Gluten Free, Dairy free clam Chowder

Robby asked me to make clam chowder not long ago, sounds easy enough right? Well……easier said than done when it really needed to be dairy free as well. Although he can have some dairy most soups include much more than he can have. Needless to say Pinterest came to the rescue. Robby and my Dad really enjoyed this dish BUT although Jim liked it he did not care for all the veggies in the soup. Jim just wanted the clams and potatoes but this can easily be adjusted to Jim’s liking too! I enjoyed this dish as it’s made in the slow cooker, so simple!

INGREDIENTS

1 1/4 cups vegetable broth
3 lbs. red potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1 inch pieces
2 cups carrots, peeled and chopped into 1 inch pieces
2 cups celery , peeled and chopped into 1 inch pieces
8 ounces clam juice
2 cans 6.5 ounce minced clams
10 ounces whole clams, drained
2 bay leaves
Salt and pepper to taste
1 Tablespoon garlic powder
1 Tablespoon onion powder
2 Tablespoons parsley
2 Tablespoons dry thyme
4 Tablespoons Earth Balance butter
1 cup vidalia onion, chopped
3 Tablespoons gluten free flour for thickening
14.5 ounce can of unsweetened coconut cream

DIRECTIONS

Turn slow cooker on high. Add the vegetable broth, clam juice, diced potatoes, diced carrots and celery into the slow cooker. Add salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, bay leaves, thyme and parsley. Stir to mix. Cover the slow cooker and cook on high for 2 hours.

In a large skillet melt the butter in the pan add the chopped onions and cook for a couple minutes on medium high. Whisk in the gluten free flour and stir for a couple minutes. Slowly add the coconut cream and cook until the mixture is thick and well incorporated. Pour the coconut cream mixture into the slow cooker. Add the whole and minced clams and gently stir. Set the crockpot to warm. It’s ready to eat when vegetables are fork tender.
Serve warm with a dash of hot sauce if desired.

Enjoy!

Anne