With a smooth and creamy cashew base, this Dairy-Free Seafood Chowder is sure to satisfy your seafood chowder craving! It has chunks of potatoes, carrots and celery, along with a generous amount of scallops, salmon and shrimp, which all sit in a thick and savoury broth. One bowl makes a filling meal!
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It's been unseasonably cold here so far this winter. So along with my plans to hibernate in the house until April, I've been craving all the warm comfort food I can get. Today's recipe for Dairy-Free Seafood Chowder is a warming soup that is also a hearty meal!
I haven't always been drawn to seafood chowders. But somewhere along the way, it became one of my go-to appetizers to order whenever we dined out. There is something about the creamy texture and the chunks of seafood that is so tasty and satisfying.
Dairy, however, has become my enemy in recent years. And cream based soups, which are just so darn good, have become pretty much off-limits. So my creamy soups either have puréed veggies as their creamy base, or a non-dairy milk like coconut or almond milk.
But if you recall my obsession with cashews lately (hello, creamy cashew onion herb dip!), you know where this recipe is headed.
I added puréed cashews as the cream base, and it worked out perfectly. It added the texture and consistency you would expect in a chowder, and even re-heats beautifully in the microwave.
Needless to say, I'm pretty much in love with this seafood chowder. I've made two batches in the last week, and after I finish every bowl, I proclaim my love for it as if it was the first time I tried it! (I'm pretty sure I've startled my husband a few times when I do this!)
And it's pretty easy to make too. In about an hour you can have this cozy goodness prepped for your weekday dinners!
Recipe tips
- Soaking the cashews is key for that creamy texture, so don't skip this step. While I soak them in hot water for a short amount of time, you can also soak them in cold water over night and get the same result.
- This recipe calls for fresh bay leaves and thyme, but you can also use dried herbs. If you use dried bay leaves, just double the amount. However, if you use dried thyme, you will want to reduce the amount to one-third. I've included the quantities for both fresh and dried herbs in the recipe.
- I used no-salt added chicken broth because I like to control the amount of sodium in my recipes. If you use regular broth or reduced-sodium broth, you may want to reduce the amount of salt you add to the chowder.
If you make this recipe, I'd love to hear what you think in the comments below!
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Dairy-Free Seafood Chowder
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw cashews
- 1 cup hot water
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 3 cloves garlic, minced or chopped
- 1 medium-sized onion, chopped
- 2 cups chopped carrot
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 1 ½ cups baby potatoes, halved
- 4 cups no-salt added chicken broth
- 4 fresh bay leaves, (or 8 dried bay leaves)
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)
- ½ + ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- ¼ + ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper, divided
- 2 cups chopped/cubed salmon, uncooked
- 2 cups shrimp, uncooked, peeled, deveined and tails removed
- 1 cup scallops, uncooked
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- In a glass jar or dish, add the cashews and hot water. Cover and let soak for 30 minutes. (Use this time to prep the other ingredients).
- In a medium-sized pot or dutch oven, heat up one tablespoon of oil on medium-heat and add the garlic and onion. Reduce heat and sauté on low for 8-10 minutes. Add the carrots and celery and sauté for 5 minutes. Lastly, add the potatoes and sauté for another 5 minutes. During this process, stir the veggies frequently so they don't burn onto the bottom of the pot.
- Add the broth, bay leaves, thyme, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper and stir to combine. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let veggies cook for 10 minutes.
- While the veggies are cooking, prepare the seafood. In a frying pan or cast iron skillet, heat up the remaining tablespoon of oil on medium-heat. Add in the salmon, shrimp and scallops and sprinkle on the smoked paprika, garlic powder and remaining salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low and cook for about 15 minutes, or until the seafood is cooked through.
- While the seafood is cooking, add the cashews and water to a blender, and blend on high until smooth and creamy.
- Once the veggies have cooked for 10 minutes, pour the cashew cream into the pot and stir until combined. Add in the cooked seafood and stir to combine. Cover and let simmer for 5 minutes.
- Remove the bay leaves and serve immediately, or store in an airtight glass dish in the fridge and enjoy within 3 days.
Notes
- This recipe calls for no-salt added chicken broth. If you use regular or reduced-sodium broth, consider reducing the amount of salt you add to the recipe.
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Nutrition Facts per Serving
Disclaimer
Nutrition information is an estimate only and will vary depending on the substitutions made and the brands used.
Did you make this recipe or have any questions?
I love reading your comments and addressing your questions, so please leave your comments and ratings or questions below!
Tom says
Wow! Just as satisfying as a cream and butter based chowder - what a surprise! The cashews (roasted, unsalted) puree-ed into a lovely thick "cream" that was just right for thickening the 4 cups of broth - it really tastes like it has butter in it. The mirepoix with potatoes and herbs make it kinda stew-like, and man! is it ever a comfort-food dish. Good job! And I live in Gloucester, Massachusetts, and Love my Chowdas! Can't wait to see my friend's face tomorrow at lunch when I tell him No Dairy!
Leanne says
Hi Tom! I'm so glad you enjoyed the chowder. Thank you for letting me know and for your kind review!
Kristin says
This recipe is amazing. I just came back from the Maine Coast and had chowder envy. I made this dairy-free recipe on my first day home. It pleased my dairy eaters, too. I added some dry white wine to the broth. Thank you!
Leanne says
Thanks Kristin! I'm so glad you enjoyed the chowder. I definitely need to try adding dry white wine the next time I make it!
Beverly Broz says
After innocently purchasing 6 pounds of stock fish I decided I needed to make chowder. BUT I have a gluten free and a dairy free need in recipes. I found your recipe and loved the ratio of veggies to potatoes. It is a winner! Everyone loved it. Thanks for a great recipe. I too will try the white wine.
Leanne says
Hi Beverly! I'm so glad you enjoyed the chowder recipe. Thanks for letting me know!
Sherri Wagner says
Oh thank you for this delicious dairy free chowder recipe!! I'm always
the one left out of enjoying the chowders, bisques and creamy soups. Finally something so.delicious for me!!
I used almond milk this time...but will definately try the cashew next time.
Leanne says
Hi Sherri! I'm so glad you enjoyed the chowder. Thanks for letting me know!
JT says
I first left a comment on one of your amazing muffin recipes, but I actually first found your site through *this* recipe. I'm not much one for commenting usually but this chowder is so incredibly good that I thought it would be criminally unfair if I didn't at least say something here also.
I have a small rotation/collection of a few dairy-free chowder recipes, and I've added this one...the newest but already maybe the best. Your choice of ingredients is consistently excellent, very healthy and natural. And in this case they also add up to a fantastic chowder. (I also live in the Atlantics myself so I've grown up knowing how to distinguish great chowder! 🙂 ) A really well-designed delicious recipe, thank you.
Leanne says
Thanks so much JT! I'm glad you've been enjoying the chowder recipe and I really appreciate you taking the time to leave a comment!
Bee says
Prepared this chowder today and it tastes delicious! The only substitutions were low sodium fish stock instead of chicken stock and roasted unsalted cashews instead of raw. I only added a small amount of salt while sauteing the fish since the broth wasn't completely unsalted and it was perfect. Thanks so much I'm definitely adding this to my rotation!
Leanne says
Hi Bee! I'm so glad you enjoyed the chowder. Thank you for your feedback and for sharing your substitutions!
Florence Bedard says
Soo!! Gooood 😊
Leanne says
So happy to hear that!
Liz says
Made this today and loved it. I only added cod and shrimp as I had those on hand and needed to be used up. I didn’t precook them either, just threw them in at the end to cook. Definitely going to be in my rotation, love it and such a easy one to throw together. It’s better than others I’ve tried that use some sort of nut milk to get the creaminess. Thank you!
Leanne says
Hi Liz! That's so great to hear. I'm glad you enjoyed the chowder! Thanks for letting me know.
Tameka says
This was awesome! I changed it up a little by using seafood stock instead of chicken broth, seafood medley (shrimp, calamari, scallops and mussels) instead of just salmon, shrimp and scallops. I added Old Bay seafood seasoning in the end to pack it with more flavor. Next time, I will add salmon. Can’t wait to eat it again tomorrow!
Leanne says
Hi Tameka! Thanks so much for sharing your substitutions. Old bay seasoning sounds like a nice addition. I'm happy to hear you enjoyed the chowder!
Maureen says
I was going to make this chowder for Christmas Eve and wondered if unsalted roasted cashews would work?
Leanne says
Hi Maureen! I haven't tried this recipe with roasted cashews. I think the texture would be the same as raw cashews but the flavour might not be the same. Raw cashews add as subtle sweet flavour, whereas roasted cashews might add a smokey flavour. If you try it, please let me know how it goes!
Maureen says
Thank you! I bought some raw cashews as I didn’t want to risk it! I am originally from Nova Scotia so grew up with dairy-based chowder. I can no longer tolerate dairy so was very excited to see this version! I might experiment down the road with the roasted cashews and if I do, I will let you know how it turns out.
Leanne says
Looking forward to hearing how it turns out! Thanks Maureen!
Florence Bedard says
Very good soup!! Thank you
Leanne says
Thank you! Happy you enjoyed it!
Heather says
This is AAAmazing! Used scallops and salmon. Added frozen corn and bacon.
Leanne says
I'm so glad you enjoyed the chowder. Adding corn and bacon sounds delicious!
Christina Flynn says
Made this for my family today and it was a hit. I put 4 kinds of seafood in it, doubled my recipe. More than enough and some for lunch and some to share. Thank you!
Leanne says
I'm so happy everyone enjoyed it! Thanks for letting me know!
Shauna says
Wow! This was FANTASTIC! Thank you for posting such an awesome recipe.
I used -
seafood broth (homemade) instead of chicken broth
a can of baby clams, white fish, and scallops (since salmon isn't a family fav here)
This recipe is so versatile too. Chicken chowder anyway? or maybe turkey?
Many thanks from northern ontario, Canada
Leanne says
Hi Shauna! I'm so happy you enjoyed the chowder. And thanks for letting me know about the substitutions you made. I like the way you think. Chicken or turkey chowder sounds delicious to me 😉 Stay well and safe in Northern Ontario!
Megan says
Could I use cod and canned clams for this as that is what I have on hand? Maybe some bacon as a garnish? Thoughts?
Leanne says
Hi Megan! I've never tried cod or canned clams in this chowder, but I think substituting the salmon for cod could totally work. If the canned clams are already cooked, I would just add them to the chowder towards the end of the cook time. And I think garnishing with bacon is a great idea. If you try this recipe with the substitutions, please let me know how it goes. Thanks!
Sabrina says
Can I freeze this if I double it? Very excited to try this recipe!
Leanne says
Hi Sabrina. I'm so happy you're excited to try it. I don't recommend freezing this soup. I've tested it and the creamy texture separates a bit and the potatoes get too mushy. Please let me know what you think if you make it!
Joanne says
Made the chowder for my family and they loved it. Thanks so much for your wonderful recipe.
Leanne says
Thanks for the feedback Joanne! I'm so happy your family enjoyed it!
Kelly Neil says
Holy mackerel, I'm not dairy-free (yet) but I'm 99% sure dairy wreaks havoc with my skin. 🙁 I didn't eat fish until I was in my late 20s and now I love chowder! I also love the look of the cashew base. Thanks for sharing!!
Leanne says
Thanks Kelly! I don't react well to dairy either and I was definitely in my 20s before I appreciated seafood!
Terri Gilson says
Perfect dinner for us, as my daughter has recently had some issues with dairy! So delicious-looking!
Leanne says
Thanks Terri! Hope you get to try it!