Easy soup is a winter warrior on a cloudy weeknight. Even better if it is hearty and creamy with a side of delicious toast. Chowder is not a common word used for those who are dairy free but this Dairy Free Pumpkin Corn Chowder has no shortage of comfort or creaminess. This recipe is so easy to throw together and just as easy to make vegan or adjust to your own personal restrictions.
Preparing your Dairy Free Chowder
There are a few ways to prepare this recipe. There are some nights where you are dying for a bowl of soup but don’t want a bunch of leftover soup. This recipe is written up to feed 1-2 people as a quick, easy meal you can throw together. If you happen to want leftovers, you can double the recipe or simply increase the amount of pumpkin, corn, and broth of choice.
To get started, assess what method is easiest for you. For me, I take a mortar & pestle and begin by just mashing the pine nuts until it becomes coarse. I add some of the defrosted corn and continue mashing until it becomes more of a paste. I slowly add more corn, small splashes of water and olive oil until it becomes a thick mixture. I don’t puree until it is completely creamy, I like there to be some texture left.
If you do want this to be a smoother puree, you can blend it in a small blender or food processor. Just add all of the ingredients in the corn section of the recipe. If you pulse your appliance, you can leave the mixture still chunky like I do.
To make this recipe extra creamy, I like to stir in a dollop of my dairy free pumpkin butter at the end. To keep this recipe vegan, you can sub for coconut butter and coconut oil. You can also try out my favorite dairy free butter by Miyokos.
This recipe is fantastically satisfying and comforting but also very healthy. Making it dairy free has it’s own health benefits, but this recipe is rich in B1 (thiamin), B3 (Niacin), Iron, Magnesium, Potassium, Vitamin A, & Zinc. A bunch of of herbs on top brightens up the flavor of this soup-er savory Dairy Free Pumpkin Corn Chowder and adds a serious kick of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory nutrients.
Dairy Free Pumpkin Corn Chowder
Ingredients
- 1/4 c frozen cooked corn thawed, (fire roasted is my favorite)
- 1/4 c hemp seeds or pine nuts
- 1-3 tsp water
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp butter, ghee or more olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion or medium shallot minced
- 1-3 cloves of garlic minced
- 1 bunch of chopped herbs I recommend: sage, rosemary, parsley
- 2 tbsp white wine vinegar or white wine
- 1 c pumpkin puree
- 1-3 c broth
- 1/3 c cashew milk
- garlic herb butter
- salt & pepper
Instructions
Corn
- With a mortar and pestle or food processor, begin mashing thawed corn with the hemp seeds or pine nuts.
- Slowly add small amounts of oil and water, alternating to help you mash the seeds/nuts.
Soup
- Heat a pot on medium low. Add butter.
- Once heated, add shallots with salt and cook until softened and they begin to brown. Add herbs, garlic and pinch more salt and pepper.
- Cook until softened for a minute. Deglaze the pan with the wine.
- Add pumpkin puree and corn/hemp seed puree.
- Stir in with onions and spices before adding the broth and milk.
- Simmer until chowder reaches the desired thickness.
- Top with garlic herb butter
Dairy Free Pumpkin Butter
Ingredients
- 1/4 c refined coconut oil
- 1/4 c lard or tallow * or additional 1/4 c of refined coconut oil to keep vegan
- 1 Tbsp coconut butter
- 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
- salt to taste
- 2 Tbsp pumpkin puree chilled
Instructions
- Soften the fats but do not melt completely.
- With a whisk, begin beating the fats together until there are no lumps
- Add salt and cool pumpkin puree. Begin beating vigorously to avoid lumps and to help fluff it and harden the texture of the fats.
- If adding additional flavors, fold those in gently with a spatula.
Notes
rosemary
parsley
sage Smash garlic with the flat side of your knife. Salt heavily. Begin chopping garlic and herbs together very fine until it is almost a paste like texture. Let the mixture sit out in the open air for about a half an hour before mixing into butter.
