Whole30 Clam Chowder (Dairy-Free) – a delicious and creamy winter soup that is made with simple, real ingredients!
Amazing Dairy Free Clam Chowder
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.
Other Recipes You Might Like
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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Whole30 Clam Chowder (Dairy-Free)
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 10 servings 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: American
Description
Whole30 Clam Chowder (Dairy-Free) – A delicious and creamy winter soup that is Whole30 and Dairy-Free!
Ingredients
- 6 slices Whole30 compatible 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).
Keywords: dairy free clam chowder, whole30 clam chowder
Erica says
This was absolutely delicious. I used two cans of coconut milk and 1 cup homemade chicken stock. The flavors are incredible. Creamy without being too rich. I am excited for leftovers!
★★★★★
Lisa says
I made this tonight for dinner. I followed the recipe with the exception of using tapioca flour for thickening because I had that on hand. I upped the amount by a half tablespoon and that worked out well. I was skeptical about the coconut milk but I stuck to my Whole 30 plan. Once I added the clams and clam juice the chowder was perfect, with just a slight hint of coconut milk. My husband enjoyed two bowls of this deliciousness. This will definitely be my go to clam chowder recipe!
★★★★★
Erin says
I am so happy you enjoyed this, Lisa!! And thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review and feedback – I really appreciate it!
Mary says
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!
Erin says
That is so awesome to hear!!! I am so glad to hear he liked it! :). Love the addition of crab!
Cali says
How many servings does this make?
Erin says
Depends how big your bowl is 😊 but I would say approximately 6 or so!
Carrie says
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!! 🖤🦀🍤🐚
Erin says
Yay!! That makes me so happy to hear and I LOVE that you made it your own!!!!
Kamila says
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!
Erin says
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!