Name: Light New England Clam Chowder {Dairy Free & Gluten Free}
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons oil or butter; 6 slices turkey bacon (diced); 1 clove garlic (minced); 1 cup sliced celery; 1 cup chopped onion; 4 cups diced potatoes (peeled); 1 cup water or vegetable broth; 1 8 ounce bottle clam juice; 1/2 teaspoon white pepper; 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme; 1 bay leaf; 2 tablespoons cornstarch; 3 6.5 ounces cans chopped or minced clams in juice, undrained; 2 cups almond milk (unsweetened or half and half); fresh chopped parsley (fresh chopped chives); optional: Gluten Free Garlic Parmesan Croutons

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New England clam chowder is the ultimate comfort food, especially in the winter! Making it at home ensures you can eliminate fattening ingredients and still enjoy a delicious bowl of chow-dah, as New Englanders like to pronounce it!

Healthy clam chowder tastes just as good and it's not as hard as you would think to make it. Using minced clams in a can may not be the first choice for some when making it, but as a mom whose busy with kiddies, it's the easiest choice!

Since I have a wonderful sweet friend who recently moved to Maine I purchased Bar Harbor ( "Bah-Hah-ba" as she would pronounce them 🙂 ) canned chopped clams in juice. I found them at Whole Foods.

Typically salt pork would be the preferred choice of my husband who's grandmother would make it with that. Regular bacon can also be used in place of salt pork. But obviously I wanted to try it with turkey bacon and must share that the family and picky hubby still absolutely loved it!

You can top yours with oysters crackers or in less than five minutes make your own croutons! Here's my recipe the family loved: Gluten Free Garlic Parmesan Croutons!

Being dairy intolerant/sensitive made me really sad since I love chowder. The last time I tried to have it out at a restaurant over the summer with my family, will be the last. The stomach pains I endured from one small bowl are not worth it. So for now I will make this.

You can of course use half and half in place of the almond milk I used and that's why I've given you the nutrition info both ways. Other options would be with soy milk, rice milk or coconut milk. I really didn't want the flavor of coconut in my chowder and felt the almond milk was the best choice here. May not be as creamy as using half and half, but it certainly is the best dairy free chowder I've ever had and I'm sticking with it!

Using Half & Half:

Servings: 10 cups* Calories per cup: 190* Fat: 10g* Cholesterol: 33mg* Sodium: 354mg* Carbs: 22g* Fiber: 2g* Sugars: 2g* Protein: 4g* Points+: 5*

*Adapted from Taste of Home

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Light New England Clam Chowder {Dairy Free & Gluten Free}

Prep Time10

Cook Time25

Total Time35

Servings:

Calories: 135kcal

Author: Brenda Bennett

Ingredients

2 tablespoons oil or butter
6 slices turkey bacon diced
1 clove garlic minced
1 cup sliced celery
1 cup chopped onion
4 cups diced potatoes peeled
1 cup water or vegetable broth
1 8 ounce bottle clam juice
½ teaspoon white pepper
¼ teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons cornstarch
3 6.5 ounces cans chopped or minced clams in juice, undrained
2 cups almond milk unsweetened or half and half
fresh chopped parsley fresh chopped chives
optional: Gluten Free Garlic Parmesan Croutons

Instructions

In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, melt butter and cook bacon until crisp.
Add garlic, celery and onion and cook until tender.
Stir in potatoes, water or broth, clam juice, pepper thyme and bay leaf.
Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer for 20-25 minutes, uncovered, until potatoes are tender.
In a small bowl mix cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of water.
Add to potatoes and cook 1-2 minutes.
Pour in clams in juice and continue to simmer for 2 minutes.
Remove bay leaf.
Pour in almond milk or half and half and simmer for 3-5 minutes until heated through.
Top with fresh parsley and chives. Serve with croutons!

Notes

Weight Watchers PointsPlus: 4*

Nutrition

Tried this recipe?Mention @sugarfreemom and tag #sugarfreemom, I'd love to see your dish!

About Brenda

Brenda Bennett is a certified Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, certified Sugar Detox Coach, certified Keto Coach and certified Life Coach. She has been Sugar Free & Refined carb free for 17 years and has written 2 cookbooks, Sugar-Free Mom, and Naturally Keto and her 3rd book The 30-Day Sugar Elimination Diet, is a four part program to help you detox from sugar, eliminate cravings, balance blood sugar and lose weight all while eating a delicious, nutrient dense whole foods. Meal plan offers two tracks to follow, low carb or keto. She is the founder of the Sugar Free Fresh Start course and Sugar Free Tribe weight loss membership. Learn more.

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