More comfort food is always welcome. New England Clam Chowder was one of my favorite soups in the colder months. Most people love chowder; but not only does the vegan version taste great, it has way less fat than the traditional version. (No heavy cream or butter here). There is also the added protein of beans which are blended into the recipe, and add some density to the soup. The dulse flakes give it the sea flavor and add a salty flavor too. Mushrooms are a wonderful fill in for clams as they have a lot of flavor and have a similar texture to clams. Recreating this savory seafood soup was fun and everyone that has tried it has liked it. And a win for my husband who loves this dish too; there are no onions in it! Might sound weird to most, but onions are in just about everything. Because of his dislike for onions, I’ve just omitted them from my recipes. Not missing anything either because we both love garlic, so…win win! (Feel free to add them to your recipe though). I also used shiitake mushrooms here, but any mushrooms will work well in this recipe.
Directions
Drain the cashews and put them in a blender with the plant based milk. When smooth, add the can of drained cannellini beans. Blend everything until smooth and set aside. Add the butter to a pan on medium heat and add in the mushrooms. Cook the mushrooms for a few minutes and then add about a tablespoon of the minced garlic. Cook until the mushrooms are lightly browned, then set aside. In a large sauce pan, add the olive oil and sauté the rest of the minced garlic on medium heat. After a few minutes, add the carrots and thyme and cook for a few minutes until tender. Add the frozen corn and stir together. Add the wine and let simmer for a few minutes. Next add the corn starch and continue mixing with a spoon or whisk (so that the corn starch doesn’t clump up). Pour in the broth, dulse flakes and salt, continuing to stir. Add in the potatoes and simmer everything for about 15 minutes until potatoes are tender. Then slowly stir in the cream base mixture and stir well. Next add in the mushrooms and cracked black pepper. Taste to see if any more seasoning is needed. Cook for another few minutes then remove from heat. Garnish with your greens and serve with bread or crackers.
