Creamy and delicious, this vegetarian sweetcorn chowder is made with butternut squash for extra flavour and taste. It's easy to make, wonderfully satisfying and perfect for a hearty midweek dinner or weekend lunch. Suitable for vegans.
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Soup hasn't always been a popular lunch choice with the two small people here.
However, this seems to have changed for no particular reason - as so many things seem to with small children. Tomato soup features most weeks on our lunch menu. Not that we have an actual lunch menu but you know what I mean!
So I decided that it was time to expand our soup repertoire and with a squash and some sweetcorn in the fridge I had the perfect opportunity to try something new.
I decided to make a sweetcorn chowder, a milk based soup, to offer the children something a bit different from a usual soup made with stock or water.
What is chowder?
Chowder is a milk based soup. The name chowder is said to originate from the type of pan that this soup was originally made in by French fishermen.
It's usually made with milk or cream and is traditionally thickened with crackers. The most famous chowder is probably clam chowder, a milky seafood soup from New England in the United States.
A chowder is often a chunky soup. My kids prefer their soup to be smooth so I've blended ours.
Vegetable based chowders are just as common as the seafood variety nowadays with corn chowder being a popular choice.
Can this sweetcorn chowder be given to babies?
Chowder is a great first food to give to babies. It's very adaptable. If you're weaning using purées you can blend this soup to a smooth consistency, cool and spoon feed to your baby.
Alternatively you can only blend half of the soup for a more chunky consistency - making it easier for older babies and toddlers to scoop out onto a piece of bread or a spoon.
What ingredients do you need to make this squash and sweetcorn soup?
You will need:
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion
- ½ butternut squash (around 300g)
- 1 tsp dried mixed herbs
- 180 g sweetcorn - can be fresh, frozen or tinned
- 600 ml milk
- salt and pepper to taste
Can you freeze this corn soup?
Yes you can freeze the chowder. Allow to cool completely and then transfer to a freezer box or bag. Label it and store in your freezer for a few months until you're ready to eat.
When you come to serve it defrost thoroughly then reheat until piping hot. Some types of milk can separate when frozen so stir well when reheating. If you have a grainy texture you can blend the soup again.
Do you need any special equipment to make vegan corn chowder?
You will need a blender to make this recipe.
You can either use a jug blender* or a hand held blender*.
OTHER VEGETARIAN SOUP RECIPES
- Pea and mint soup made with frozen peas
- Roasted tomato pesto soup
- Spinach, borlotti bean and vegetable soup
- Vegetarian minestrone soup
- Homemade vegan tomato and basil soup (on my vegan food blog Cook Veggielicious)
- Jerusalem artichoke and celeriac soup (on my vegan food blog Cook Veggielicious)
- Spiced butternut squash and sweet potato soup (on my vegan food blog Cook Veggielicious)
Pin squash and sweetcorn chowder for later
How to make squash and sweetcorn chowder
If you've made this recipe please a star rating and comment below. Thank you!
Vegan squash and sweetcorn chowder
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion chopped
- ½ butternut squash (around 300g) peeled and diced
- 1 teaspoon dried mixed herbs
- 180 g sweetcorn
- 600 ml oat milk or milk of your choice
- salt and pepper to taste optional
To serve
- Extra sweetcorn kernels
- Spring onions sliced
- Fresh coriander
- Salt and pepper
- Bread
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large pan. Add your chopped onion, diced squash and 1 teaspoon mixed herbs.
- Cook gently for 10-15 minutes until soft, taking care that the onion doesn't get too brown.
- Add 180g sweetcorn and 600ml milk.
- Heat until almost boiling, then reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for around 10 minutes until the sweetcorn and squash are soft.
- Allow to cool slightly then transfer to a blender and blend thoroughly until smooth*. You can also use a stick blender for this stage. Return to the saucepan and reheat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.**
- Serve with crusty bread and extra sweetcorn kernels, coriander leaves and chopped spring onions.
Notes
- You can reserve half the chowder for a more chunky consistency if preferred. If using a jug blender allow your chowder to cool a little before blending.
- If serving to a baby either remove their portion before seasoning or allow adults to season their own portion at the table.
- Nutritional information is approximate and is intended as a guide only.
- Nutritional information does not include serving suggestions.
Nutrition
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Emily @amummytoo
This looks and sounds delicious and the idea of serving with cheese on toast has totally sold it to me. Thanks so much for linking up with #recipeoftheweek. Sorry I was slow getting over for this one. I've pinned it to my food board and a tweet will go out shortly 🙂
Sneaky Veg
Thanks Emily, soup with cheese on toast has become rather a staple here!
Lori
This sounds delicious!
Sneaky Veg
Thanks Lori!
Dimple@shivaaydelights
Looks yummy!
Sneaky Veg
Thanks Dimple!
Sneaky Veg
Thanks Julie, it's a good one for this time of year I think - not too wintery and heavy. Hope you enjoy it if you try it!
Julie's Family Kitchen
Sounds delicious. My children tend to prefer tomato soups but that does get a bit boring, now it's getting a bit colder I'm going to try and encourage them to be a bit more adventurous. Your soup sounds like a winner. ????