Low-Carb Clam Chowder (LC, GF, SF)

It may not quite be the time of year for soups for us around here, but then it hardly ever is! A good clam chowder is comfort in a bowl for sure! And yesterday, it just had to be made, regardless of the fact that we were still in the middle of the blistering summer heat!

This clam chowder was quite the hit with my husband, who requested this to be made again soon!

 

 

Ingredients:

20 oz. Baby Clams with juice (2 x 10 oz. cans)

1 packet low sodium bacon, sliced into small pieces

1 cup of Jicama, diced into small cubes

3 tbsp. onion, finely diced

3 tbsp. celery, finely diced

4 cups of water (or clam juice if you have it!)

2 cups of heavy whipping cream

1/2 tsp guar gum (or xanthan gum) - more if you like your clam chowder really thick

1 bay leaf

1 tbsp. fresh parsley, finely chopped

1/2 tbsp. fresh thyme, finely chopped (fresh savory works too)

1/2  tsp fish sauce or chicken stock granules  (less if using fully salted bacon or clam juice)

freshly ground pepper to taste

 

Preparation:

Place the bacon pieces and finely diced Jicama (that’s the only way it’s going to get fork tender in the allotted time!)  in a pot and cook on medium high. You could give the Jicama a head start in the microwave, for a few minutes on high.

As the bacon fat renders, scoop it off and discard into a bowl. Stir every once in a while, making sure the Jicama doesn’t burn.

Once most of the fat from the bacon is rendered and removed and the bacon is considerably reduced in size, add the diced onions and celery and cook for 3 or so minutes. Then add the clam  juice, the water, bay leaf, fish sauce and thyme. Let it come to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes.

Remove the bay leaf.

Whisk the guar gum into the heavy cream making sure no lumps remain (use a personal blender if necessary.)Add the clams to the pot, then add the cream mix, constantly whisking until thickened. Turn the heat down really low and gently/barely simmer for a further 10 minutes or so, letting all the flavors marry.  It will thicken even more during that time, so go easy on the guar gum! Should it get too thick, add some more water and adjust seasonings!

Make sure your Jicama has softened sufficiently before serving. It should be fork tender!

Serve garnished with the finely chopped parsley!

 

This makes 6 - 8 servings.

The whole recipe is 38 g of carbs and 8g of fiber. That makes it 5 g of net carbs per generous serving or if you make it into 8 servings,  3.75 net carbs per serving.