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A pot of vegan New England-style chowder.

New England Vegan Clam Chowder


  • Author: erin wysocarski
  • Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings
  • Diet: Vegan

Description

This New England vegan clam chowder is made with soy curls and mushrooms as a stand-in for clams. Cashew cream adds a richness to the broth and vegan bacon, potatoes and thyme pull everything together. This soup is so perfect on a cold day! Inspired by and veganized from Bon Appétit.


Ingredients

for the cashew cream

  • 1 cup raw cashews, soaked in plenty of water overnight, then drained
  • 1/2 cup water
  • couple dashes of coconut or apple cider vinegar (optional)

for the “clams”

  • 1 TB Earth Balance
  • 1012 oz white, brown or oyster mushrooms, destemmed and chopped
  • 1 cup Butler Soy Curls
  • 1/2 sheet crumbled nori
  • 1 TB olive oil

for the broth

  • 12 TB Earth Balance or refined coconut oil
  • 4 strips of tempeh or vegan bacon (I used Sweet Earth’s Benevolent Bacon), chopped
  • several dashes of liquid smoke
  • 1 celery stalk, chopped
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 3 garlic cloves, smashed and chopped
  • 1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 5 cups No-Chicken, mushroom or vegetable stock
  • 2 cups peeled and diced Yukon Gold potatoes
  • 1 TB cornstarch, blended with 2 TB water
  • salt and pepper, to taste

to serve

  • oyster crackers
  • fresh biscuits
  • fresh thyme, chopped

Instructions

to make the cashew cream

  1. Using a high-speed or immersion blender, blend the cashews and liquid together until velvety smooth. Add in a couple dashes of vinegar to counteract the sweetness of the cashews, if desired. Set aside.

to prepare the clams

  1. Melt the plant-based butter in a large, heavy pot over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and saute until softened, turning down the heat a bit if needed. Transfer to a bowl.
  2. Add the soy curls and nori to the pot, cover with water. Bring to a boil and turn off the heat, but leave on the burner for about 10 minutes. Allow to cool. Chop into bite-sized pieces.
  3. Preheat a cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add a little oil, then the soy curls. Allow to saute, stirring occasionally, until slightly dried out and slightly golden around the edges. Combine with the reserved mushrooms to the side.

to prepare the broth

  1. Using the same pot, melt 1 TB of the butter or oil over medium heat. Add in the chopped vegan bacon, and allow to saute for a couple of minutes. Reduce the heat to medium low, and add a few dashes of the liquid smoke.
  2. Add the celery, onion and garlic to the pot, increase the heat back to medium and stir. After a minute, add in the remaining 1 TB of plant-based butter or a few splashes of broth as needed to reduce sticking. Allow to cook for several minutes, until the onion is soft.
  3. Sprinkle in the thyme, add the bay leaf. Add the stock and potatoes. Allow to come to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are done.
  4. Bring back to a boil, stir in the cornstarch slurry, and stir until slightly thickened.

to finish

  1. Stir in the reserved cashew cream and mushrooms+soy curls. Heat through, adding in salt and pepper, and a few dashes of liquid smoke if desired, to taste.
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 1 hours
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Blended, Sautéed, Boiled, Reconstituted, Chopped
  • Cuisine: American

Keywords: vegan chowder, vegan clam chowder, vegan clam chowder recipe, chowder with soy curls