Vegan no Clam Chowder Recipe + VIDEO

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• Where can I find kelp, dulse flakes or kombu ? Most major grocery stores should have them in the same island with all the seaweed and soy sauce. The fresh sea veggies packed in salt are usually in the refrigerated section next to the kelp noodles and tofu. You can also order them from Amazon.
• Can I use coconut cream instead of cashew cream ? You most definitely can but the coconut flavor is definitely present and noticeable. If you want that authentic chowder flavor I strongly suggest sticking with the easy cashew cream from the recipe card, thickening the broth with flour or using a store bought plant based cream instead like the Silk brand.
• What can i substitute for mushrooms in the chowder? If mushrooms aren’t your thing feel free to replace them with chopped up hearts of palm, one 14 oz can should be enough. Alternatively I would use cooked chopped soy curls, they have a nice meaty texture made from whole soy beans and absorb whatever flavor you want to give them.
• Is clam chowder vegan? Only if it doesn’t contain the actual mollusks aka clams. Since this recipe features oyster mushrooms (or hearts of palm) and only plant-based ingredients you are totally good to go.
• What is the difference between Boston, New England and Manhattan chowder? What differentiates these three chowders is mostly the broth. The Boston broth is thick and creamy like the recipe below, the New England Rhode Island broth is a thin more clear kind of broth, while the Manhattan features a red tomato based broth.
• How Long Does Clam Chowder Last? Since this is a dairy-free soup it can be store in the refrigerator up to a week. It also freezes well up to 5 months in freezer proof lidded containers. Remember to thaw out in the refrigerator before reheating.
• What to serve with clamless chowder? oyster crackers, crispy smoky tempeh bits or fakin’ bacon, vegan caesar salad, homemade crusty bread, garlic bruschetta, dinner rolls.

1. Start by making a homemade stock with the secret ingredient: Kombu or your favorite seaweed!
2. Prepare the cashew cream and refrigerate until needed.
3. Saute the oyster mushrooms with  thyme and a little bit of white wine until wilted.
4. Cook the celery and potatoes with the herbs and spices in the homemade veggie broth until tender, stir in the cream.
5. If you prefer your chowder to be thicker at this point just puree about 1/4 of it and mix back into the chowder. Add the mushrooms to the soup, adjust seasoning and enjoy!

Vegan Clam Chowder

5 from 6 votes

Vegan no Clam Chowder

Best vegan clam chowder soup with oyster mushrooms, golden potatoes and cashew cream in a kombu seaweed broth. The ultimate Boston style clamless chowder recipe from scratch, thick and creamy, easy to make, gluten and dairy free!

Print Recipe

Prep Time:10 minutes mins

Cook Time:25 minutes mins

Ingredients

• 8-10 oz oyster mushrooms medley
• 4 cups golden potatoes cut into small dice
• 1/2 yellow onion diced
• 3 cloves garlic grated ( or 1 tsp garlic powder)
• 1 stalk celery diced
• 10 sprigs thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 tbsp dry white wine
• 4 cups kombu veggie stock (see recipe below)
• 1 tbsp onion powder
• 1 tbsp nutritional yeast optional
• chives or scallions for garnish

Cashew Cream

• 1 cup raw cashews
• 1 cup hot water

Kombu Veggie Stock

• 6 cups water
• 2 stalks celery diced
• 1 carrot cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 leaf bay
• 2 strips dried Kombu (sea vegetables mix or any dried seaweed)
• 3 tsp dulse flakes or to taste
• 1/8 tsp turmeric optional for color

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• If making your own stock start by bringing all the stock ingredients to a boil. Turn down the heat and simmer away until the stock has concentrated and reduced to 4 cups. Strain and set aside or refrigerate until needed. (it can be made a couple of days in advance if needed). Alternatively feel free to use a store bought veggie broth and add some dulse flakes or any seaweed to it to create that ocean flavor.

Make the Cashew Heavy Cream

• Rinse the cashews well then transfer them to powerful blender and cover with the hot water. Allow to soak while you work on the chowder. Just before the chowder is ready make sure to come back and puree until smooth and creamy.

The Chowder

• In a medium size stock pot add a splash of water or a little drizzle of olive oil (omit the oil for WFPB & Plantricious diets) and sautee the onion with a pinch of salt until translucent.
• Add the garlic, oyster mushrooms and half of the fresh thyme and toss to coat well. Sprinkle with a tiny pinch of sea salt and hit it with the white wine. Cook until the mushrooms have wilted and the wine has evaporated. Transfer to a bowl and keep warm.
• In the same pot you cooked the mushrooms add the diced celery, diced potatoes, bay leaf, the rest of the thyme, onion powder, nutritional yeast and veggie kombu broth. Season to taste with sea salt and bring to a simmer. Cook until the potatoes and celery have softened. Discard the bay leaf and thyme sprigs if they are woodsy.
• Stir in the cashew cream. At this point if you would like your chowder to be thicker simply transfer 2 or 3 ladles into the blender and puree until smooth. Add it back into the pot and combine.
• Add the sautéed oyster mushrooms into the chowder and adjust seasonings. Serve hot garnished with fresh thyme, chives and crusty bread or oyster crackers on the side.

Video

Notes

• Both the cashew cream and Kombu stock can be made a couple of days in advance.
• If you aren’t a fan of mushrooms you can still make this chowder using chopped up hearts of palm instead.
• you can bump up the seafood flavor with more dulse flakes or use any seaweed to intensify the flavor your liking.
• If you want to get a little fancy you can add in some dissolved miso paste at the very end.
• Since there is no dairy involved this chowder soup freezes well, just remember to thaw out in the refrigerator before reheating.

Nutrition

Calories: 231kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 96mg | Potassium: 867mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1796IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 80mg | Iron: 6mg

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

Keyword: plant based, soup, vegan chowder, vegan,

Servings: 6 people

Calories: 231kcal

Author: Florentina

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