Dairy-Free Seafood Chowder

Hello, Welcome to Sunday Supper. Today I have a rich and hearty spring chowder with tons of veggies and cod, in a flavorful and creamy broth. The special thing about this chowder is that it doesn’t contain any dairy. It’s a Dairy-Free Seafood Chowder. We get a creamy chowder broth by pureeing cauliflower. It’s a handy trick for all kinds of cream-based soups if you want to cut out the dairy. We may not have dairy, but we have bacon! And we have green veggies, which really make this soup look, feel and taste like a perfect spring soup. Let’s get going!

Start by cooking 4-5 strips of chopped bacon in a Dutch oven or other large pot. When the bacon is slightly crisp and browned, transfer it to a paper towel-lined plate with a slotted spoon or spider skimmer, leaving the accumulated bacon fat behind.

Dairy-Free Seafood Chowder Base

While the bacon is cooking, slice the 1 pound cauliflower in half. Remove the core and base. Then chop up one of the halves. Set the other half aside for now. Then we have fresh minced thyme, one bay leaf and two 8 ounce bottles of clam juice. This will make up the base that we will puree. Turn the heat up under the pot with the reserved bacon fat and stir the minced thyme and bay leaf into the bacon fat. Stir and sauté the herbs for about 30 seconds. Then add the chopped half of cauliflower. Season with a pinch of kosher salt and about 1/4 teaspoon of fresh cracked black pepper. Add the two bottles of clam juice.

Bring the mixture to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and let the cauliflower cook until falls apart when poked with a fork. About 10 minutes. Cut the heat and remove the bay leaf. Let the mixture cool for about 10 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a blender and blend until smooth.

Add the cauliflower puree back to the pot and turn the heat up to medium-high. Pour in the remaining 1 bottle of clam juice and 1 cup of water. Then add the potatoes. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat, cover and reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer until the potatoes are just tender, about 10-15 minutes.

Building the Chowder

While the potatoes are cooking, cut the remaining half of cauliflower into small florets.

When the potatoes are just tender, stir the cauliflower florets into the soup. Stir and season with a pinch of kosher salt. Then Submerge the cod pieces in the soup. Bring to a simmer over medium-high, then cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for 5-8 minutes, until the cod flakes easily with a fork.

Now, gently stir in the frozen corn, fresh chopped spinach and sliced snow peas. Very gently stir and cook just until the spinach is wilted. Cut the heat.

Finishing Touches

Off heat, add the diced jalapeño (if using), and stir in the juice of half a lemon. Taste the chowder and season with more kosher salt if needed.

We are ready to serve. Ladle a serving of the Dairy-Free Seafood Chowder into a bowl. Sprinkle chopped fresh parsley over the top. Then sprinkle a tablespoon or so of the cooked bacon pieces on top.

While this Dairy-Free Seafood Chowder is hearty, rich in flavor and textures, it’s very light. Chunky bites of potato and cauliflower, tender cod, with crisp bites of snow pea, punctuated with sweet bites of corn, plus the smooth cauliflower-based broth – this chowder really has it all! Don’t forget the salty, crispy bites of bacon!

Spring soups are a wonderful thing; with some chill lingering in the evening air, a soup that is full of fresh veggies and flavor is invigorating and comforting at the same time. If you want to try another spring soup, try Spring Soup with Beans and Greens. I hope you give this easy soup a try! Take care and be well, xo Kelly

Key Equipment

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Dairy-Free Seafood Chowder

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Dinner, Main Course – American

By Adapted from America's Test Kitchen – Serves: 4

Prep Time: 15 Minutes – Cooking Time: 45 Minutes – Total Time: ~1 Hour

Dairy-Free Seafood Chowder is a rich and hearty spring chowder with tons of veggies and cod, in a flavorful and creamy broth.

Ingredients

• 4-5 Bacon Slices, chopped
• 1 tsp. Minced Fresh Thyme
• 1 lb. Cauliflower Florets, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces, divided
• 3 8-oz. Bottles of Clam Juice, divided
• Pinch of Kosher Salt, plus more to taste
• 1/4 tsp. Black Pepper, plus more to taste
• 1 Bay Leaf
• 1 cup Water
• 1.5 lbs. Red Potatoes, unpeeled, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
• 1 lb. Skinless, Cod Fillets, 1-inch thick, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 3 cups Fresh Baby Spinach, chopped
• 1 cup Frozen Corn
• 1 cup Sliced Snow Peas (each pea sliced into thirds)
• 1 Jalapeño Pepper, diced (optional)
• Juice of Half a Lemon
• Fresh Chopped Parsley

Instructions

1

Start by cooking 4-5 strips of chopped bacon in a Dutch oven or other large pot. When the bacon is slightly crisp and browned, transfer it to a paper towel-lined plate with a slotted spoon or spider skimmer, leaving the accumulated bacon fat behind.

2

Turn the heat up under the pot with the reserved bacon fat and stir the minced thyme and bay leaf into the bacon fat. Stir and sauté the herbs for about 30 seconds. Then add half of the chopped cauliflower. Season with a pinch of kosher salt and about 1/4 teaspoon of fresh cracked black pepper. Add the two bottles of clam juice.

3

Bring the mixture to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and let the cauliflower cook until falls apart when poked with a fork. About 10 minutes. Cut the heat and remove the bay leaf. Let the mixture cool for about 10 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a blender and blend until smooth.

4

Add the cauliflower puree back to the pot and turn the heat up to medium-high. Pour in the remaining 1 bottle of clam juice and 1 cup of water. Then add the potatoes. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat, cover and reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer until the potatoes are just tender, about 10-15 minutes.

5

When the potatoes are just tender, stir the cauliflower florets into the soup. Stir and season with a pinch of kosher salt. Then Submerge the cod pieces in the soup. Bring to a simmer over medium-high, then cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for 5-8 minutes, until the cod flakes easily with a fork.

6

Now, gently stir in the frozen corn, fresh chopped spinach and sliced snow peas. Very gently stir and cook just until the spinach is wilted. Cut the heat.

7

Off heat, add the diced jalapeño (if using), and stir in the juice of half a lemon. Taste the chowder and season with more kosher salt if needed.

8

Sprinkle individual servings with fresh chopped parsley and bacon pieces.

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