This rich, creamy, flavor-packed corn chowder with bacony crumbles is a super satisfying, one-bowl dinner. My four key techniques take it over the top, making it the best chowder you’ll ever taste!

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 10 minutes
  • Cook time: 35 minutes
  • Total time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: 4
  • Category: dinner, Main, Main Course, Soup
  • Cuisine: American

Ingredients

For the Charred Corn

  • 3 ears corn on the cob (husks and silky threads removed, or use [adjustable] 2.5 [/adjustable] cups frozen corn)

For the Tofu

  • 7 ounces firm or extra firm tofu (pressed for at least 15 minutes, then crumbled or cubed into small pieces)

For the Tofu Bacon Marinade

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic
  • 2 teaspoons oil (or oil from the jar of sun-dried tomatoes)
  • 1 few drops of liquid smoke (optional)

For the Corn Chowder

  • 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil (or oil from the jar of sun-dried tomatoes)
  • 3 to 4 cloves garlic (finely chopped, not grated)
  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 cup chopped red onion (or white onion)
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt (divided)
  • 1 tablespoon chopped sun-dried tomato (drained, use oil-packed, can use more to taste)
  • 1 hot green chili (such as serrano or jalapeno, finely chopped)
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1/2 cup chopped carrots (chopped small)
  • 1/2 cup chopped celery (chopped small)
  • 1 tablespoon flour (or use cornstarch or gluten-free flour to make it gluten-free)
  • 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 1/2 cups cubed potatoes (cut into 1/2” pieces)
  • 2 cups stock
  • 1/2 cup non-dairy cream (such as non-dairy yogurt, cashew cream, coconut cream, or other non-dairy cream of choice, see notes)

For Garnish

  • chopped green onion
  • chopped red bell pepper

Method

Char the corn.

  1. First, char the corn over a grill or the stovetop. Keep moving the corn. I usually char it over medium-high heat on the stove, moving it every 10 seconds or so until most of the corn has black spots. Then, use a knife to remove the kernels off the cob. Reserve about 2 tablespoons of the kernels for garnish, if you like, and set aside.

Make the tofu bacon.

  1. Preheat the oven to 400° F (205° C), and grease a baking sheet or line it with parchment paper.
  2. Press the tofu if you haven’t already, then either cube it or crumble it into small pieces, and add to a bowl. In another bowl, mix all the tofu marinade ingredients really well. Add the tofu to the bowl, and toss well to coat with the marinade. For extra color, you can add some Kashmiri chili powder or more paprika.
  3. Spread the tofu mixture on the parchment-lined or greased baking sheet and bake for about 20 minutes. Stir it and move the pieces from the edges toward the center, because the edges tend to get more toasty than the center. If it’s already getting pretty toasty, reduce the heat to 325° F (165° C), and continue to bake until most of the tofu pieces are crisp on the outside. Some of the large pieces might not be as crisp, and you can just switch off the oven, and let the pan of tofu sit in the oven for another 5 to 10 minutes to crisp up.

Meanwhile, make the corn chowder.

  1. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the oil. Once the oil is hot, add the minced garlic and red pepper flakes and mix well. Use finely-chopped garlic and not grated garlic here, because grated garlic will stick to the pan, since it releases more juices. Cook for about 1/2 minute, or until some of the smaller pieces of garlic start to turn golden. You don’t want all of it golden.
  2. Add the onion and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt. Mix and cook until the onion starts to turn translucent, about 3 to 5 minutes. Then add the green chili and sun-dried tomato and cook for about 1/2 minute to toast them a little. Add the carrots and celery and another 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, and cook for about 2 minutes.
  3. Add the flour, bay leaves, nutritional yeast, and black pepper and mix for a few seconds. Then add the potatoes, the charred corn, the stock, and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Mix, cover with a lid, and cook for about 15 minutes or longer, until the potatoes are cooked to preference. You want the potatoes to be really well done, so the chowder gets nice and creamy from the potatoes.
  4. Mix in the non-dairy cream and bring to a boil. Taste and adjust the flavor, adding more salt and more heat, if needed. You can also add a dash of lemon juice to balance the flavor. For a smokier flavor, add some smoked paprika. Remove the bay leaves, then use an immersion blender to blend a portion of the soup, or transfer a portion to a regular blender and blend. Return the blended soup to the pot, and let it simmer for a few minutes, so the flavors meld. Taste and adjust salt, if needed.
  5. Switch off the heat, and pour the piping hot, creamy chowder into bowls. Top with green onion, the reserved charred corn, chopped red pepper, and the baked tofu bacon. Enjoy as-is or with garlic bread, sourdough, pita bread, or any way you like.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.