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Warm up on a chilly night with this rich, creamy & hearty New England Vegan Clam Chowder. It takes 30 minutes to make & it's easy to prepare, too.
If anyone knows me, they know I'm a big soup fanatic. They are easy to prepare, filling, satisfying, inexpensive, and they're great make-ahead and freezable meals. Some family favorites in the rotation are my Vegan French Onion Soup, my Creamy Potato Leek Soup, and this New England Vegan Clam Chowder.
Vegan Clam Chowder? How is that possible?
People may wonder why some vegans want to recreate a recipe that is mostly animal-based. For me, I just like to enjoy flavors and textures that are familiar to me, and there's nothing else behind it. I also feel recipes like this are great for transitioning vegans, and they can change their diet without changing their palate.
Besides, most animal-based ingredients taste kind of bland on their own. It's the veggies, herbs, and spices that bring a recipe to life.
Clams have a chewy texture, are salty, and sometimes sandy. Yep, I've had clam chowder with sand in it, and it's not appetizing. Imagine just boiling clams in water without any flavoring - not so tasty anymore, right?
What makes clam chowder appealing is the creamy, buttery texture, the tender veggies, and the warm, comforting feeling you get when you eat it. So why not recreate the clam-like texture, saltiness and subtle sea-like flavor and make a tasty and cruelty-free version? Sounds good to me!
Does Vegan Clam Chowder Taste Like The Original?
Now I'm not going to say this tastes exactly like clam chowder, but it's pretty darn close. This vegan version will provide similar textures and flavors to the original without using dairy or clams.
It's creamy, rich, buttery, hearty, and worlds healthier, too.
You won't be missing flavor at all, but you'll be skipping out on unhealthy fat, antibiotics & other nasty stuff from the dairy. Plus, it will be sans mercury and other contaminants from the clams.
With this Vegan Clam Chowder, you can leave your friends in the ocean and cow’s udders alone.
What is Vegan Clam Chowder made of?
To create the clam-like texture, I sautéed white button mushrooms in vegan butter, garlic, and a bit of soy sauce. This will give them a nice depth and a hint of saltiness. Any mushrooms can be used, but I decided to use the most readily available and cheapest.
This goes well with oyster mushrooms or shiitake too, but those can be costly. You can also add a blend of your faves. There are no mushroom rules here!
Next, I sautéed onions, garlic, celery, carrots, and thyme together. Carrots aren't traditionally used in the New England version, but they're in the East Hampton one. I like the pop of color, flavor, and texture they add, so I use them. Feel free to omit them.
I'm not sure if this is traditionally used either, but I've gotta add some vino when possible. It adds another layer of flavor, plus it's a great excuse to have a glass while you're cooking. Check out Barnivore for a vegan wine selection.
To thicken the soup, I sprinkle in gluten-free flour, but you can use regular all-purpose flour. Now I add the vegetable broth, potatoes, and sea salt.
To give the chowder a subtle sea-like flavor, I use kelp or dulse flakes/granules. Broken up nori sheets can be used too. This ingredient isn't necessary but will make the flavor more reminiscent of clam chowder. It also provides a natural source of iodine too.
For the creamy finish, I blended raw cashews together with unsweetened soy milk. Any milk can be used, I just prefer soy because it has a richer texture. Full-fat coconut milk would be my next choice. Just make sure the milk is unsweetened.
Now ladle it into your favorite soup bowls, top with fresh-cut parsley, and side with classic saltine crackers or crispy bread.
Are you ready to give this a try? Let's do this!
I’d love to hear from you
If you make this Vegan Clam Chowder, I’d love to get your feedback. You can leave a comment below and let me know what you think. It would really make my day. You can also follow me on Instagram and share your creation with me. Just tag me @veganhuggs and hashtag #veganhuggs so I don’t miss it.
Vegan Clam Chowder (Gluten-Free)
Ingredients
Cream Base (see note for alternative)
- ½ cup raw cashews, soaked in water 2-4 hours (*See Note)
- ¾ cup unsweetened soy milk (or any plant-based milk)
Mushrooms
- 1 tablespoon vegan butter (or olive oil)
- 8 oz white button mushrooms, cut into ½-inch pieces (or any mushrooms)
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 teaspoon low sodium tamari (sub soy sauce)
Soup Base
- 2 tablespoon vegan butter (sub with olive oil)
- 1 medium yellow onion , diced
- 2 celery stalks , diced
- 2 medium carrots , diced or sliced ¼ inch thick
- 2-3 med/large cloves garlic , minced
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ cup dry white wine (a vegan variety)
- 4 cups vegetable broth , low sodium
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour (gluten-free or regular)
- 2 medium russet potatoes , peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 teaspoons kelp granules or dulse flakes (*see note)
- 1 teaspoon Himalayan salt , more to taste
- 1-2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (*optional)
- Fresh cracked pepper , to taste
Instructions
Cream Base
- Blend the soy milk & cashews (discard soaking water) together until very smooth. Set aside.
Mushrooms
- In a large sauce pot over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon butter. When heated, add mushrooms and sauté until the liquid evaporates (about 3 minutes). Now add 1 clove minced garlic and soy sauce. Sauté until the mushrooms are tender & lightly browned. About 2-4 minutes. Remove mushrooms and set aside.
Soup Base
- Wipe out the same pot and return to stove. Heat butter over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Add celery, carrots, garlic & thyme. Sauté about 5-7 minutes or until veggies are tender.
- Add wine and turn heat up to medium-high to simmer. Once simmering turn heat back to medium. Cook wine down about 3-5 minutes. Stir often.
- Sprinkle flour over veggies and stir constantly for 30-60 seconds.
- Stir in broth and add potatoes, bay leaf, kelp granules, and salt. Bring to a simmer for about 10-15 minutes, until potatoes are tender. Discard bay leaves.
- Turn heat to medium low and slowly stir in cashew cream. Taste for seasoning and add more if needed. Cook for 3-4 minutes and remove from heat. Stir in mushrooms, lemon juice and fresh cracked pepper.
- Place in your favorite soup bowls & garnish with fresh parsley. Side with crackers or crispy bread. Enjoy!
Notes
- To make this cashew-free, omit the Cream Base Step (soy milk and cashews)and replace it with 1 cup of canned lite coconut milk. Add to soup after removing from heat.
Nutrition
Bliss
This was fantastic
Melissa Huggins
So glad you liked it. Thank you so much 🙂
Meg
Hi, sorry if I missed this but is the white wine required? I can easily gain access to all the ingredients except wine. I’m really looking forward to trying this recipe.
Melissa Huggins
Sure, you can just omit it altogether. It'll still be delicious! It just adds a slight depth of flavor and deglazes the pan. If you need to deglaze, just add a splash of vegetable broth. 🙂
Cat
Scrumptulescent! Followed your recipe step by step, served in bread bowls. Super comforting and satisfying. We’ll be putting this into our forever recipe vault.
Melissa Huggins
Such a nice compliment! Thank you so much. The soup sounds divine in the bread bowls. YUM! 🙂
Tim Shaffer
This recipe turned out great. My wife and I really enjoyed the taste sensations.
Melissa Huggins
I'm happy you both loved it! Thank you for giving it a try 🙂
Mse
OMG I will praise your name til the day I die for this!!! If someone can be in love with food, I am right now with this chowder. ♥️ I would give it a million stars if I could.
I started my vegan life about a month and a half ago and this is one of the firsts of plant only dishes I tried to create and ended up amazing.... thankyouthankyouthankyou 🙂
Melissa Huggins
This is the greatest compliment ever! I'm so glad you liked it so much. Congratulations on your new vegan journey and Happy New Year! 🙂
Sarah
Absolutely loved this, you wouldn't know there was no dairy it in, the cashew cream was great.
I lacked a couple of ingredients wine, thyme (swapped for basil and sage) and lemon (sometimes it spoils more quickly with lemon) but it was still absolutely delicious.
Melissa Huggins
Hi Sarah, I'm so glad you liked it! Thank you for sharing your feedback 🙂
Jennifer
My daughter had this at a home she nannies for and was raving about it. I want to make it for our family Sunday lunch but have limited time from when church gets out and when we eat.
Any suggestions for making it ahead of time and reheating it?
Melissa Huggins
Hi Jennifer, I would make the recipe completely, but keep the mushrooms, lemon juice and cashew cream separate. Then on the reheat, you can add those ingredients in the last few minutes to warm them. If that will be too much, just cook the soup entirely and leave out the lemon juice and serve with lemon wedges. I think the mushrooms have the best texture when they aren't in the soup long, but it's a slight difference. I always love the leftovers just as much. I hope this helps. 🙂
Jennifer
Perfect. I will keep them separate until reheating it. Thank you for getting back to me so quickly.
Melissa Huggins
You're most welcome! 🙂
Kevin
It tastes delicious but i don't know how you got the white appearance. Mine was a light brownish appearance. I used full fat coconut milk and skipped the wine. I also thickened it a bit with cornstarch. Its hard to judge the flavor since its Been many years since I've had clam chowder. However, I can say it taste delicious with some saltine crackers
Sarah L.
I would personally recommend to add the lemon juice at the very end in any case: I found the tartness of the wine sufficient. This recipe is one of my faves. So delicious and comforting!
Melissa Huggins
Thank you for the feedback. I'm so glad you like the recipe 🙂
Vanessa Younger
I made this soup for our dinner last night...our 17 year old Ryan took one bite ..his eyes grew big..."magical" he said. Big hit ! I did use 24 ounces of chanterelles and substituted sherry for white wine. Adding this one to the favorites list, THANKS!
Melissa Huggins
Hi Vanessa! This is the nicest compliment! Thank you for giving it a try. It sounds incredible with the chanterelles and sherry. YUM! 🙂
Marija Radonjic
Loved it !!!! Making it again tonight. The taste is amazing!!! Thank you for sharing
Melissa Huggins
So glad you liked it! Thank you for giving it a try! 🙂
Cynthia Teruya
I'm dying to try this recipe but I'm allergic to mushrooms. Is there a suitable substitute? Can your magical hearts of palm also work in this soup in place of the mushrooms?
Melissa Huggins
You could try using soy curls for that chewy texture. Can you have soy?
Cynthia T
Yes, I can! Great idea!
Sarah S
Do you have any recommendations for substituting the white wine? Could I use Apple Cidar Vinegar instead?
Melissa Huggins
Hi Sarah, you can leave out the white wine step and just deglaze the pan with broth. The soup will still be delicious! The vinegar would be overpowering, so I wouldn't add that. A squeeze of fresh lemon at the end of cooking is nice though. I hope this helps 🙂
Sarah S
It does, thank you! Your recipes are amazing!
Melissa Huggins
Thank you so much! Have a lovely weekend 🙂
Mary
The photo of this recipe is truly beautiful! it drew me right in. I used to LOVE a good clam chowder. (didn't really like the clams just everything else and the flavor) but now seeing this recipe and reading the reviews I have to try it. I do have a question though. for the plant based milk. I usually use almond, but when using this in cooking anything that should turn out white comes out grey. Not very appealing. will this be the same?? or should I try soy milk for this one?
Melissa Huggins
Hi Mary, thank you for the nice compliment! It's one of my favorite soups. I chose soy milk because it's a bit thicker and creamier than most plant milk. I haven't tried it with almond milk, but it should work fine. I'm just not sure about the color. However, I have used light canned coconut milk and it was amazing. You won't taste the coconut unless you're super sensitive to its taste. I hope this helps. Let me know if you any other questions. I'm here to help 🙂
R. B.
Another way is to add almond butter diluted in a bit of broth: it gives soups a nice creamy touch. I use that in many different soup recipes (leeks and potatoes, carrots...). Just make sure to add at the last minute to keep the nutritional benefits.
R. B.
I forgot to add: this mixture magically turns white in the soup!
Alexander
Absolutely divine, a really beautiful match of caramelised sweetness and a salty seaside tang. Perfect for a cold night in.
Melissa Huggins
This is such a nice compliment! Thank you for giving it a try! 🙂
Michelle Vallejo
I love love love this recipe,
Melissa Huggins
Thank you so much! Happy to hear this 😀
RB
Thank you for this recipe. I made it for lunch, and it was utterly delicious and filling. This is a keeper. I would call it a "mushroom" chowder, though, as this is what it tastes like. The only change I made was skipping the kelp, as I wanted something fresh. Next time (yes, there will be a next time), I am planning to add some tarragon at the end, instead of adding lemon juice.
Melissa Huggins
What a nice compliment! Thank you for giving it a try and sharing your feedback. It sounds wonderful with tarragon! I must try that next time too 🙂