New England Clam Chowder is one of my favorite soups. It’s such a warm and comforting dish, but I get a little bummed with the amount of butter and cream that tends to go into a lot of versions. Today we have a cleaner version of the classic chowder that is still extra creamy and delicious that you can still feel good about! I also made this version vegan so that it can be enjoyed by anyone and everyone…. …well, except for the bacon ‘garnish’ I stuck in there because I couldn’t help myself.
The oyster crackers in this are also DELICIOUS, but not vegan because I use regular butter, but feel free to use a vegan butter! I ended up doubling the oyster cracker recipe part the last time I made this because I ended up eating all the buttery crackers before they could make it on top of the chowder, lol. Oh well. Enjoy! xx, Jenny
Creamy Vegan Cauliflower Chowder
Ingredients
- 1 ½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ½ yellow onion, diced
- 1 large carrot, peeled and diced
- 1 celery rib, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 head cauliflower, outer leaves and stem removed and cut into bite sized florets
- 1 tablespoon minced thyme
- 1 teaspoon thinly sliced chives
- 1 quart vegetable stock, warmed
- salt and pepper to taste
garnish
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup oyster crackers
- 2 teaspoons thinly sliced chives
- 1 teaspoon minced thyme
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper
- cooked bacon strips, optional garnish
Instructions
- Pour oil into a large pot and place over medium heat.
- Add onion, carrot and celery and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add garlic, cauliflower and herbs and continue to sauté for an additional 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add 3 cups of the stock to the pot and simmer for about 20 minutes or until cauliflower is tender. Season with salt and pepper.
- Strain half the vegetables from the pot and set aside.
- Pour remaining mixture into a blender and blend until smooth, adding remaining stock, as needed, until a thick consistency has been achieved.
- Pour mixture back to the pot and stir in strained vegetables. Adjust seasonings. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes before removing from heat.
- For seasoned oyster crackers: Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add oyster crackers and stir to coat in butter. Add remaining ingredients and continue to sauté for about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and allow crackers to cool and dry.
- To serve: Pour chowder into bowls and top with oyster crackers. Garnish with strips of bacon, if using. Serve.
Did you make this recipe? We want to see!
tag @SpoonForkBacon and #SpoonForkBacon on Instagram
love the two fat pieces of bacon topping this vegan chowder lol
Why is there bacon on a vegan dish?
Cause we wanted to add it
With bacon it shows the best of both worlds…vegan/bacon!
exactly. The word Vegan is more than just plant based. Veganism is about animal welfare. That was like sharing a post about empowering women with a photo of a man beating and choking a woman. Total slap in the face.
No. It’s not the same at all, actually.
I love your response Jenny!
How hard is it to omit bacon…yet for those of us who need ideas…well..its perfect!
Vegans do not eat bacon or butter! And I would be be reading the ingredients on the oyster cracker box!
Yes. I’m aware. If you actually read the post itself, you’ll see that only the chowder portion is vegan. I specifically mention how the oyster crackers are not vegan.
Very disappointing that it’s called vegan but it really isn’t when you choose the garnishes that you used. Why not use a vegan garnish instead??
I’m confused as to why this is disappointing? You can make the chowder and it’s 100% vegan. I’m not vegan at all, but enjoy a lot of vegan dishes. So i chose to create my recipe this way.
exactly. It’s her website. Bacon and cauliflower chowder goes so perfectly well together!!! YUM!
If you read the ingredients it states that you can make the soup vegan or non vegan by adding bacon, butter and crackers! You can make it according to your preference. Either way,if you enjoy cauliflower, it sounds delicious☺
Are you familiar with the name of this blog?
Wow, perfect timing! I was hankering for some clam chowder as I haven’t had it in a bit. This looks great, definitely trying this!
I have to admit it was the best laugh I have had in days when I scrolled down to see the two large pieces of bacon on top of the soup. Keep up the good work
Between all the different dietary needs in this house, this looks like a meal with or without garnish that everyone will enjoy. Thanks!
butter thats not vegan
Sigh. This means you didn’t read the post.
Its not vegan if there is butter in it!!!
Yes! And you also didn’t read the post!
What might the nutritional info be for this dish, without the bacon and crackers??
Ps. The title of the recipe is vegan cauliflower chowder, yet part of it is not. I still think its misconceiving. I would have just put a foot note that if oyster crackers are left out or left plain tgeyccan be used as part of the vegan dish
Krista, please just stop! This is a gorgeous recipe, and I’m making it this weekend! Thanks Jenny – you are my first-to-go-to site for deliciousness!
All you all need to grow up. Stop being mean. Follow the yummy recipe and leave out what does not work for you.
Lol, thanks! Didn’t realize soup would get people’s emotions running so high :)
Such a great recipe, yum!
Delicious, but I’m not a vegan, so I added crumbled bacon!
Would you email me the recipe for the oyster crackers?
Thx,
MR
Love it. Keeping vegan real!! Keep up the good work!! I’m trying the recipe sans bacon (I am the best vegan I can be-98%.. every bit helps and that’s the best I can do!! Just love this!
This looks absolutely incredible!
Just absurd to place bacon and butter oyster crackers with vegan chowder. Disgusting
Nah, it’s not at all. But the negative attitude is pretty absurd
^^^This is the best response yet! People need to grow up, let go, and READ THE POST. Jenny, your food is delicious. Your blog is gorgeous. Your sense of humor is to die for! Keep up the amazing work!
LMAO this is not even close to vegan.
LMAO you didn’t read my post!
Jenny, I am not vegan either. This looks delicious! I am glad I found this recipe. Keep sharing your recipes, it adds variety of more than one way to enjoy a hearty meal.
Loving your responses to the snark :)
The comments on this post are hilarious. Not sure why a strict vegan would read a website called spoon fork bacon anyway, if not just to be a troll. *shrugs*
Keep at it Jenny! yum!
I like chowders, this is a nice take on it!
(I am lactose intolerant, and put bacon on whatever possible so this post is very special to me)
Hi Jenny! I don’t have carrots or celery and it’s raining and I don’t want to leave my house. Can I do without? Or sub for something else?
Hi Sarah! You can omit and add more onion + herbs. If you have another toot veg like parsnip or sweet potato, you can add that too. You may need to adjust the amount of liquid, but should still work fine! :)
As I’m cooking this now, nowhere does it say when to add the 1 T. of minced thyme or the 1 t. of thinly sliced chives, which is not the same as the 2 t. thinly sliced chives and 1 t. minced thyme for the oyster crackers – wha?? Should I just add them to the chowder when I put in the stock? Thanks ~
Ah! Yes, recipe has been updated! I add the herbs with the cauliflower! Thanks for letting me know!
Thanks for getting back to me, Jenny. I ended up adding the herbs to the chowder AFTER I used an immersion blender (without taking half of the veges out to put on the side) and the herbs were a nice sprinkled touch to the overall look. The crackers were delicious and we’ll do without the bacon next time. Good recipe!!
Lmao, these replies are cracking me up! It’s a vegan chowder with non-vegan garnishes that can be left out/off. I haven’t come across this blog, but now it’s one of my favorites simply because of the replies. I never knew people took recipes so seriously! Keep up the good work. I’m loving the no butter for my midsection! Thanks!
Jenny,
I’m a friend of Anne’s and love following your blog. I made this last night but added some crumbled bacon at the end. Delicious and love that there’s no dairy. Thanks for another great recipe!
Hi Abbie! Glad enjoyed this one! Thanks so much for the kind words :)
This sounds fantastic and the comments are the funniest thing I’ve seen for some time! I’ve got to try it at the weekend. Just one thing… Would it be possible to include metric measures in your recipes please?
Just finished a bowl with no crackers or bacon. Excellent. I added chopped yellow squash. Mine wasnt pretty white like the picture I guess because I used Organics vegetable broth which is pretty brown. Excellent dish. Will make again. Might even add a little sweet corn next time.
My family definitely loves anything soup, Jenny! So, I’m pretty sure they’ll love this dish as well. For those who don’t want bacon, you can replace it with shiitake mushrooms.
Oooo! I love the shiitake mushroom sub; great idea! :)
You’re welcome, Jenny! Glad you love it! :)
Butter is not vegan so leaving the bacon out does not make this vegan… also, it’s pretty insensitive to throw bacon on a chowder that you have named a vegan chowder. smh…. I think it could have been presented in a way to accomodate vegans and non vegans by removing the vegan altogether and stating it can be made vegan by omitting butter and bacon.
I’m pretty sure I’ve mentioned this a number of times, but only the chowder itself is vegan…that isn’t including the oyster cracker garnish and the bacon garnish. I don’t think it’s insensitive or misstating, again..as the chowder itself is 100% vegan.