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Clam Chowder

By November 14, 2012December 3rd, 2020Bread, Holiday Recipes, Soup and Salads

Diabetes Awareness Day

Today is Diabetes Awareness Day. If you need a little help on why everyone should be eating the low-carb and grain-free lifestyle, please watch this:

 

 

clam chowder

Craig secretly took this photo in the middle of one of my creations. He thought it would be a neat “behind the scenes” photo for all of you…Please ignore my slippers and PJs! It was early:))) The boys are usually right by my side the whole time, from the mixing to the baking to the photos… and then the EATING, which is Kai’s favorite part!

Inspirational Testimony

This is such an inspiring and touching testimony!

My son, an adult, had always complained of “gas” from early teens on. He was constantly popping tums, Mylanta, Pepto and eventually moved on to prescription. Then it all came to a head 2 years ago to full-blown SIBO, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth. The pain was unbearable. He is 6′ tall and dropped to 138#’s, was depressed and withdrawn….gave up hope of normal life and really wanted to die. I was terrified of my son’s life!! Doctors got him in this mess in the first place, so health insurance wouldn’t cover anything since it was “pre-existing”! Which was really his saving grace because he had to find alternative healing. I am happy to say he stumbled upon a great natural healing doctor and he’s almost 100% better. He has gained 5#’s which is something to be celebrated. But, what Maria has done with her books and recipes is awesome! Everything in her books is so informative and beneficial. I’m not sure anyone can appreciate her until they have known someone or personally gone through some health or nutritional life-altering devastation! These books and recipes are greatly appreciated by us. It’s helping me to change my own life and I’m slowly changing my daughter and grandchildren over to this better way of eating. My son will always eat this way forever. He will never go back to refined foods and heavy, empty carbs.

Thank you, Belenda! That makes me smile!
clam chowder

My first taste of real Clam Chowder in a bread bowl was a trip to Monterey California when Craig had to live in that area for work. It was love at first bite! But now that I am aware of how detrimental the traditional chowder is with gluten, potatoes, and starch, I prefer this recipe!

NOTE!  If you are having an issue with a bubble, try weighing your ingredients as listed above.  I use this kitchen scale. 🙂

“HEALTHIFIED” CHOWDER:

BREAD BOWL:
1 1/2 cup blanched almond flour (5 oz) (or 1/2 cup coconut flour or 2.5 oz)
5 TBS psyllium husk powder (no substitutes) (45 grams)
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp Celtic sea salt
2 1/2 TBS apple cider vinegar (1 oz)
3 egg whites (8 egg whites if using coconut flour)
1 cup BOILING water (or broth for extra flavor) (7 oz)

CHOWDER:
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 cup celery, diced
2 cups cauliflower flowerets
3 cups broth (veggie or chicken)
4 oz cream cheese or mascarpone cheese
1 tsp Celtic sea salt
2 (6.5 oz) cans clams, drained
1/4 tsp psyllium powder (for thickening)
OPTIONAL: 4 slices of bacon, into small pieces

BREAD BOWL: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium-sized bowl, combine the flour, psyllium powder (no substitutes: flaxseed meal won’t work), baking powder and salt. Mix until dry ingredients are well combined.  Add in the eggs and vinegar and mix until a thick dough. Add boiling water or marinara into the bowl. Mix until well combined and dough firms up.

Divide the dough into 4 balls. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 45-55 minutes or until golden brown.

CHOWDER: Place the butter in a saucepan and heat on high until brown specks appear, making “brown butter.” Turn on medium heat and add the onion, celery and cauliflower (and bacon if using). Saute for 10 minutes or until the vegetables are tender (and bacon is cooked). Add in the broth and softened cream cheese (use a whisk to incorporate the cream cheese or little specks of cream cheese will be in the soup). Season with salt. Add in the clams. Whisk in the psyllium to desired thickness… a little goes a long way! Makes 8 servings.

clam chowder

NUTRITIONAL COMPARISON (per serving)

Traditional Chowder Bowl = 480 calories, 19g fat, 12g protein, 77g carbs, 3g fiber (74 effective carbs)
“Healthified” Almond Flour Chowder = 340 calories, 26g fat, 12g protein, 10.7g carbs, 5.7g fiber (5 effective carbs)
“Healthified” Coconut Flour Chowder =  272 calories, 20g fat, 11.5g protein, 11g carbs, 6.2g fiber (4.8 effective carbs)

Maria Emmerich

Maria is a wellness expert who has helped clients follow a Ketogenic lifestyle to heal and lose weight for over 20 years. She has helped thousands of clients get healthy, get off medications and heal their bodies; losing weight is just a bonus. She is the international best selling author of several books including "Keto: The Complete Guide to Success on the Ketogenic Diet.".

88 Comments

  • Just making my way through all the sites that are participating in Carolyn’s World Diabetes Day awareness campaign & wanted to say hello & thx (I’m a type 2, btw) 🙂

  • Lori Dee says:

    77 g carbs in the bread bowl?? I can’t justify that.

    • That is the traditional recipe. My recipe has only 10.7 (or 5g effective carbs). 🙂

    • Lori Dee says:

      So sorry I misread! Can you give the stats for the Healthified bread bowl alone?

    • Niña X says:

      i find the comparison beneficial, of course when read right

    • Bread bowl by itself would be (almond flour option)
      121 Calories, 9g fat, 1.5g protein, 6g carbs, 4.7g fiber (1.3g effective carbs). 🙂

    • Jude says:

      Thanks for the innovative recipe, Maria. One of my little boys saw a bread bowl in a magazine and swooned. I felt that awful Momguilt knowing I could never let him have one. He’s gluten intolerant since babyhood.
      Won’t he be surprised!

      Sidenote: I bought your children’s cookbook. He and his brother were looking through and excited until suddenly one sadly said, “Oh. But that’s gluten in that one.” What a great feeling to tell him that everything in the book was safe for us to make. Yay.

    • Jude says:

      Thanks for the innovative recipe, Maria. One of my little boys saw a bread bowl in a magazine and swooned. I felt that awful Momguilt knowing I could never let him have one. He’s gluten intolerant since babyhood.
      Won’t he be surprised!

      Sidenote: I bought your children’s cookbook. He and his brother were looking through and excited until suddenly one sadly said, “Oh. But that’s gluten in that one.” What a great feeling to tell him that everything in the book was safe for us to make. Yay.

    • That is great! Love when kids know whats in their food! 🙂

  • Anonymous says:

    Can you provide the nutritional information for the chowder only, without the bowl?

    Thanks

  • Amanda says:

    I love the testimonials! I love hearing how you can change people’s lives. I know you changed my life a year ago and I’m no longer a type 2 diabetic. I share your blog with lots of people looking for help with blood sugar issues, PCOS, fertility, and anyone who will listen to me.

  • Anonymous says:

    I can’t wait to make this chowder. I just love your recipes Maria, they all look so good! I’ll be making your dessert pies for the holidays.

  • Maria, thanks for this recipe. It looks great, and I’ll definitely be trying it. (I’ve been perusing your site for a while and drooling over the recipes. Right now I’m on a fairly restricted diet, but as soon as I can start eating different foods, I’ll be trying many of your recipes.)

    Thank you for participating in Diabetes Awareness Day. One of my grandmothers and an aunt were diabetic, and I have a nephew who was diagnosed when he was 7. (He’s 28 now and doing fabulous!)

  • Alana Corwin says:

    Maria this sounds and looks delicious and I may just have to get some lactase pills so I can make it! Happy diabetes awareness day!

  • Anonymous says:

    Yay!! My sister-in-law makes a bread bowl and I always feel so jealous about it. This is really intriguing!!

    Sarah G

    (couldn’t find a way to enter my e-mail address for the giveaway)

  • What an awesome recope’

  • Oh my!! Not only is low calorie and healthy but it looks so scrumptious!! I will definitely try your recipe!!

  • I’m not a seafood eater. But that bread looks fantastic!

  • Michelle Bailey says:

    Personally I think the bacon shouldn’t be optional, but manditory or required if you will. but that just my humble opinion.

  • Raida says:

    Wow, that looks wonderful! I can’t have dairy, not sure if I can substitute the cream cheese in the soup. I usually substitute Earth Balance for butter and that usually works. Thanks!

  • Very interesting! If I can find psyllium powder I’ll give it a try.

  • JoAnne says:

    I’m always “off-topic” when I post. Sorry; it’s because I’m learning new things from you as I read older posts! My bone density scan revealed I have osteoporosis and I refuse to take that Fosomax junk. I hope to build up the calcium in my bones via calcium-rich foods and weight-bearing exercise. Maria, when you make your bone broth: do you just eat the broth as is or do you use it as a base to make soup? I know it’s a favorite of Kai’s.

  • calabella says:

    Carol LaBella: Making my way through all the sites that are participating in Carolyn’s World Diabetes Day awareness campaign I have Type 2 diabeties and I’m always looking for new recipes that will fit my meal plan. I love clam chowder and will add this to my “to do” list. Thank you.

  • Maggie says:

    That bread looks utterly scrumptious!

    • Thanks Maggie! You won’t believe the flavor and how is rises 3X during baking! And low car and grain free! 🙂

    • Anonymous says:

      The bread barely rose at all when I made this. I followed the recipe exactly(using the blanched almond flour and broth options). Even so, the dinner roll sized bread bowls looked wonderful. I forgot to buy the clams and didn’t want to return to the store, so I used a can of salmon. Yummy! By the way, if you mix in the cream cheese and let it melt before you add the water/stock, you won’t need to whisk. Thanks, Maria! I’m Gloria.

    • Anonymous says:

      Oops! I misread the egg white line and left them out completely. I’ll use them next time. I wonder whether it would also help to whip the egg whites before adding them.

    • Not sure if whipping will change it, but on their own this rises very well. 🙂

  • Catherine H. says:

    I’m visiting all the sites participating in the Diabetes awareness event to say thank you for doing this. I’ve had gestational diabetes and my sister is a Type I, so I’m happy someone like Carolyn is trying to get the word out about low-carb eating. That bread bowl–Mm MM!

  • Jennifer says:

    Too sweet the boys at your side the whole time – love the photo Craig took. Nice post.

  • fabricpixie says:

    Great photo, love the slippers and would never have guessed those were your PJs, just comfy clothes while ‘creating’ another food masterpiece.

    Sue in CA

  • Mr.D says:

    Can you use milk or light cream instead of cream cheese?

  • I can’t wait to try the new revised recipe with just eggs whites instead of the whole egg. I loved the old recipe, but I did notice a bit of a gummy texture if I didn’t bake the bread longer. I can not wait to make the chowder as well. Clam chowder was always a fall/winter comfort food for me!

  • Another fantastic recipe. I can’t wait to make and eat chowder in the “bread” bowl. I have so missed that. You are a treasure. Thanks again for your creativity.

  • Sunflower says:

    Oh this is indescribably wonderful! My family used to visit San Francisco occasionally and we would always get the bread bowls with fresh chowder. I’m 16 now and extremely health sensitive (*nearly* gluten free :)) and it has been years since I’ve had one… these pictures have sparked a craving! How is the texture of the bread? It looks so authentic in the picture but I’ve tried a lot of recipes and I’m having a hard time believing that a bread with this recipe’s ingredients could yield a “real” bread texture. Thanks!!

    • Hi! This bread is amazing! Smells, tastes and has the texture of real bread! One of the keys is to make sure to use a very fine powder psyllium husk (you can get whole husks and grind in a coffee grinder or mortar and pestle). 🙂

  • Laura says:

    Maria, can you use almond meal (with the skins ground in) instead of the blanched? The blanched is 3 times as expensive as the other (which I can get for $3.99/m at Trader Joe’s). Thank you.

  • Laura says:

    Whoops – I mean $3.99/lb.

  • Lori Dee says:

    Have you tried freezing these bread bowls? Want to pre-make for Thanksgiving…

  • Anonymous says:

    Maria, have you seen this?
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3349985/
    “In essence, AD (Alzheimer’s) can be regarded as a form of brain diabetes that has elements of both insulin resistance and insulin deficiency. To consolidate this concept, we proposed that AD be referred to as, “Type 3 diabetes”
    from SweetFeather

    • Hi, yes, I have been reading studies about this for a number of years and this is what I believe also. It has just recently become a scientific consensus that this is the case. I believe we will find more and more information linking back to our bodies blood sugar levels and that is one of the reasons I think it is so important to have balanced blood sugars. Thanks! 🙂

  • Kathy Turner says:

    I’ve missed having a burger in a bun, so we used the “bowls” for buns instead. My husband and I liked them that way, too. I’d do it again.

  • Mel says:

    I can’t wait to make these tonight!

    Do you have the NI for the bowl by itself, the coconut flour version?

  • Anonymous says:

    Great sounding recipe. I’m hoping the ingredients in your recipes are easily found here in Australia. Are the recipes on your blog also in your recipe books? Or are they a totally separate endeavour?
    Btw, am thoroughly enjoying reading your blog.
    Cheers,
    Glenys

  • mi2nj97 says:

    Hi Maria – This is my first comment. I have been following you for months now. I signed up for the webinar on Sunday and loved it. I also purchased The Art of Healthy Eating (although I think I should have purchased Secrets…). Armed with all my information and recipes, I went out to the grocery store on Monday to purchase all the things I needed for a weeks meals. I was super excited to try the bread bowl. How can I put it…..EPIC FAIL! They looked perfect, but the taste….YUCK! I am not sure what I did or did not do. But, the Healthified Chili was DELICIOUS. My husband (also Craig) and daughter said they did not miss the beans at all. Tonight is a Hamburger Helper and tomorrow Eggplant Lasagna. Can’t wait. In any case, THANK YOU for the great information. I am on a mission to lose 30 pounds that has challenged me for the past 3 years. Hook or crook, they are coming off and I will be healthier, along with my family!

  • jacquelynb says:

    Hi Maria,
    I attempted to make the coconut flour version of this bread in a bread pan. when I took it out of the oven it looked amazing, but very very quickly deflated. what resulted was the bottom half of the bread becoming dense and squishy. the only mistake I can pinpoint may have been that I very very lightly greased the bread pan with coconut oil. from the parts that were bread-like, I can tell this is a great recipe and would love to finally get it right! Your thoughts on what I may have done wrong would be greatly appreciated 🙂

    • Try using half the amount of psyllium. Some psyllium is more active than others. It won’t rise as much but you won’t get this issue. Also, bake a little longer if needed to get a nice firm outer crust. 🙂

  • Anonymous says:

    I was reading this recipe and sounds delicious. While making the bread bowls, do you mix everything by hand? Also, are the egg whites suppose to be beaten egg whites or not? We love clam chowder and looking forward to trying this. Hoping you find this question, Maria; if not maybe someone else who has made this or makes breads will find my question and answer. I haven’t made bread yet but love to make crackers! Thanks so much! Brenda

  • Deb says:

    Well, I planned on making this chowder in a bowl last weekend but got sidetracked after putting the bread in the oven. I’m so glad I did. They make perfect club rolls for sandwiches or burgers. I sliced one in half and toasted it and it was all nooks and crannies like an English muffin. All this week I’ve had an English muffin with a TLB of Nat’l peanut butter for a quick breakfast. Tonight, I’m making a double batch so I can freeze some too!

  • Sonia says:

    Hi Maria!
    I have tried this bread 3 times now – the last time was this evening – and have changed the brand of the almond flour, then the psyllium to Jay Robb’s one and still increased the baking time to another 20 minutes in the oven. The crust is wonderful but the inside is hollow on the top part and gooey at the bottom. I just bought your Slow Cooker book and there are lots of recipes that would go wonderfully with this bread. This is the reason I am trying to figure out what I am doing wrong. Any suggestion? Thanks!

  • Karin says:

    Amazing!!!! Great recipe Maria – I powdered my psyllium husk, beat my eggs white until a little frothy and sifted my almond flour, not sure if this made a difference but I was in a putzing mood.. Baked until sticking a toothpick in came out clean.

    I’m going to make these often!! Sooo delish! Mine had a delectable popover quality to them.

    Thanks!!! 🙂

  • Debbie says:

    Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!!! You are a God-send!!!

    I actually found your recipe on “The Girl Cooks Clean”, but decided to come over to the original recipe.

    I have been doing Atkins for 25 weeks as of today, and have lost 54 lbs. The one thing I have REALLY missed is BREAD!!!! I’ve tried Oopsies, but while decent, NOT my idea of REAL bread. I made this bread last night and it was AMAZING!!! Used them as hamburger buns tonight, and you would never know it wasn’t regular bread!!!! Even my hubby loved it! I tried toasting a piece, and it too was PERFECT!!!

    I do have a couple of questions though. First, the inside of my bread came out a weird color… almost purple. Have you ever had that happen? Any idea what would cause that? Obviously nothing I used had color, so I was a bit surprised. Tasted just fine, but would like it to be more like your picture!!! Second, is there any reason you just use the egg whites and not the whole egg?

    Again, thank you. Hope to hear from you soon!

    • cemmerich says:

      Thank you! The color comes from the brand of psyllium. If it has certain minerals it can turn purple. I use Jay Robb and it doesn’t. Limiting the fat helps some from getting a hollow loaf and a more even rise. If you are having success, you can try adding whole eggs. 🙂

  • Julie says:

    Did I do something wrong? These were so small. Great idea and they tasted good but were barely big enough to put soup in. I made a second batch and just used them to dunk in the soup. Maybe next time I will just double the recipe from the beginning and make bigger ones.

  • samantha says:

    Hi Maria! We’re gong to make chowder this afternoon bit I’m In your 30 day plan so avoiding nut and dairy, so no nut flour or cream cheese. What do you suggest? I have coconut milk but which I’m happy to use but no psyllium

  • Betsy says:

    Just came across your blog. Have been missing clam chowder in my LC lifestyle and can’t wait to try this recipe. Any reason bottled clam juice can’t be substituted for some of the broth?

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