Vegan Corn Chowder with White Beans and Tempeh “Bacon” Crumbles
Get the most out of late summer’s delicious sweet corn harvest with this high protein take on corn chowder! Made entirely with nutritious whole foods, this soup features the usual suspects - corn and potatoes - plus cannellini beans, and it’s topped with smoky bacon-y tempeh crumbles for some extra protein. Vegan and naturally gluten-free.
There’s no season quite like late summer: it’s hot out in a temperate and not a “burning alive outside” kind of way, the excitement of summer vacations is lingering in the air, and there’s an abundant amount of fresh produce in season. We’re talking corn, zucchini, a huge variety of peppers, tomatoes, watermelon, blackberries, plums (here’s one of my favorite ways to use up a lot of plums BTW!) - the list just keeps going! There’s seemingly endless fresh ingredients and ways to cook up all the amazing produce right now. And one of the dishes I always like making this time of year is corn chowder.
Corn chowder is a soup, so it’s super easy to make (win!) and, like most soups, gets better over time as it sits (another win!). And because I’m looking for ways to simplify my meals this time of year so that I can focus on spending more time outdoors and not inside the kitchen, I decided to develop a corn chowder recipe that could be served as a standalone(-ish) meal. Something you could serve with a side of greens and some whole grain bread, instead of as an appetizer. So to turn the classic chowder into a more nutritionally balanced version, I added two high protein ingredients - beans and tempeh! The beans take the place of cashews and/or coconut milk found in most chowders, helping to keep the chowder creamy while adding more protein, and the tempeh (in the form of “bacon-y” crumbles on top) helps to kick up the protein content even more. I hope you’ll join me in celebrating peak summer sweet corn with this easy and super tasty chowder recipe!
Why You’ll Love this Chowder
Tasty flavors! This chowder is full of fresh peak-summer sweet corn and enhanced with a hint of smoky paprika, as well as the flavorful aromatics in its base and a touch of heat from a jalapeño pepper. To finish it off with an extra flavor *bang*, the chowder is topped with bits of smoky tempeh “bacon” crumbles that perfectly complement the sweet corn flavors.
Loaded with a variety of nutritious whole foods. When it comes to getting as much nutritional bang for your buck out of the foods you eat, “whole foods” (i.e. foods in their entire minimally-processed form, which stand in contrast to ultra-processed foods) absolutely dominate. They’re loaded with fiber and nutrients, so by eating more nutritious whole foods, you’re maximizing your intake of nutrients! This soup is made with a variety of vegetables and legumes (both inside and on top of the soup), which means it’s absolutely loaded with fiber as well as all the various vitamins and minerals contained in each of those ingredients (iron, calcium, zinc, etc.) to make this a more nutritious take on the classic American corn chowder.
Thickened with white beans for higher protein content. Unlike many other vegan chowders that rely on coconut milk or cashews to make them creamy, this version uses white cannellini beans instead. Not only do the beans help add some creaminess, they also significantly increase the soup’s protein content while keeping it relatively light (at least “light” for a corn chowder, which is meant to be hearty and creamy!) as beans are much lower in fat than coconut milk or nuts. (Just to be clear, I have nothing against fat as a nutrient and eat plenty of it at every meal! But when served as a standalone dish, I find a soup that swaps in additional protein to be more nutritionally balanced, particularly as a post-workout meal.)
Perfect for late summer. 🌽 While you can certainly make this chowder any time of the year using frozen corn, I really recommend making it in the late summer when fresh sweet corn is in peak season. You know, the stuff that you get from your local farmers’ market in late July to August that’s incredibly sweet and inexplicably tastes SO much better than corn at any other you’ve tried? Yeah, that’s the stuff that’s going to make a difference in creating the most flavorful corn chowder possible!
Ingredient Overview
Olive oil. To start off cooking the chowder, I opt for olive oil as the fat source because it’s delicious and, unlike other sources of fat, it’s rich in monounsaturated fats and polyphenols, which are known to boost heart health and immunity.
Yellow onion, celery, jalapeño and garlic. These build the soup’s flavor base! Additionally, the jalapeño pepper gives the soup a spicy kick. If you’re sensitive to heat, I suggest removing the seeds from the jalapeño first, or skip it altogether if you really can’t tolerate spicy foods.
Smoked paprika, cumin, oregano, and a bay leaf. To add in some of that delicious smoky flavor along with some earthy and herbal notes.
Sweet corn. The start of the soup! To maximize the flavor of this chowder, make sure to use very fresh sweet corn that you can find at your local farmers’ market in late summer/early fall. The fresher the corn, the more sweet and flavorful the chowder!
Gold potatoes. To add some creaminess! Gold potatoes are ideal thickeners for soups where some of the potatoes get blended and the rest stay whole because they are somewhat starchy but moist enough so they don’t fall apart.
Cannellini beans. To add even more creaminess and give the soup a protein boost! But cannellini beans aren’t just great at adding protein, they’re also loaded with tons of fiber and calcium, iron, folate, and loads of other minerals.
Veggie broth. I suggest using a very flavorful vegetable broth or, in a pinch, a mix of high-quality bouillon/paste + water also works (my go-to for that is Better than Bouillon’s “No Chicken” vegetable base).
Fresh lime. To balance out the final chowder with a hint of acid.
Tempeh “bacon” crumbles. To add even more protein, and of course an extra kick of flavor, I’ve topped this soup with “bacon” crumbles. These are made easily by frying up crumbled tempeh, then stirring in a simple marinade (tamari, apple cider vinegar, maple, smoked paprika, and garlic powder) to flavor the tempeh with bacon-inspired flavors.
Sound straightforward enough? Let’s get into making the soup!
Corn Chowder with White Beans and Tempeh “Bacon” Crumbles
Vegan, Gluten-Free
Serves ~4
Ingredients
For the chowder:
1 - 1½ tablespoons olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 celery ribs, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeño pepper, diced (seeded first for less heat)
4 cups fresh sweet corn kernels (from about 4 large or 6 medium ears of corn)
2 cups gold potatoes, diced into small cubes (12 ounces, about 6-7 small gold potatoes)
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon oregano
4 cups vegetable broth
1 ¾ cups cooked cannellini beans OR 1 15.5-ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 bay leaf
Kosher salt & black pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
For the tempeh bacon crumbles:
~1 tablespoon neutral oil or olive oil, for cooking
8-ounce package tempeh, crumbled into individual bits
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium tamari soy sauce
1½ teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon maple syrup
1½ teaspoons smoked paprika
½ teaspoon garlic powder
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions
For the chowder:
Heat a large Dutch oven or other soup pot over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon olive oil, or enough to coat. Once hot, add the onion and celery and a sprinkling of salt and stir to combine. Cook until softened, about 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and jalapeño and cook for about 1 more minute until fragrant.
Add the corn, potatoes, smoked paprika, cumin, and oregano and stir everything to coat with the spices.
Add in the broth, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pot as needed (this develops flavor!). Then add in the cannellini beans, bay leaf, and a generous amount of salt and pepper. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes have softened, about 20 minutes. I recommend making the tempeh bacon crumbles (see instructions below) at this point while the chowder is simmering.
Remove the bay leaf and transfer half the soup mixture to a blender and blend until smooth and creamy.
Add the blended soup back to the pot, stir in the lime juice, then taste and adjust the seasonings to taste (extra pepper, salt, etc.) and serve topped with the tempeh bacon crumbles and any additional toppings you’d like!
For the tempeh bacon crumbles:
In a medium cast iron or other skillet, heat ~1 tablespoon oil (or enough to coat the bottom) over medium heat. Once hot, add the crumbled tempeh and sauté, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned on the outsides, about 6-7 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the tamari, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and freshly ground black pepper.
When the tempeh is lightly browned, add in the combined marinade ingredients and stir to coat all the tempeh, then continue cooking while stirring constantly until all the liquid has been absorbed, about 1 minute. Turn off the heat and set aside briefly until ready to serve.
If you enjoyed this corn chowder, please take a moment to leave a review in the comments below or share the recipe with a friend - I appreciate your support in making my recipes more accessible and visible to everyone! And don’t forget to follow along on Instagram for more plant-based eats inspo.