It’s Lent right now and that’s pretty much my favorite time of the year. As a mostly vegetarian, sometimes fish eater, every Catholic on the planet eats like me on Fridays. It’s the only time of year where my obnoxious restaurant questions can be excused and menu items are specifically tailored to my diet. One of my favorite things is clam chowder (when they don’t ruin it with bacon!).
I wanted to make a vegetarian/vegan version of this hearty soup. Oyster mushrooms naturally have an oceany favor, thus the name, plus kelp granules and Old Bay seasoning reinforces the flavor. I left the soup a little less clammy and more potato-y simply because that’s how I like it. If you get too many oyster mushrooms, the flavor gets really overwhelming. If you don’t have Old Bay seasoning, feel free to borrow mine. I needed it for a recipe a while ago and could only find a one pound can of it at the store. I could season everything I eat with Old Bay for a year and never use all of this, so if you really need some or have a suggestion of tasty ways to use it up – please let me know!
2 large Yukon potatoes, peeled and chopped into ½” pieces
1 large carrot
1 stalk celery
3 oz oyster mushrooms, cleaned (no substitutions)
½ yellow onion
1 bay leaf
½ – 1 tsp kelp granules
½ – 1 tsp Old Bay seasoning
¾ c unsweetened almond milk or other milk
Salt
Pepper
Instructions
Using a large pot, bring potatoes in 3 c broth (or enough broth to just barely cover potatoes) to a light boil. Cook until potatoes are very tender. Pour out about half of the remaining liquid. Use an immersion blender or hand mash/stir until the remaining broth is velvety with potato but there are still many potato chunks remaining.
Chop carrot, celery, and onion. Saute in a nonstick pan with a thin layer of broth and bay leaf, replenishing broth as needed. After vegetables begin to soften, roughly chop mushrooms, sprinkle with ½ tsp kelp and Old Bay. Add to veggies.
Once vegetables are as soft as you’d like, discard the bay leaf and add the veggies to the potatoes. Stir together and add almond milk. Add additional kelp granules or Old Bay, as desired as well as salt and pepper to taste.
Notes
You can find kelp granules at Whole Foods or most health stores.
I LOVE chowder! Chowder, chowder, chowder! And the funny thing about this love, is I’ve never liked clam chowder! This recipe is juuust perfect to comfort my belly on a cold winter’s day!
Kelly Mar 08, 2013
I think I mostly just like the creamy potato-y aspects of clam chowder, which is probably why I made mine super potato-y.
I had a corn chowder recipe fail earlier this week. Your chowder looks like it turned out MUCH better than mine lol. I’ve never used Old Bay spice. I’ll have to buy some and try it out.
Kelly Mar 08, 2013
Oh no! I love corn chowder so much, but it does look like it’d be kind of hard to make.
OOoooo this looks awesome and SUPER easy to make! I actually bookmarked the recipe before I even read the ingredients list/directions. That is how you know that a soup sounds delicious and that your foodie pictures are great! 😉
Kelly Mar 08, 2013
Ha, thanks! That makes me feel pretty awesome. Josh is the food photographer around these parts, and I know it will make his day to hear your compliments on his photos 🙂
This looks like an awesome, comforting meal for a winter’s night! Your blog looks great and love the name! 🙂 Nice work!
Thanks! The blog’s appearance is still a work in progress, I’m pretty new at this, so I’m glady ou like it!
This look wonderful. Love that it’s vegan too. 🙂
This looks delicious! Easy and healthy. Chowders are such good comfort food!
You are so great at reinventing meals and making them vegan! This looks packed with flavor, creamy and comforting!
I would love a big bowl of this right now! It’s snowy and cold where I am at right now, so this just looks like the perfect dish. 🙂
Being from New England I LOVE Chowder! Can’t wait to try this.
I LOVE chowder! Chowder, chowder, chowder! And the funny thing about this love, is I’ve never liked clam chowder! This recipe is juuust perfect to comfort my belly on a cold winter’s day!
I think I mostly just like the creamy potato-y aspects of clam chowder, which is probably why I made mine super potato-y.
I had a corn chowder recipe fail earlier this week. Your chowder looks like it turned out MUCH better than mine lol. I’ve never used Old Bay spice. I’ll have to buy some and try it out.
Oh no! I love corn chowder so much, but it does look like it’d be kind of hard to make.
OOoooo this looks awesome and SUPER easy to make! I actually bookmarked the recipe before I even read the ingredients list/directions. That is how you know that a soup sounds delicious and that your foodie pictures are great! 😉
Ha, thanks! That makes me feel pretty awesome. Josh is the food photographer around these parts, and I know it will make his day to hear your compliments on his photos 🙂