Make Creamy Clam Chowder (New England Style)

This dairy-free, Whole30, and paleo clam chowder is super-rich and creamy in the New England manner.

This Whole30-friendly soup is full of potatoes, bacon, mussels, and a delectable cashew cream sauce. So simple, warm, and filling!

What Gives This Soup Its Flavour?

Who here enjoy hearty, creamy soups that are satisfying and nutritious, as well as, uh, bacon? Is bacon a noun or a verb?

Sister, it is now.

This Whole30 clam chowder is a miracle: it’s very nutritious and Whole30 compliant, but it tastes just like the classic seafood chowder I grew up with. What’s the secret?

The cream is made from cashews.

Cashew cream is the only way to make paleo or Whole30 soup recipes into rich, decadent dishes that rival their unhealthy counterparts. It still astounds me every time! Well, this looks good, I thought as I stir it.

Then I take a bite and have to fight the temptation to slap whoever’s in my immediate vicinity. It might be my hubby… my toddler… or my baby.

Whoever it is, they’re on the verge of being slapped because I’m so impressed with my cashew cream talents.

Oh, and there’s bacon. Bacon is also the key ingredient in this quick and healthful clam chowder.

Why will you enjoy it?

• Have I mentioned how rich and creamy it is? Because it’s so creamy and rich.
• It’s full and a meal in and of itself, with potatoes and plenty of clams.
• It is actually fairly simple and takes less than 30 minutes to put together.
• It’s dairy-free, Whole30-compliant, and paleo-friendly!

Variations

• Cauliflower florets can be used instead of chopped potatoes.
• If you’re not on a diet, you may replace the cashew cream with 3/4-1 cup of half-and-half or heavy cream. If you do, make sure to leave out the extra 1 cup of chicken broth!
• If you’re sensitive to cashews, replace the cashew cream with 2 cups of coconut cream. Coconut cream is the solid white portion of a full-fat coconut milk can. If you utilize this option, make sure to cut out both the cashews and the extra 1 cup of chicken broth.

Important Ingredients

• Bacon with no added sugar ( I get it as part of this Meat Sampler, which has literally all of my favorites)
• Garlic cloves, chopped (forever goodbye to stinky garlic fingers)
• Clam juice from Bar Harbor and sliced clams
• Himalayan salt with black pepper from the Himalayas

How do you make Clam Chowder?

1. It’s simple! Pour boiling or extremely hot chicken broth over raw cashews, then set aside.
2. Then, in a pot, crisp your sliced bacon, then remove the bacon bits with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper-towel-lined dish. Remove all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat from the pan, then sauté your onions and celery until softened and transparent. It will take roughly 5 minutes to complete this task. Stir in your garlic and simmer for 30-60 seconds, or until aromatic, stirring regularly.
3. Stir the arrowroot powder into the veggie mixture thoroughly. Then whisk in 1 1/2 cups chicken broth until smooth and the arrowroot is well mixed. Bring the mixture to a boil with the potatoes, clam juice, and bay leaf. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork-tender.
4. Meanwhile, combine your cashews and the chicken broth in which they were steeped in a high-powered blender. Scrape the mixture into your saucepan after blending until totally smooth. Stir in the clams that haven’t been drained, as well as a generous amount of salt and pepper. Cook for a few more minutes before ladling into serving dishes. Crisp bacon and cut chives go on top.

Are white potatoes considered paleo?

We may argue about it all day, but I consume them as part of my paleo diet. I believed I was good to go there since the Whole30 creators gave them the green light.

If you don’t like white potatoes, you can replace them with cauliflower florets in this dish. If you do, you’ll just need to cook this nutritious Whole30 soup for 10 minutes instead of 15.

Clam Chowder

This dairy-free, Whole30, and paleo clam chowder is super-rich and creamy in the New England manner. This Whole30-friendly soup is loaded with potatoes, bacon, clams, and a delectable cashew cream sauce.

Ingredients

• 1 cup raw cashews
• 2 ½-3 cups chicken broth divided
• 6 slices of bacon sliced
• 1 medium white onion chopped
• 2 stalks of celery chopped, leaves discarded
• 2-3 cloves garlic minced
• 3 tablespoons arrowroot powder
• 1 pound of red potatoes
• 1 cup clam juice
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 6.5-ounce cans chopped clams undrained, 19.5 ounces total
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• fresh chives thinly sliced, for garnish

Instructions For Clam Chowder

1. In a medium heatproof bowl, place cashews. Bring 1 cup chicken broth to a boil in a saucepan, then pour over cashews. Remove from the equation.
2. Cook bacon in a medium pot until crisp, then transfer to a paper towel-lined dish with a slotted spoon. Return the pot to the fire over medium heat with all but 2 tablespoons of bacon fat.
3. Cook, stirring occasionally until the onion and celery are cooked, about 5 minutes. Sauté garlic for 30-60 seconds, or until fragrant. Stir in the arrowroot starch until everything is fully mixed.
4. 1 1/2 cups chicken broth, whisk together until smooth Bring the potatoes, clam juice, and bay leaf to a boil in a saucepan. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are cooked through and soft.
5. In the meantime, make the cashew cream by combining the chicken broth and cashews in a high-powered blender and blending until totally smooth. Stir together the cashew cream, clams, and plenty of salt and pepper in a saucepan. If preferred, thin with an additional 1/2 cup chicken broth. Return to a low simmer for a few minutes, or until the flavors have merged.
6. Serve in serving bowls with bacon and chives on top.

Notes

• Because the cashews have been steeped in hot chicken broth, a standard blender will suffice if you don’t have a high-powered blender. Just make sure you don’t skip it!

This recipe makes around 4 servings. The number of servings will be determined by the size of your selected portions.

The nutritional values indicated are for one serving and are intended to be used as a guideline. The exact macros will vary depending on the brands and types of ingredients utilized.

Prepare the recipe as directed to get the weight of one serving. Weigh the final recipe, then divide the weight (not including the weight of the container in which the food is stored) by four. The weight of one serving will be the result.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 530kcal, Carbohydrates: 51g, Protein: 21g, Fat: 29g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g, Monounsaturated Fat: 14g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 41mg, Sodium: 2388mg, Potassium: 1070mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 8g, Vitamin A: 206IU, Vitamin C: 26mg, Calcium: 61mg, Iron: 5mg, Net Carbs: 47g