Potato, Leek, and Corn Chowder is a delicious cross between a late summer chowder and a hearty fall soup. Highlighting the last of summer corn, plus the first leeks and potatoes of the fall season, this chowder is veggie-forward (in fact, it’s vegan!) and leaves you yearning for a bonfire on a chilly night.
Ingredients needed to make Potato, Leek, and Corn Chowder
The recipe requires a lot of fresh veggies, which is one of the reasons I like it so much. It relies heavily on late summer/early fall transition crops, like corn, leeks, and potatoes. Here is the full list of ingredients you’ll need to make Potato, Leek, and Corn Chowder:
- Olive oil
- Leeks
- Celery
- Red or orange bell pepper
- Unsweetened almond milk (or other non-dairy variety)
- Gluten-free flour blend
- Low-sodium vegetable stock
- Fresh corn
- Yukon Gold potatoes
- Fresh parsley
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Tools used to make Potato, Leek, and Corn Chowder
The best part about making soup is that often the tools needed to make it are minimal (insert: one pot meal). This chowder is no different! I probably sound like a broken record by now, but I’ll continue to say it- you NEED a good knife for chopping things in the kitchen. The biggest hazard I find when cooking is when my knife hasn’t been sharpened in a while. Since you’ll be doing a lot of chopping vegetables, do yourself a favor and either A) sharpen your existing knife or B) pick up a new knife set (this is the set I have and absolutely love).
In addition to great knives, you’ll also need the following:
- Large cutting board
- Mason jar with tight-fitting lid
- Wooden spoon (my absolute favorite wooden spoon)
- Measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- Dutch oven with matching lid (or large soup pot)
How to make Potato, Leek, and Corn Chowder
To make this chowder, you’ll begin by chopping all of your vegetables. I recommend doing this all ahead of time, because once the soup gets going, you want to have everything at the ready to add into the pot. After everything is chopped, you’ll cook the leeks, bell pepper, and celery in olive oil until just soft.
The thickener for this soup is a combination of a flour-almond milk “slurry” (just another word for shaken mixture of flour and liquid), and the starch that is let out of the potatoes as they cook. To make the slurry, simply add the almond milk and gluten-free flour blend to a mason jar and shake it until it’s well-combined. I prefer to shake it in a mason jar because you don’t have to dirty a whisk and it really makes sure the flour is combined with no clumping. You’ll add this slurry to the vegetables in the pot, then add the rest of the soup ingredients.
The soup cooks for 10 minutes covered, then simmers uncovered for another 15-20 minutes until the potatoes are tender and the soup has thickened slightly. This soup will not be as thick as a New England clam chowder, but definitely will have some body to it and lightly coat the back of a spoon. It’s beyond delicious.
Recipe Ingredients
3 tbsp olive oil
1 cup chopped leek (about 1 large)
½ cup chopped celery (about 4 stalks)
½ cup chopped bell pepper (about 1 medium)
2 cups plain unsweetened almond milk
3 tbsp GF flour blend (such as King Arthur Measure-For-Measure)
3 cups vegetable stock, low sodium
1 ½ cups fresh corn kernels (about 4 ears)
1 ½ cups cubed potatoes (such as Yukon gold or other yellow-skinned variety)
¼ cup freshly chopped parsley (about ½ bunch)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Recipe Instructions
- Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot. Add the leek, celery, bell pepper, and pinch of salt to the hot oil and sauté for 5-6 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
- Make a slurry: add almond milk and flour to a small jar with a tight fitting lid. Screw on the lid and shake vigorously for 30 seconds or so until the milk and flour are well combined. Add to the pot with the vegetables, stirring constantly until all of the slurry is incorporated.
- Add the vegetable stock, potatoes, corn, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine, cover pot, and cook for 10 minutes over medium heat. Uncover the pot, lower the heat, and simmer an additional 15-20 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. Stir in parsley and additional salt and pepper, to taste.
- Ladle into bowls and enjoy by a cool September bonfire. This chowder is especially tasty topped with oyster crackers. Delicious!
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