little heat. Doesn’t need it but that was good.
Sounds divine Kim!
Just made this soup. Used frozen corn (thawed as recommended) and didn’t have coriander. It’s delicious and hearty…will def be in my regular rotation.
Glad you enjoyed Paige!
Do you think I could substitute rice for the potatoes?
Hey Jennifer, I think that would taste good!
So tasty! We have made it twice. We didn’t have bell peppers, so used zucchini once and it was delicious. We have added cooked shrimp or sausage, as well. Thank you!
Great love the improvising!
This is sooo good, I make it every month, always a double batch, it never lasts long. Love it!
Awesome Linda! Thanks for the review.
Ive made this recipe 3 times…. So far! Delish especially with fresh corn. Yum!
I grill my corn and peppers and that’s all I do differently. Very flavourfull .
I bet that is delicious! Glad you are enjoying!
Made this for a big group of friends (with kids included) Everyone repeatedly asks me to make again. Such great flavors, and uses up so many things from my overflowing vegetable garden!
Love hearing this Julie!
Just lovely! I added quite a bit of lime juice and a squeeze of honey for depth of flavor. Huge thanks for this and all that you do.
So happy you enjoyed Julia!
Delicious with a very complex flavor. Tastes like it was made by a real chef! I could eat this soup often! It is corn season here, and I got potatoes and poblanos at my CSA farm this week, so I was set to go. Really fantastic flavors!
Perfect Marci! So glad you enjoyed.
I just love chowder soups whether it be clam, corn, fish, or vegetable chowder with poblano corn ,potatoes, and bell peppers too. So yummy!!!
Me too! Perfect for fall coming on.
This chowder turned out so delicious! Will become a regular.
Great to hear Ann!
Absolutely delicious! Very easy to make 🙂 thank you!
So glad you gave it a try Esther!
Can coconut milk be used?
Sure, give it a try!
Absolutely delicious! Thanks for all of the great recipes you share with the world.
Really appreciate hearing this!
Really good!
Just super. Used low sodium chicken broth. Topped with Mexican Crema. Not a fussy recipe. Will be making this often.
Happy to hear!
Absolutely delicious! I prefer it a big thicker so i added a little cornstarch and added healthy sausage. This was not necessary though; this dish lends to many ” “add in” options. 🙂
Glad you enjoyed Doris!
First time making churn chowder… This recipe is so good!
thanks so much for letting us know Daniela so glad you enjoyed!
This recipe is so full of flavor! Thank you for sharing. I have been making it about once every two weeks for months.
Great to hear!
Hosted an oyster toast and served this soup. It was a perfect compliment. Lots of flavors and texture. Delicious!!
Glad you enjoyed this Debi!
Hi, long time fan here. I’m curious if there’s a brand of soy milk you prefer. Thank you!
Hi Debbie! I always look for organic, non-gmo, with nothing else added. Just soy beans and water. Trader Joe’s has one. 🙂
Do you use coriander seed or ground coriander?
Ground coriander.
Really tasty. I added a little turmeric to pop the color a bit, and a good sized New Mexico chili for a bit more heat. I also blended in some potato starch to thicken a bit more. I am thinking to add some shrimp for protein, to make it a complete meal, with a garlic butter toasted baguette. Great recipe. Thanks.
Perfect Joseph! Love your additions!