Paleo Seafood Chowder (Dairy Free)
This Paleo Seafood Chowder is a delicious grain free and dairy free version of classic chowder! It’s loaded with white fish, shrimp, and lobster meat. Tastes decadent but won’t leave you feeling sluggish!
Growing up in New England, I had the opportunity to try a LOT of great chowders. We even had a chowder festival every year in the small seaside town I lived in. So this recipe is long overdue! You can totally customize it using whatever seafood you have on hand. Scallops, crab meat, or clams would also be delicious! You can also add some corn (which isn’t paleo). The flavor in this Paleo Seafood Chowder is incredible. It is creamy and decadent, except without the heavy cream! Cashews are used to make the “cream”. If you have a nut allergy, you can sub in full-fat coconut milk.
Paleo Seafood Chowder (Dairy Free)
What You Need to Make This Paleo Seafood Chowder
- White fish – cod works great! I love to get this from Butcher Box.
- Lobster meat – I also get this from Butcher Box!
- Shrimp – peeled and deveined works best. I get it frozen from Costco or Wegmans and thaw before adding it to the soup.
- Chicken or seafood stock – Wegmans has seafood stock that is gluten free! My favorite chicken stock is Kirkland brand from Costco!
- Onion
- Carrots
- Celery
- Minced garlic
- White wine – I used Sherry
- Thyme
- Old Bay or Primal Palate New Bae seasoning
- Ghee or vegan butter
- Russett potatoes
- Raw, unsalted cashews
- Fresh parsley, for garnish
I get a ton of pantry staples from Thrive Market (linked above where I could!) – You can click here to get 25% off your first order plus a free gift!
You can also add in some corn if you’d like!
Feel free to swap out the seafood and use what you have on hand. Using jumbo lump crab would turn this into a delicious dairy free cream of crab soup.
Can I make this Nut Free?
Yes, simply sub in 1 cup of coconut cream (or the thick part of a can of coconut milk) instead of the cashew cream!
How To Make This Paleo Seafood Chowder
First, melt the ghee over medium heat in a large pot or dutch oven. Add in the onions, garlic, carrots, and celery and stir for 4-5 minutes until they begin to soften. Add in the Old Bay (or New Bae) seasoning and thyme and stir for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Pour in the white wine and stir, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pot. Add in the potatoes and broth. Bring it to a boil, then cook over medium heat for 10 minutes.
Add in your seafood (I thawed it all first) – fish, lobster, and raw shrimp – and stir. Cook over medium heat for an additional 10 minutes.
While the seafood is cooking, make the cashew cream. Combine the 1 cup cashews and 3/4 cup water in a high speed blender. If you don’t have a high speed blender, I recommend soaking the cashews in hot water for 30 minutes prior to draining/rinsing/blending. Blend on high for 1 minute or until very smooth and creamy. There should be no cashew chunks remaining. Pour the cashew cream (or coconut cream if substituting) into the pot and stir. Taste test and add more Old Bay if desired. Serve topped with fresh parsley and enjoy!
You won’t need any salt for this recipe since Old Bay is very salty!
If you try out this seafood chowder, be sure to tag me on Instagram so I can see your creations!
Looking for some other delicious seafood recipes? Check these out!
Maple Dijon Pistachio Crusted Salmon with Spring VeggiesÂ
Spicy Shrimp over Creamy Spinach CauliriceÂ
Happy Cooking!
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Paleo Seafood Chowder (Dairy Free)
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp ghee, or vegan butter
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 carrots, peeled and diced
- 1 stalk celery, diced
- 1 lb russett potatoes, peeled and diced
- 1.5 tsp Old Bay seasoning , or Primal Palate New Bae seasoning - more to taste (it does add a little heat)
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- â…“ cup dry white wine, I used cooking Sherry
- 5 cups chicken stock, or seafood stock
- 8 oz white fish of choice, cut into 1 inch pieces. Cod works well
- 8 oz lobster meat, I get this from Butcher Box. Can also sub lump crab meat
- 16 oz shrimp, peeled & deveined, tails removed
- 1 cup raw, unsalted cashews
- ¾ cup water, add a little more if you need to help it blend
- 1 tbsp fresh chopped parsley, for garnish
Equipment
Instructions
- Melt ghee over medium heat in a large pot or dutch oven. Add in the onions, garlic, carrots, and celery and stir for 4-5 minutes until they begin to soften.
- Add in the Old Bay (or New Bae) seasoning and thyme and stir for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
- Pour in the white wine and stir, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pot.
- Add in the potatoes and broth. Bring it to a boil, then cook over medium heat for 10 minutes.
- Add in your seafood (I thawed it all first) - fish, lobster, and raw shrimp - and stir. Cook over medium heat for an additional 10 minutes.
- While the seafood is cooking, make the cashew cream. Combine the 1 cup cashews and 3/4 cup water in a high speed blender.* Blend on high for 1 minute or until very smooth and creamy. There should be no cashew chunks remaining.
- Pour the cashew cream (or coconut cream if substituting) into the pot and stir. Taste test and add more Old Bay, if desired. Serve topped with fresh chopped parsley and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
5 Comments on “Paleo Seafood Chowder (Dairy Free)”
Delicious! Can this be frozen?
Hi Rachel – I typically don’t recommend freezing anything with the cashew cream because the consistency can get weird over time!
I made this last week and is easily one of the best soups I have ever made. I substituted coconut cream for the cashew and it was perfect. I even brought some in for my coworkers for lunch. Everyone was raving! Thanks for another great recipe.
Wonderful and so easy to make. I used low fat cream cheese doubled the milk and added white wine. Made a batch with and without the cayenne. Cayenne definately gives it some kick so if you don’t like spice…skimp or omit it.
This sounds great! I used Nutpod Original Creamer in your chicken and wild rice soup recipe and it turned out great. Could that work with this vs coconut / cashew cream?