Whole30 Creamy Clam Chowder – a delicious and creamy winter soup that is Whole30 and Dairy-Free!
This is going to be your next favorite soup….
I have been dreaming of this soup for quite some time now….. Being allergic to dairy, I never get to indulge in clam chowder. I can maybe take a bite, but anything beyond that is no-go. I don’t know how many years it has been since I last had a bite of it, but the flavor is so clear in my memory. And I think I did a darn good job of re-creating it in a way that was dairy-free (and Whole30). And I am so excited to share it with you guys!!
A couple of things, this recipe is designed as an easy weeknight dinner and thus, I opted for canned clams (just watch the ingredients if you are eating this on Whole30). I went this route because I wanted this to be something that didn’t feel so daunting to people. Or something that you could potentially make on a weeknight. If I had a weekend to make the soup, I would prefer fresh clams and homemade clam juice ( fyi- “clam juice” is just another way of saying – the water that results from cooking clams in it). But, I am a working parent like many of you and I don’t have the luxury of time most days when it comes to dinner. Canned clams are just fine and the soup is still amazing, but lets be honest, fresh is always better!
I would just say get the highest quality canned clams you can and, again, check those labels to make sure they aren’t sneaking in any added sugar, etc.
I am officially on Day 7 of Whole30, so thought I would give you a little update. Overall, this round has been fairly easy (especially compared to my first). I felt a little achy and tired days 2-3. Headache end of day 3. Day 4 I felt fine. End of day 5…. felt pretty horrible – just a general feeling of bleh. Tired, grumpy, tired. Day 6 I had so much energy and felt amazing. Today I felt amazing all day and then after dinner I just had the worst sugar craving. All I wanted to was Justin’s peanut butter cup. The craving was so strong. And that’s one of the things I really appreciate about the Whole30, actually. I really tried to examine my craving – did I just want a peanut butter cup or was my body physically craving the sugar. I know it was the latter. And I don’t like that feeling. If I am going to have a peanut butter cup I want it to be because I want one, not because my body needs the sugar like a drug. Its good to make those realizations and learn from them, I think.
I am ready to move into the second week of Whole30 and excited feel better and better!
I hope you guys have a great start to your week and, if you are doing Whole30, I hope you are feeling okay! Keep it up!
Oh and if you are loving hearty soups right now, I HIGHLY recommend the Ultimate Shrimp and Chicken Curry I posted last week! So flavorful and a great way to break up your Whole30 meal plan!
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Love,
E
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A delicious and creamy winter soup that is Whole30 and Dairy-Free!
Ingredients
- 6 slices Whole30 compliant bacon, cut into small, bite-sized chunks.
- 2 Tablespoons of olive oil (or ghee)
- 2 stalks celery, sliced
- 1 large yellow onion, minced
- 2 garlic clove, minced
- 1 Tablespoon fresh thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 large carrots, peel and sliced
- 1 large russet potato, cubed
- salt and pepper
- 2 Teaspoons rosemary
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons arrowroot powder
- 4 cups coconut milk, full fat
- 3 6.5oz undrained canned clams, whole (although if you can only find chopped, that will work too)
Instructions
- In dutch over, add bacon and cook over medium heat until fat reduces.
- Remove bacon, leaving grease.
- Add ghee, onion, carrots, garlic, celery, rosemary and thyme.
- Cook on medium heat, stirring fairly consistently until for approximately 3 minutes.
- Add arrowroot powder and stir to fully coat.
- Slowly add coconut milk, stirring to mix.
- Add potatoes, clams with juice, bay leaf and the bacon that was removed from the pan earlier.
- Stir and bring to a low simmer for 5 minutes.
- Add 2 Teaspoons of salt and 1 Teaspoon of pepper.
- Taste and add additional salt and pepper to taste.
- Continue to let simmer until potatoes are done to your liking.
- Serve hot with crispy bacon bits and micro greens for topping (optional).
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Hi! I love clam chowder and I’m so glad that you took the time to create a Whole30 compliant version. We’ll be trying it this weekend and will come back to let you know how it turns out! Where do you find sugar-free bacon in MN? I’ve checked all Mpls and St. Paul co-ops and Whole Foods and haven’t been able to find any… Our favorite brand, Pastures A Plenty has honey it it 🙁 Thanks!
Yay!! I really hope you like it!! For bacon I have actually had really good luck at Target – they seem to stock the Pedersen brand, which is compliant! I would check there!
I absolutely love this recipe- things I added were shrimp and crab to make it a bit more like a seafood stew. I also subbed 1 cup or so of chicken stock for the coconut milk. This will feed me for at least 5 meals!! 🖤🦀🍤🐚
Yay!! That makes me so happy to hear and I LOVE that you made it your own!!!!
How many servings does this make?
Depends how big your bowl is 😊 but I would say approximately 6 or so!
Made this yesterday and my adult son who loves clam chowder loved it! My Aunt always made her famous clam chowder for Christmas. She always gave me a special batch. She also put bacon in it!
I added some frozen crab that had and did not put as much of the clam juice in so it would be a little thicker! Absolutely wonderful. In fact very little is left!
That is so awesome to hear!!! I am so glad to hear he liked it! :). Love the addition of crab!