This summer vegetable chowder is delicious and packed with the best seasonal produce! This plant-based recipe is hearty and filling, no cream required!

vegetable chowder
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I love summer produce, but I have to admit that I miss soup season. While I don’t necessarily crave a bowl of soup when the temperatures are rising, I do think this is the perfect way to enjoy summer produce, especially during one of those rainy summer days when the heat drops just slightly. I love the idea of a summer chowder, but most chowder recipes are loaded with heavy cream — and I wanted to keep this recipe light and healthy.

The trick to making this recipe rich and creamy is white beans! Instead of using heavy cream, I puréed a can of cannellini beans with a cup of the soup, then poured it back into the pot. It makes this soup so thick and filling! I love this trick. If you like this recipe, be sure to try my vegan gnocchi soup recipe or my favorite 10 vegetable soup recipe!

Ingredients & Substitutions

I wanted to use some of the produce that is in season in the summer so I used fresh corn and zucchini. But feel free to substitute what you have on hand! You can use frozen or canned corn and feel free to add frozen peas or a few handfuls of spinach. (Wait until the soup is finished cooking before adding the spinach.) For additional flavor, add a dollop of pesto to each bowl of soup or sprinkle freshly grated Parmesan cheese on top.

How to Make Vegan Vegetable Chowder

In a large pot, add the olive oil, onion, carrots, and celery and sauté for 10 minutes.
Add the garlic and thyme and continue to cook for 1 minute. Add the flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add the vegetable broth, zucchini, potato, and corn and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until the potatoes are soft.
In a blender, add the cannellini beans and 1 cup of soup. Blend until completely smooth.
When blending hot soup, allow steam to escape through the vent at the top of the blender.
Transfer the blended mixture back to the pot. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

What to Serve with Vegetable Chowder

This soup is delicious with a loaf of crusty bread like my No-Knead Dutch Oven Bread, but if you don’t feel like baking, try a loaf of Wildgrain sourdough bread instead. For a lighter option, try pairing this with my vegan chopped salad or goat cheese and strawberry salad.

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Summer Vegetable Chowder

Summer Vegetable Chowder

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 3 reviews
  • Author: Liz Thomson
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: 6 cups 1x
  • Category: Soup
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegan
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Description

This summer vegetable chowder is delicious and packed with the best seasonal produce! This plant-based recipe is hearty and filling, no cream required!

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 small yellow onion, diced
  • 2 large carrots, peeled and diced
  • 2 stalks celery, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 6 cups vegetable broth (I like to use 2 tablespoons of Better than Boullion vegetable base diluted in 6 cups of water)
  • 1 small zucchini, diced
  • 1 russet potato, peeled and diced
  • 2 ears corn, kernels removed (or one 15oz can sweet corn, drained)
  • 1 (15oz) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

Instructions

  1. In a large pot, add the olive oil, onion, carrots, and celery and sauté for 10 minutes until the vegetables have softened.
  2. Add the garlic and thyme and continue to cook for one minute.
  3. Add the flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently so the vegetables are coated evenly with the flour.
  4. Add the vegetable broth, zucchini, potato, and corn and turn the heat to high.
  5. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium and simmer for 10-15 minutes until the potatoes are soft.
  6. In a blender, add the cannellini beans and one cup of soup. Blend until completely smooth. (When blending hot soup, allow steam to escape through the vent at the top of the blender.)
  7. Transfer the blended mixture back to the pot. Season with salt and pepper to taste.