Ingredients
The following ingredients have 4 Servings
- 4 strips of bacon, 5 ounces, thinly sliced
- 1 cup diced onion, 1/4″, 1/2 medium onion
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 cup thinly sliced celery, 2 stalks
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 – 10 ounce can clams, juices drained and reserved
- 1 – 8 ounce bottle clam juice
- 1 cup chicken stock, I used my homemade unsalted recipe
- 5 cups cubed potatoes 1″, 1 1/2 pounds
- 1 cup coconut cream, see notes
- Sea salt and pepper to taste, see notes
Instruction
- Place a large pot over medium heat, and when the pan is hot, add the bacon. Sauté until the bacon renders it’s fat and is crispy.
- Scoop out the bacon bits and set them aside. Pour out some of the bacon fat if there’s too much, you’ll need around 2-3 tablespoons in the pan.
- Add the onion, garlic, and celery to the pan. Sauté over medium low temperature until the onion begins to turn translucent and is soft.
- Add the thyme, stir to combine, then add the bay leaf, reserved juice from the clams, the bottle of clam juice, and the chicken stock.
- Stir to combine again, then add the potatoes and bacon bits. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to maintain a simmer. Cook until the potatoes are tender, 15-20 minutes. When the potatoes are done, remove the bay leaf.
- Then using a ladle, scoop out 2 cups of the cooked potatoes, draining off excess liquid, and add them to a blender. Don’t worry about spooning out the other ingredients with the potatoes, this won’t matter.
- Add the coconut cream to the blender with the potatoes, then blend on low speed just until the potatoes are mostly smooth.
- Add the potato/coconut cream mixture back to the chowder and stir to combine. Turn the heat off and add the clams. Stir again, then season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Serve immediately. Any leftovers reheat well on the stove top. This soup doesn’t freeze super well because the potatoes tend to come out with a mushy texture.
