Rich & Creamy Mushroom “Clam” Chowder

This post is sponsored by Silk. This year, I’m partnering with Silk to create and share monthly ideas and recipes celebrating an Earth-friendly, plant-based diet and life – something I’m personally moving more and more toward.

Recently I was checking out at a recipe for potato chowder, and I noticed it started with a roux base (basically butter plus flour, which, when cooked with a liquid, thickens the liquid up). And I found myself thinking, why? I mean, can’t you just puree some of the potatoes, and voila, creamy base? That’s pretty much what I do here and here and the result is pretty delicious if I do say so myself.

But then I kept thinking about it. (Leave it to a food blogger to obsess over roux.) And then I started thinking about creating a vegan clam chowder recipe, and, sure enough, I found that many clam chowder recipes start with roux.

So, I said, fine. I’ll try it! Yes, this recipe starts with 1/4 cup of olive oil. And I know it seems like a crazy amount (for some reason, half a stick of butter doesn’t seem quite as nuts, but the same quantity of olive oil is like WHAT). But trust me, because that olive oil? And then, a few minutes later, the flour? That’s what helps make this soup unbelievably thick, rich, and velvety. Basically now, I’m stuck on roux. I love roux. I’ll never let roux go.

You get the picture.

This Rich & Creamy Mushroom “Clam” Chowder starts with olive oil and ends with Silk soymilk – plant-based through and through. While I don’t think it tastes exactly like clam chowder – it is missing a “sea” element – for me, it provides the experience I’ve been missing since I stopped eating seafood. I. LOVE. this chowder.

I did toy with the idea of adding kombu, a type of dried seaweed, to the mix for more clam-like flavor, but ultimately I decided that I loved this vegan clam chowder recipe exactly the way it is – no extra ingredients needed.

Rich, creamy, pure comfort, the perfect foil for a handful (or three) of oyster crackers.

Oh, roux!

Prep: 15 mins

Cook: 30 mins

Total: 45 mins

Rich & Creamy Mushroom "Clam" Chowder

5 from 1 vote

Button mushrooms and oyster mushrooms are the "clams" in this vegan clam chowder recipe. This soup is velvety-thick, hearty, and so full of flavor you'll never miss the seafood.

Print Pin Rate

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion (diced (about 2 cups))
• 2 medium carrots (peeled and diced (about 1 cup))
• 2 stalks celery (diced (about 1 cup))
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme or 5-6 fresh thyme stems
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt + more to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper + more to taste
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• 2 cups Yukon Gold potatoes (washed and cut into 1/2-inch dice (about 1 pound))
• 6 ounces white button mushrooms (chopped (about 2 cups))
• 3 ounces oyster mushrooms (chopped (about 1 cup))
• 1 cup Silk® Unsweetened Soymilk
• 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar

Optional garnishes:

• Fresh parsley
• Oyster crackers
• Sliced button mushrooms

Instructions

• Set a large saucepan or medium soup pot over medium heat. Add the olive oil. When hot, add the onions, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 8 minutes. Add dried thyme (if using fresh, wait until you add the broth to add the fresh thyme), 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes.
• Slowly drizzle in the vegetable broth, stirring to lift the brown bits. Add the potatoes, mushrooms, and if using fresh thyme, add it now. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.
• Remove soup from heat and remove the lid. Let cool a bit. If you used fresh thyme, remove the stems. Remove 4 cups of soup from the pot (I ladle it into a large 4-cup liquid measuring cup). Pour the 4 cups of soup into the pitcher of a blender (or you can puree it with an immersion blender).
• Return pureed soup to the pot and stir to combine. Add soymilk. Return to a simmer. Stir in red wine vinegar. Taste and add additional salt and pepper if desired.
• Ladle into soup bowls and garnish with parsley, oyster crackers, and/or sliced button mushrooms if desired.

Find Silk in stores and sign up for Silk’s email newsletter for great coupons and giveaways.