Vegetable Chowder is the perfect blend of cozy and nutritious. As vegetable soup recipes go, this one is super satisfying. Add in the almond flour biscuits and you'll have a new family favorite!
Have you ever tried using cashew cream?
Stay with me. It may sound weird if you haven't tried it, but it adds the creamiest texture to soups without any dairy. Bonus? It could not be simpler to make!
All you have to do is soak some raw cashews in hot water and then blend. Then you have all of the creaminess of a cozy bowl of chowder without any of the heaviness. Trust me on this one.
The other star of this recipe is definitely the almond flour biscuits. They come together easily and make the whole meal so satisfying.
I hope you love this one!
Vegetable Chowder
Ingredients
Cashew Cream
- 3/4 cup raw cashews
Vegetable Chowder
- 2 T olive oil
- 1 yellow onion
- 3 medium carrots
- 2 stalks celery
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 cups green beans
- 2 red potatoes
- 15 oz white beans
- 40 oz vegetable broth*
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- cashew cream
Almond Flour Biscuits
- 2 eggs (omega-3, room temperature)
- 2 1/2 cups almond flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
Instructions
For the Cashew Cream
- Bring 1/2 cup water to a boil in kettle or small pot on stovetop.
- Pour boiling water over 3/4 cup raw cashews and allow to sit for 30 minutes to an hour.
- In a blender, combine 3/4 cup soaked cashews with ~1/4 cup soaking water. Blend until creamy. Set aside.
For the Vegetable Chowder
- Chop 1 onion and 2 garlic cloves.
- Dice 3 medium carrots, 2 stalks celery and 2 red potatoes.
- In large pot, heat 2 T olive oil over medium heat.
- Sauté 1 chopped onion, 3 diced carrots, 2 stalks diced celery and 2 chopped garlic cloves for 8-10 minutes, until softened.
- Add 2 diced potatoes, 2 cups chopped green beans, 15 oz drained white beans, 40 oz vegetable broth, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper and 1/2 tsp thyme. Simmer for 20 minutes, or until potatoes are cooked.
- Stir in cashew cream, add salt if needed, and serve.
For the Almond Flour Biscuits
- Preheat oven to 375 F
- In a large bowl, whisk 2 room temperature eggs.
- Stir in the following: 2 ½ cups almond flour, 1 tsp baking soda and ½ tsp salt
- Stir in ¼ cup coconut oil until well combined (oil should be liquid, if it’s not liquid, melt and cool as it shouldn’t be “hot.”)
- Drop by 1 T onto baking sheet brushed with oil.
- Bake for 13-15 minutes.
- Yields ~20 biscuits.
Notes
What is the nutrition like in this Vegetable Chowder?
- Cashews: While generally thought of as nuts, cashews are actually seeds. They're rich in copper, magnesium and manganese. These nutrients are good for bone health, brain health and immunity. Cashews are also high in antioxidants and may benefit weight loss efforts, blood sugar levels and heart health.
- Onion: Onions are a simple and budget friendly way to add a major antioxidant boost to your diet. Onions also have vitamin C, vitamin B6, folate and potassium.
- Carrots: Both budget and kid-friendly, carrots are full of fiber, vitamin A, vitamin K, potassium and vitamin B6. As a result, they’re great for eye health, lowering cholesterol, and reducing cancer risk.
- Celery: It's probably most famous for being a low calorie food, but celery is so much more than that! It offers vitamin A, vitamin K, vitamin C, beta carotene and plenty of antioxidants. Celery also may reduce inflammation and support the digestive tract. Make sure to eat the leaves too, they're full of vitamins!
- Garlic: Garlic has been used in homeopathic remedies for thousands of years and is thought to reduce the risk of heart disease, high cholesterol and some types of cancer.
- Green Beans: High in fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C and Calcium, green beans are great for your heart and immune system.
- Red Potatoes: They get a bad rap sometimes, but the reason potatoes are considered unhealthy by some has much more to do with preparation than nutritional content. Sure french fries won't make the cut for superfoods, but neither would deep fried brussels sprouts…. Cooked in a healthy way, potatoes can be quite a nutritious side. They offer vitamin C, vitamin B6, potassium, manganese and antioxidants. Much of the vitamin content is in the peel, so make sure to leave the skin on!
- White Beans: Full of fiber and protein, white beans are also high in folate, copper, iron, magnesium and vitamin B6.
- Almonds: High in magnesium, vitamin E and potassium, almonds are good for your heart and also help lower LDL cholesterol. One serving of almonds also has as much calcium as 1/4 cup of milk!
Is this a Paleo Vegetable Chowder?
While this is not a Paleo chowder as written, it's easily converted with just a few minor changes.
To make this recipe Paleo, omit the beans. Feel free to add in another source of protein – I love chopped ham in this soup!
Technically green beans are legumes as well but many people who follow a Paleo lifestyle choose to include green beans in their diet.
Why? Unlike other legumes, green beans don't contain high levels of phytates, which can block iron and zinc absorption, or lectins, a protein that can potentially cause digestive issues. In summary, green beans are super nutrient dense and most Paleo eaters include them.
The almond flour biscuits are Paleo as-is, so you can enjoy those as well!
What else can I serve with this creamy vegetable soup?
If you make the biscuits, you really don't need anything else to go with this creamy vegetable soup. But if you feel like mixing it up, the chowder would also be delicious with my gluten free cornbread muffins or any simple green salad.
Is there a difference between almond meal and almond flour?
While similar, almond meal and almond flour have a different texture and are used a bit differently.
Almond flour is made from blanched almonds and the almond skins are removed. It is generally ground quite finely.
Almond meal is made from unblanced almonds and retains the skins, which is why you'll see little brown spots in your almond meal. It's generally courser and is great for replacing bread crumbs.
While I recommend almond flour in this recipe, either would likely work, the texture will just be a bit different. (If you can't find almond flour in your grocery store, it's available here!)
How can I make this soup kid-friendly?
The flavor of this soup is already super kid-friendly but I know that some kids struggle with different foods all mixed together.
There are a couple of ways to make soups like this vegetable chowder a little more kid-friendly.
First, make sure theirs isn't too hot. Young kids are so sensitive to temperature! I like to ladle out kids' soup about ten minutes before everyone else's to make sure it has time to cool off enough for them.
Second, don't include too much broth if your kids are young. This can make it more difficult for them to eat (and super messy!) For young kids, use a slotted spoon to serve their soup and add in just a little broth if you like.
You can also encourage your kids to try soup by offering a tempting topping, like grated parmesan cheese.
If there's no way your child will eat soup, even with these tricks, serve the components separately and then invite your child to mix them all together if they like. Gradually, they'll likely become more comfortable with mixed foods as they watch you eat them.
How can I meal prep this vegetable chowder?
Vegetable chowder is the perfect prep-ahead meal.
I actually recommend just making the whole chowder ahead of time, as it only tastes better after a day or two. If you do this, reheat the soup on the stove until it's just bubbly and heated through. The stove heats much more evenly than the microwave.
If you don't have time to prep the whole recipe, make the cashew cream and chop the veggies (except for potatoes) ahead of time. This will make the soup come together so quickly!
You can also make the almond flour biscuits ahead of time. Store them in the fridge if you make them more than a day ahead and let them come to room temperature or heat briefly in the oven before serving.
What are some other vegetarian soups?
Looking for more hearty vegetarian soup recipes?
This freezer vegetable bean soup, 3 Bean, Kale & Ancho Chili and sweet potato pear soup are all excellent vegetarian dinner options.
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