Gluten Free & God Seeking: Almost Like Ivar's Clam Chowder (Gluten Free)

Tuesday, December 2, 2014

Almost Like Ivar's Clam Chowder (Gluten Free)

I became a clam chowder fan when I moved to Seattle. To me Ivar's make the best clam chowder and fish and chips! Because there are so many hidden sources of wheat, now I have to make my own soups and chowders. Today was definitely a chowder day with the morning temperature at 23 degrees Fahrenheit!

So tonight after work I had my husband and daughter who had come over for dinner help me chop up all the vegetables. The smell of chowder simmering on the stove made the house somehow more cozy. Before dinner I asked a student from China who had never tasted clam chowder to taste it to see if it needed more salt or pepper. I could tell he was pleasantly surprised by what he was eating!

Before I forget, this recipe is out of my Come & Dine church cookbook, and I only added 2 t of Costco No Salt Seasoning and reduced the amount of clams (the recipe calls for more than 2 cans).

Almost Like Ivar's Clam Chowder

1. Prepare vegetables:
(1) Scrub and dice 3-4 potatoes
(2) Dice 1 medium onion
(3) Dice 3-4 stalks of celery
(4) Scrub and coarsely chop 2 medium-sized carrots.

2. Sauté onions and celery in 2 T of butter.

3. In a soup pot put:
(1) 4 cups of water
(2) Add seasoning: 2 tsp. of salt, 1 tsp. black pepper, and 2 tsp. Costco No Salt Seasoning.
(3) Then add the potatoes and carrots along with the sautéed vegetables and cook until the potatoes and carrots are tender about 15 minutes.
(4) Add 2 1/2 cups of milk (The recipe calls for 1 cup of milk and 1 1/2 cups of half and half)
(5) Then add 1 to 2 cans of chopped clams. Let the soup simmer 15-20 minutes.
(6) Whisk 2 T of rice flour into 1 cup of milk. Then slowly stir it into the pot of clam chowder.
(7) Add 2 T of freshly chopped parsley. Taste and add more salt and pepper.
Note: The soup should be of perfect chowder consistency. If it's not, you can take out 1/2 cup of the soup and mash it a bit, and then stir it back in to thicken the chowder. Or you can add 1/2 T of tapioca starch to a bit of water and stir it back in.

List of My Favorite Soups, Chili & Stew Recipes:

Beef

Grandma's Favorite Beef Stew (My mother-in-law's delicious recipe!)

Just Like Home Ukrainian Borscht ( a Polish student said this tasted like his mom's!)

Poultry

This is the Best Gluten Free Minestrone Soup! (A recipe my son modified)

Mouth Watering Italian Turkey Sausage Soup (This is my friend Debbie's recipe)
Mexican Fiesta Chicken Soup (A recipe I got years ago from a Mexican cookbook)
My Thanksgiving Turkey Soup (My very own special concoction!)
Gary's Incredible Gluten Free Arkansas Gumbo (Given to me by a Bible study friend)
Jeannie's French Market Soup (A mom friend from when my kids were little)
Southwest Turkey Soup (From my Syre School cookbook)

Fish
Northwest Salmon Chowder (From my Heritage School cookbook)

Bean & Legumes
Vi's Best Chili (A Bible study friend's great recipe)
Bethany's Crowd Pleasing Tortilla Soup (One of my daughter's friends special soup)
Country-Style Lentil Soup (From my Heritage School cookbook)
Kathy's Texas Chili & Chips (From my Come & Dine cookbook)

Vegetable

Creamy Pumpkin Soup (from Food Network)
My Favorite Gluten Free Pumpkin Curry Soup (Combo from Food & All Recipes)
Downright Delicious Potato & Kale Soup (From my daughter-in-law's family cookbook)
A Great Fall Soup - Make it From Scratch Corn Potato Chowder (From the Heritage School)