This vegan clam chowder recipe is quick, easy, and just so so satisfying! All the creamy richness comes from a blended cashew cream and the heartiness comes from... chunky hearts of palm! It's:
So Thick & Creamy
Super Soft & Chunky
Extremely Rich & Filling
And Has That Salty Ocean Taste All While Being...
Fish Free & Dairy Free!
Is It Tasty
Ohhhh is it ever!
I tried quite a few different versions of dairy free chowder and although tasty... they weren't giving me that same super creamy rich taste that I get from a traditional New England chowder. For a more traditional recipe take a look at this "Contest Winning New England Clam Chowder" on Taste Of Home.
The creaminess in a more traditional chowder usually comes from a slurry made from flour mixed with whole milk or half & half cream. So I tried a slurry made from cashew milk and flour and another version using full fat canned coconut milk for the richness. Although both were tasty, this version was the winner:
A quick blended Cashew Cream!
The cashews provide the fat content the cream would supply and create a super rich cream to thicken the chowder! The one caveat is that the cashew cream is not an absolutely smooth substitute, but if you have a more powerful blender than I do you will likely be able to blend the cashews down even smoother! AND... it's super duper tasty so the tiniest bit of graininess doesn't bother me!
Making Cashew Cream
To be honest, I avoided using a cashew cream for a chowder because I figured it would be easier to make a slurry or just open a can of coconut milk BUT... once I tried this cashew cream I realized:
- It's Quick
- Easy
- And You Do Need A Blender
- But It Doesn't Add Any Time To The Overall Recipe
The key to blending cashews is: Soaking Them In Boiling Water For 15 Minutes.
- Boil water in your kettle.
- Measure out ¾ cup raw cashews in a heat proof bowl.
- Cover the cashews in boiling water.
- And let sit for at least 15 minutes to soften.
- Drain the cashews, add them your blender with 1 cup plant milk.
- And Blend! Your cashew cream is done!
Why Hearts Of Palm
Have you ever cooked with hearts of palm? We are loving this vegetable that comes from the inner core of certain palm tree varieties! It is usually canned in a salty brine which makes it a perfect substitute for canned clams!
The Spruce Eats has a great post with more information about this versatile vegetable. The taste is most often compared to artichoke and hearts of palm can either be sliced, as they are for this recipe, or shredded to create a crab cake substitute or any dish that would usually call for a flaked white fish!
You can absolutely make this creamy vegan clam chowder recipe with just potatoes and maybe add in mushrooms for the soft, chunky texture! A benefit to using hearts of palm is the salty brine.
In a more traditional New England Chowder clam juice is used to infuse the chowder with that salty, fishy taste. For this recipe, we use the brine from the canned hearts of palm to mimic that salty "fishiness"!
If you prefer to avoid the extra sodium you can absolutely omit the brine and use more vegetable broth in its place, you will just lose a bit of that sea feel. Try adding chopped up seaweed or dulse flakes instead!
How To Make This Vegan Clam Chowder Recipe
We love making our smoky Sun-Dried Tomato Bits to replace the bacon that is usually used to garnish a more traditional chowder!
- Boil water and get your cashews soaking.
- Prepare your smoky tomato bits in a large pot first (as you would with real bacon).
- Remove the tomato bits and add in yellow onion and garlic.
- Add the celery and old bay seasoning.
- Then the potatoes, the broth, and hearts of palm with their brine.
- Cook for about 10-15 minutes for the potatoes to soften.
- Blend your cashew cream.
- Add the cashew cream to the cooked chowder and simmer for another 5 minutes or so to thicken.
- Garnish and serve!
Cost Comparison For Vegan Clam Chowder
This creamy and "hearty" vegan clam chowder recipe costs us approximately: CAD $11.32 for 4 hearty servings with the smoky tomato bits for garnish! Without the tomato bits the recipe cost lowers to $10.63.
We always have a constant supply of our easy homemade veggie scrap broth which is a super easy way to make all our soups thriftier! Using store-bought broth our cost would become: CAD $12.84 including the garnish.
For a more traditional New England chowder using 4 slices of bacon as garnish, 2 cups of half & half, and 284g of canned clams our cost would be: CAD $10.80 or $12.32 with store-bought broth.
That's pretty comparable for a super tasty chowder with an added boost of protein from the cashew cream! The cashew cream also makes sure you feel nice and full after this hearty bowl of comfort!
- A great way to bring the recipe cost down a bit and not compromise on all that soft chunky texture is to replace half the hearts of palm with extra potatoes or some sliced mushrooms!
What do you think? Will you grab a spoon and dig into this creamy "hearty" vegan clam chowder? Let us know in the comments below how you like it!
For another recipe using tasty hearts of palm take a look at our version of Portuguese Cod Stew; Bacalhau - A Quick And Easy Take!
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"Hearty" Vegan Clam Chowder - Comfort In A Bowl
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This vegan clam chowder recipe is ultimate comfort in a bowl! Dairy-free cashew cream & hearts of palm are the stars! You'll scoop more!
Ingredients
Cashew Cream (see notes for nut free options):
- ¾ cup raw cashews (soaked in boiling water for 15 min)
- 1 cup cashew milk (or plant milk of choice)
Sun-Dried Tomato "Bacon" Bits:
- ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped (dry or oil packed)
- ¾ tsp tamari (or soy sauce)
- ¼ tsp liquid smoke
“Hearty” Chowder:
- ½ medium onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 ribs of celery, chopped (can use frozen)
- 1 ½ tsp old bay seasoning (or a mix of celery salt, paprika, & black pepper)
- 2 large russet or yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced small (about 2 cups)*
- 2 - 3 cups vegetable broth (homemade for extra savings)
- 796 ml hearts of palm, chopped (reserve the brine - roughly 1 ½ cups)
- 1 tsp dried dill or thyme, optional
*Fresh ingredients you need that are not part of our pantry and freezer tips.
Instructions
- If you have not soaked your cashews overnight (8 hours in cold water in the fridge), boil water in your kettle, measure out the raw cashews in a heatproof measuring cup or bowl, and pour the boiled water over the cashews. Allow to soak for 15 minutes while you prepare the rest of the chowder.
- If using dry packed sun-dried tomatoes: simply mix the chopped tomatoes with tamari and liquid smoke and set aside while you make the chowder.
- If using oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes: heat a large pot over medium heat and add the chopped tomatoes with their oil. Stir and cook for 1 minute or so, add the tamari and liquid smoke. Stir for another minute until the oil starts to dry up, then remove from the pot and set aside.
- Add a dash more oil (or water/broth) to the same pot and add the chopped onion and garlic. Season with a tiny pinch of salt and pepper (the liquid from the hearts of palm provides most of the salt for this recipe).
- After 2-3 minutes when the onion is soft and the garlic fragrant, add the chopped celery and old bay seasoning. Stir and cook for about 1 minute.
- Add the potatoes, the broth, and the chopped hearts of palm with their brine. Add enough liquid to just cover all the ingredients. (The hearts of palm brine adds a salty ocean taste but if you prefer to avoid the added sodium in the brine you can decrease the amount or use broth in its place. Try adding chopped seaweed or dulse flakes for the fishy taste instead!).
- Increase the heat to bring the chowder to a boil, then lower to a simmer. Simmer with the pot lid on for about 10 - 15 minutes until the potatoes are soft and easily pierced with a fork.
- While the chowder simmers, add the soaked and drained cashews to your stand up blender with the milk and blend until smooth and creamy.
- Once the potatoes are cooked, pour the cashew cream into the chowder and heat through for about 5 minutes until nice and thick. Add any additional seasonings like fresh or dried dill, thyme, or more old bay seasoning to taste.
- To serve; ladle the chowder into bowls and top with the tomato “bacon” bits, chives, and crackers!
- The soup keeps well in the fridge for up to 3 days. If the leftover chowder gets too thick in the fridge, add a splash more milk as you reheat it to thin it out (we haven’t needed to but feel free!)
Notes
Cost Comparison: CAD $10.63 using our homemade veggie broth ($11.32 with tomato bits for garnish) and $12.84 with tomato bits and store-bought broth vs. $12.32 for a more traditional clam chowder (or $10.80 for traditional chowder using homemade broth).
I love substituting half the hearts of palm with extra potatoes or cremini mushrooms. It lowers the overall recipe cost and adds even more soft texture to the chowder! 1 can hearts of palm plus 1 ½ cup chopped mushrooms lowers the recipe cost by about $1.80 and using an extra russet potato lowers the cost by nearly $3.
As an alternative to the sun-dried tomato bits as a garnish, try using 1 - 1 ½ cup chopped mushroom with 1 teaspoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon tamari, and ¼ teaspoon liquid smoke (cook in the pot first, then remove and set aside as you do with oil-packed tomatoes).
The cashew cream creates the thickest, creamiest texture but if you need to avoid cashews we have tried 2 cups plant milk mixed with ⅓ cup white all-purpose flour OR we have used 1 can coconut milk.
If you prefer to avoid the added sodium in the hearts of palm brine, replace the brine with extra broth. You can try adding chopped seaweed or dulse flakes for the fishy taste.
This chowder serves 4. It makes less than most of our soup recipes but it is very hearty and filling so we find a smaller portion satisfies!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop, One-Pot
- Cuisine: American
Maria
This chowder is DELICIOUS! Very quick and easy to make. Loved the sun dried tomato bits - never would have thought to use sun dried tomatoes this way, thank you
Kathryn Alexandre
Fantastic! I'm glad it was a hit!