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low carb clam chowder

Low Carb Clam Chowder

When it comes to chowders I like mine thick so I zhuzhed an old recipe to create a low carb clam chowder.  Because I wanted a little color, my clam chowder is a fusion of a New England and Manhattan chowder since I added a diced carrot.  

Of course there are many ways to enjoy chowder.  Whether it’s thick or thin, has a creamy, clear or red broth you can find one that fits your taste buds.  Chowders are pretty easy to make.   And if you’re not a fan of things with a fishy taste, the heavy whipping cream smoothes out the flavor.  

Because this was a soup I had pre keto, I almost forgot it.  However thanks to a google search of top 10 soups I was immediately reminded of some old school favorites.  

Now when I think of chowder, I also think of oyster crackers.  So naturally I had to whip up a batch to go with my soup.  I wanted the cracker to be crisp and not too big so I used the cap from some bottled water.  Next time I’ll try a bottle cap from some coke zero so I can get those nice rounded edges.  As it turns out, I really like the cracker as a snack.  So, I made two different types, plain and savory to go with this low carb clam chowder.    When you have some time give my pumpkin sausage soup a try.

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Low Carb Clam Chowder

  • Author: Andie Cumber
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: 4 bowls
  • Category: Low Carb

Ingredients

Chowder Ingredients
2 (6.5 ounce) cans chopped clams in clam juice (separate the juice from the clams)
4 slices bacon (diced)
2 cups chicken broth
2 tbsp olive oil
½ cup chopped scallions
2 garlic cloves minced
¾ cup heavy whipping cream
2 bay leaves
3 cups cauliflower florets
½ tsp ground thyme
½ tsp guar gum powder
2 stalks of celery chopped
1/2 carrot diced
Freshly ground black pepper and kosher salt to taste
Parsley for garnish

Cracker Ingredients
¾ cup almond flour
½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp of monkfruit granular sweetener
1 ½ tsp of cold salted butter
2 tbsp of cold water
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp onion powder

Instructions

Chowder Directions

  • Bring to a boil about 3 quarts of water in a saucepan then blanch the cauliflower florets for 8 minutes. Drain and set aside.
  • While the cauliflower is blanching, cook the 4 slices of bacon until done but not crispy.
  • Warm up the olive oil in a pot or dutch oven and saute the scallions, garlic, celery and diced carrot until soft, about 2-3 minutes then add the thyme.
  • Whisk the chicken broth, the clam juice, bay leaves guar gum powder and whisking for about 2 minutes.
  • Add the clams, heavy whipping cream, and cauliflower then bring to boil.  Once it’s boiling reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 15 minutes
  • Season with freshly ground pepper and kosher salt to your liking.
  • Garnish with parsley and bacon.

 

Cracker directions

  • Preheat the oven to 375°F
  • In a medium size bowl mix together the almond flour, baking powder, monkfruit, garlic powder and onion powder.
  • Cut in the cold butter with a pastry cutter until the dough is crumbly.  Add the water a little at a time, mixing until the dough becomes firm.  You can always add more almond flour if you get too heavy handed on the water.
  • Form the dough into a ball and roll out between two sheets of parchment paper to ¼ inch thick.  Cut the crackers with a bottle top or into squares.  For decoration, pierce the dough with a toothpick.
  • Bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.

Notes

Another option frozen clam chowder and 8 ounces of clam juice.

*The nutritional information included is for the clam chowder only

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 bowl
  • Calories: 300
  • Sugar: 3g
  • Sodium: 640 mg
  • Fat: 21g
  • Saturated Fat: 11g
  • Unsaturated Fat: 2g
  • Carbohydrates: 5g net
  • Fiber: 3g
  • Protein: 8g
  • Cholesterol: 68mg

Keywords: soup, clams, clam chowder, low carb