Vegan Instant Pot Corn Chowder

Why you’ll love this recipe

Summer corn. This is truly one of the most delicious uses for fresh sweet corn. I can’t even describe the flavor except that it’s spectacular. Creamy and dreamy. Despite having no dairy, this corn chowder is as creamy as a bisque. Max was legit floored when he tried this soup. It’s incredibly creamy, luxurious, and tastes so indulgent.

Extremely flavorful. Y’all know I take flavor seriously, and this soup is no exception. To bring the classic American flavors you associate with corn chowder, I use celery salt. And to give this soup a bit of a Southwestern kick that makes it a little more complex, I add jalapeño peppers.

Vegan Instant Pot Corn Chowder: Ingredient Spotlight

Fresh Corn. This is such a good recipe for fresh summer corn! I really can’t even describe how delicious and flavor-packed it is. Of course, if you prefer your chowder in the winter, you can use canned or frozen corn, but if you are reading this in the summertime, PLEASE USE FRESH CORN! To pack extra slightly smoky summer flavor into the corn, I lightly char it over a flame. You can see how to do this in the video! Raw Cashews. This is the first ingredient in my trio of thickening ingredients. As you might know, I love using raw cashews in my cheese and sauce recipes, as it brings the most luscious, creamy texture to replicate dairy. It does the same thing here, but you don’t have to soak them overnight! I do soak the cashews for 20-30 minutes, but just because it’s an easy thing to do while you prep all of the other ingredients. The high pressure of the instant pot will take care of softening them up, resulting in a silky, smooth texture. Potatoes. Another ingredient that brings the creamy dreamy factor here. The first time Max tried this soup, he asked “is this a bisque??” That’s how creamy the texture of this chowder is! Coconut Milk. The final ingredient in this rich and creamy soup. I use full-fat canned coconut milk, but you can use lite coconut milk if you want to lighten the soup up. Jalapeños. I think corn and jalapeño peppers are a match made in heaven (have you tried my easy Charred Corn Salad?), and they work wonders here. They bring a subtle but noticeable background heat that makes this soup more complex in flavors than your standard corn chowder. Aromatics. Like most soups, I begin this chowder by sautéing aromatics (in the Instant Pot). I start with onion, then add garlic (and the jalapeños), followed by carrots and celery. Celery is classic in corn chowder (more on that below!). Celery Salt. This is a classic ingredient in New England cuisine, and it brings a grassy, salty, slightly tangy flavor that really enhances the chowder. I highly recommend getting some celery salt for this recipe, if you can (it should be just a few dollars at most supermarkets). As with the jalapeños, it really enhances the flavors of the soup and brings some complex depth of flavor. Spices. A little extra flavor comes from smoked paprika and cumin. Again, the idea is to layer flavors to create a complex corn chowder that is anything but ordinary! Nutritional Yeast. An ingredient I like to use to boost the umami factor in a lot of savory vegan recipes.

Tips for making this Vegan Instant Pot Corn Chowder

Jalapeño peppers. If you are very sensitive to spicy food, use just one jalapeño pepper and de-seed it. If you can handle a little heat, I recommend using one jalapeño pepper and keeping the seeds in (that’s where the real interest comes in!). If you can handle a decent amount of heat, I think 2 jalapeño peppers with seeds left in is the way to go. Texture of soup. This soup is VERY creamy, like bisque-level creamy. I only add 2 cups of vegetable broth when the soup is pressure cooked, but recommend having up to 2 extra cups of vegetable broth for the blending stage. In this video, I didn’t end up adding any extra broth during blending because we loved the thick, creamy texture, but in the past, I’ve added up to 1 additional cup of broth. Also, if you have leftovers (which is likely because this recipe makes A LOT of soup), you might want to thin the chowder out a bit with broth or water while reheating, as the soup thickens as it rests. If you want a silky smooth texture, I recommend using a stand blender (transfer it in batches, remove the lid center cap and cover with a dish towel to allow steam to escape). If you don’t mind a slightly chunky, rustic texture, feel free to use an immersion blender directly in the Instant Pot.

Substitutes for this recipe

Celery Salt. If you don’t have or can’t find celery salt, you can substitute it with 1/4 teaspoon celery seeds and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Vegetable Broth. I used low-sodium broth in this recipe, but if you use regular broth, consider using slightly less salt. Coconut Milk. As mentioned earlier, this soup is very thick and lush, so if you want to make it a little lighter, you can use lite or reduced-fat coconut milk. In that case, you may not need to add any broth during the blending stage. Cashews. If you are allergic to cashews, you can try substituting with (1) more potatoes or (2) cannellini beans. I haven’t tried either of these options myself, but think they would work based on similar recipes I’ve made and substitutions that readers have tried in similar recipes. If you give this Vegan Instant Pot Corn Chowder recipe a try, be sure to tag me on Instagram with your recreations and please comment with your feedback below!