Cringey Kitchen

Gluten free, dairy free things in the shape of food

Clam Chowder

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During the course of my dairy free adventures, I have found that cashews are AMAZING! I have used cashews as cheese, I have used it for frosting, and now I have used it as heavy cream. Make sure to soak your cashews first! I know it’s easy to want to skip this step, but it really does make a difference in the smoothness of your cream.

I prefer my clam chowder to be really thick and creamy. If you want your chowder to be lighter, add more chicken broth. I would add about ½ a cup at a time, until you get the consistency that you are looking for.

Also, if you want more of that seafood flavor, you can add more clam juice as well. I like using the chicken stock because the flavor isn’t as strong as the clam juice, so it doesn’t throw off the balance of your flavors.

Be careful not to cut your potatoes too small. They will turn into mush in your chowder. This will cause your chowder to get even thicker! Like I said, this chowder is already pretty thick, so you really don’t want it to be any thicker.

Keep your clams in your chowder, not the floor,
Your favorite alternative chefs, K & T

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Clam Chowder

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup raw cashews
  • ½ cup water
  • 3 tbsp butter
  • 1 small yellow onion diced
  • 2 leeks diced
  • 2 tbsp arrowroot starch
  • 3 russet potatoes diced
  • 2½ cups chicken broth
  • 3 – 6.5 ounces of chopped clams in juice
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp pepper
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 2 bay leaves
  • Crumbled bacon optional
  • Parsley optional

Instructions

  1. Soak cashews in water for 4 hours.
  2. In a medium sized pot over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onion and leek to the pot for 5 minutes until onion is soft and translucent.
  3. Stir in the arrowroot starch. Make sure there are no clumps!
  4. Add in potatoes, broth, and clam juice (don’t add the clams yet!). Stir well and add the bay leaves and thyme. Bring broth to a gentle boil before reducing heat to a simmer for 15-20 minutes. Check that your potatoes are tender with a fork.
  5. Drain cashews and add to a small, high-speed blender. Blend with your ½ cup of water for a couple minutes until cashews become a smooth cream.
  6. Remove the bay leaves and add the cashew cream and clams. Simmer for 2 more minutes stirring frequently. Season with salt and pepper.
  7. Top with crumbled bacon and parsley, then serve!