New England Mushroom Chowder

One of my favorite soups of all time has always been New England clam chowder, so much that I brought it for lunch in elementary school pretty much every day. From a can, no less, *cue barf noises* but it was cheap and we can’t forget the fact that I’m a product of the 90s where convenience was everything. However, my mom always made really good food, so for now I’m just going to blame canned clam chowder on the decade.

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 35 minutes

Serves: 6

INGREDIENTS

For the “clams”

• 1 large lion’s mane mushroom or 8 oz. container baby bellas, roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp vegan butter

For the soup

• 1 white onion, diced
• 3 carrots, peeled and cut into coins
• 3 celery stalks, small dice
• 2 C fresh or frozen corn kernels
• 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 3 medium russet potatoes, cut into bite sized pieces
• 2 tbsp vegan butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 C vegan white wine
• 4 C veggie broth
• 1 16 oz can coconut cream (not milk!)
• 1 C soy milk
• 2 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp celery seed
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp kelp powder (optional)
• 2 tbsp flour (all-purpose or GF)
• Salt and pepper to taste

PREPARATION

1. Heat 2 tbsp vegan butter in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Once hot, add mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Sauté for four minutes or until all liquid has evaporated. Remove from pot and set aside.
2. Heat remaining butter + olive oil over medium high heat in the same pot that you just removed the mushrooms from. Add onions, carrots and celery, sautéing for five minutes. Next add garlic and cook for another two minutes, stirring frequently to ensure it doesn’t burn…burnt garlic can easily ruin a great soup!
3. Next, add the corn and potatoes and sprinkle with flour. Stir for two minutes to incorporate it with the butter, making a lazy person’s roux.
4. Throw in the broth, bay leaves, thyme, celery seed and kelp powder. Stir it well, and allow it to simmer at medium heat for about 15 to 20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.
5. Stir in the mushrooms, discard the bay leaves, and incorporate both the soy milk and coconut cream. Allow the soup to heat up for 5 minutes, then serve. You can serve the soup unadulterated, or you can do like I did and serve it with croutons. Oyster crackers pair well, and contrary to the name, no oysters were harmed in the making of the crackers.

And that’s that. If you make this or any other recipes featured here, use #killertofublog on social media!

Author: Amanda Spinosa

Amanda Spinosa is a vegan illustrator, animal rights advocate and mother to two adopted dogs, Ludo and Sasha. She is born and raised in the Hudson Valley of New York where she spends much of her time hiking, foraging, experimenting with plant-based recipes and volunteering at the Woodstock Farm Sanctuary. Amanda is also an avid gardener and grows her own food during the summer months. View all posts by Amanda Spinosa