Clam-Free Chowder With Homemade Vegetable Broth

Oyster mushrooms star in this vegan interpretation of New England clam chowder

made with diced potatoes, onion, and celery with a creamy, cashew-based broth. If Oyster mushrooms are unavailable, substitute White Button mushrooms, Chanterelles, or a combination of both.

Clam-Free Chowder With Homemade Vegetable Broth [Vegan, Gluten-Free]

Ingredients

For the Clam-Free Chowder:

• 2 tablespoons vegan butter
• 8 ounces Oyster mushrooms, chopped
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 1 celery rib, minced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 cups peeled and diced potatoes
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon dulse or nori flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 cups vegetable broth (recipe below)
• 1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke
• 1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked in hot water for 1 hour, then drained
• 2 cups unsweetened almond milk
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley

For the Vegetable Broth:

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 2 onions, coarsely chopped
• 8 garlic cloves, crushed
• 10 cups water
• 6 carrots, coarsely chopped
• 6 celery ribs, coarsely chopped
• 1 cup mushroom stems or 2 dried mushrooms
• 1 cup coarsely chopped fresh parsley stems
• 1 teaspoon fresh or dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 bay leaves

Preparation

To Make the Clam-Free Chowder:

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from the pot with a slotted spoon. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter to the same pot over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, or until softened.
2. Stir in the potatoes, bay leaves, dulse, thyme, Old Bay, salt, pepper, and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil and then decrease the heat to low and cook for 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are just tender. Remove the bay leaves and stir in the liquid smoke.
3. While the soup is simmering, blend the cashews and 1 cup of the almond milk in a high-speed blender until smooth. When the vegetables are tender, stir in the cashew mixture and the remaining 1 cup almond milk.
4. Stir in the reserved mushrooms and heat the soup for a minute or two until hot. Taste and adjust the seasonings, if needed. Serve hot, garnished with the parsley.

To Make the Vegetable Broth:

1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions and garlic, cover, and cook until golden, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Add the water, carrots, celery, mushroom stems, parsley stems, thyme, salt, black pepper, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil and decrease the heat to medium. Cook until the vegetables are tender and the broth is well flavored, about 30 minutes.
2. Strain the broth into a large bowl using a colander. Press on the vegetables in the colander to release as much liquid as possible. Discard or compost the vegetables. Strain the broth using a fine-mesh strainer. Store the broth in airtight 2-cup containers so they are easy to use in recipes. The broth will keep well for up to a week in the refrigerator or up to 6 months in the freezer.
3. To use the slow-cooker method, place your vegetables and water in a slow cooker, put on the lid, and cook on low for 8 hours.

Notes

Clam-Free Chowder from VEGANIZE IT! by Robin Robertson, William Brinson, and Susan Brinson. Copyright © 2017 by Robin Robertson, William Brinson, and Susan Brinson. Used by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved. Vegetable Broth from VEGANIZE IT! by Robin Robertson. Copyright © 2017 by Robin Robertson. Used by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.

https://www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-recipe/clam-free-chowder-with-homemade-vegetable-broth/