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Dairy Free Clam Chowder

A rich, creamy clam chowder made dairy free that's worth the effort, full of potatoes and whole clams.

Equipment

  • immersion blender

Ingredients

  • 4 C cauliflower florets I like to use two frozen bags of florets to save time and clean up
  • 3 C vegetable or chicken broth
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 4 lbs clams, shucked, chopped, with 1/2 C of the clam juice reserved*
  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
  • 4 stalks celery, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 2 lbs russet potatoes, peeled and diced
  • 15 oz light coconut milk
  • 1/2 C chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • In a large saucepan, bring the cauliflower, broth and 1 tsp salt to a low boil, cover and let it simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the cauliflower is fork tender. Once tender, turn off the heat and use an immersion blender to blend into a thick broth. Set aside.
  • In a large soup pot, heat 2 TBS olive oil over medium high and add in celery, onion and garlic, sauteeing for 5-6 minutes until the onions and celery are tender.
  • Add in thyme, potatoes, coconut milk and pureed cauliflower. Stir occasionally, half covered, for 15 minutes, or until potatoes are fork tender. Once the potatoes are done, stir in clams and clam juice, bring to a low simmer, and let it cook all together for another 2-3 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Turn off the heat and let it sit covered for at least 1 hour before serving, or overnight in the fridge (the better option).
  • This chowder will be thicker and more flavorful if left in the fridge overnight. Reheat over medium-low in the soup pot.
    Garnish with fresh parsley and enjoy!

Notes

*To prepare the clams, make sure the shells are clean and none are open yet.  Any that are open prior to cooking should be discarded.  Add them to a large pot and fill the pot about a 1/4 of the way with water.  Bring to a low boil, then cover and turn the heat down to simmer.  Let them simmer until all the shells have opened.  Reserve the 1/2 C of the clam juice from the pot, then strain out the rest of the water.  Use a fork to fish out the clams from their shells and discard the shells.  Chop the clam meat and then aside in the fridge until they're ready to be used.