Classic New England Style Vegan Clam Chowder
We may be hit with a little bit of warm weather as I write this- today peaked in the sixties!- but as we continue into February, things are bound to get colder. February is the coldest month of the year, so temperatures below zero are not unexpected (that’s zero in Fahrenheit- around -18 C for everyone else). And as that cold really starts to sink in, New Englanders stay warm with something we in Boston call “Chowdah”, but most others say “chowder”. Typically made with clams and cream, this vegan clam chowder is based on the classic New England style, and is thickened with a roux, cashews, and an onion-based cream, punctuated by mushrooms instead of clams. Smooth, rich, and creamy, this chowder is the type of meal you can only get away with on a cold night, after a long day shoveling snow, cross country skiing, or working a long day out in the cold. This vegan clam chowder will give you all the decadent, creamy texture of the original, but leave our ocean friends in their shells where they belong, happy as a clam.
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Meet the Chowdahs
New England style clam chowder (which is the same as Boston style clam chowder), has been around since sometime in the 1800’s. It was actually a religiously-inspired dish, as Catholics would make it to help them abstain from meat, which they did every Friday. There are many regional variations of clam chowder, however Boston or New England style remains the most popular, followed by Manhattan clam chowder, which features a red, tomato-based broth. No matter the style, chowder is often served with those tiny round oyster crackers (also fish-less, I assure you), which are great in this vegan clam chowder.
Feeling Soupy? Try one of these soup recipes!
- Fresh Tomato Soup with Crispy Garlic Toasts
- Rhubarb Vegan Hot and Sour Soup
- Easy Minestrone Soup with Beets
- Creamy Roasted Romaine Soup (Vegan)
- Cold Weather Cabbage Soup with Butternut Squash and Turmeric
- Kabocha Squash Soup with Sunflower Seed Cream
Making Vegan Clam Chowder
My favorite thing I did with this vegan clam chowder was make an onion-cream. By roasting onions for a long time, it allows them to become soft, and, once blended, smooth and creamy like cream. Plus, they taste delicately like onions, which can only be a bonus. Cashews are added to increase the creaminess, and it’s all blended into a cream for our vegan clam chowder. Because we wanted to make this chowder as thick and creamy as possible, we also added a roux of vegan butter (such as Earth Balance) and flour, which bumps up the creamy factor to “I can’t believe it’s vegan” levels. To add a bit of chewy “clam” to the soup, I used king oyster mushrooms. They do have a really strong flavor though, so if you’d rather something more mild you can use a cremini or button mushroom. Serve with parsley and oyster crackers, and warm yourself up with a big bowl of chowdah.
Classic New England Style Vegan Clam Chowder
Ingredients
- Two large onions
- 1 cup raw, unsalted cashews
- Small amount of oil for cooking
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 large carrot, diced
- 2 stalks of celery, diced
- 2 lbs. potatoes, diced
- 5 cups water
- 3 large king oyster mushrooms OR around 200g of button mushrooms, sliced
- ½ cup + 1 tbsp. vegan butter, divided
- ½ cup flour
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- For serving: parsley, oyster crackers (optional)
Instructions
- Start by making your vegan cream. Preheat the oven to 400°F(200°C). Place the onions, whole, uncut, skins and all in a baking dish and rub with a little oil. Place in the oven for about one hour, until the onion is soft with poked with a fork. While the onion is baking, set the cashews to soak in water. Once they’re both finished, remove the skins from the onions and drain the water from the cashews. Add both to a blender and blend until smooth. Set aside.
- Heat a small amount of oil in a large pot and add the garlic, carrot and celery and sauté for a couple minutes, until the garlic is fragrant. Add the potatoes and water, and bring to a boil, before reducing to a simmer. Allow to cook until the potatoes are easily pierced with a fork.
- While the soup is simmering, heat 1 tbsp. of vegan butter in a medium-large skillet. Add the mushrooms and cook until slightly golden. Once cooked, place in a small bowl and set aside. If your potatoes are done, or nearly done, in the same skillet melt the remaining ½ cup of vegan butter and mix the half cup of flour in. Cook, but do not burn for a couple minutes. Add the completed roux to your soup and whisk in well. To complete your chowder, add the mushrooms and onion cream and heat but do not boil. Season with salt and pepper, and serve warm with parsley and oyster crackers, if desired.
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Let’s hear from you…
- New England Style vegan chowder or Manhattan? Or a different style?
- What winter activities do you like to partake in, before indulging in a bowl of vegan clam chowder?
- Thick or brothy? Although I’m usually a fan of brothy soups, we went WAY in the other direction with this one!
Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!
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This stuff is just the best. I opt to sub in vegetable stock for the water, but it’s *chef’s kiss*
Thanks so much for the recipe! I make it all the time!
Thanks Sage! So glad you like it!