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Ingredients:

  • 1 teaspoon coconut oil
  • 1 3 oz. chicken apple sausage link, diced (Applegate)
  • 3 celery stalks, diced
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 teaspoon thyme
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • 1 large Japanese sweet potato (or white sweet potato), diced into ½-inch cubes (be careful not to dice them too small
  • so they maintain their shape when they cook)
  • 6 6.5 oz. cans chopped clams
  • 2 8 oz. bottles of clam juice, or 2 cups
  • 2 cups water
  • 3 cups plus ¼ cups fat-free milk
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1½ cups spinach, chopped
  • ¼ cup chopped chives

Instructions:

  1. Dice the apple sausage, onion, garlic, and celery. Set aside and reserve.
  2. Dice the sweet potato and reserve.
  3. In a large Dutch oven or pot on medium heat, add 1 teaspoon of coconut oil and let it melt. When the oil has melted and the diced chicken apple sausage, diced onion, diced celery, minced garlic, paprika, and freshly ground pepper.
  4. Stir well and allow the flavors to cook and meld for 5 minutes.
  5. Drain the clam liquid into a cup or bowl. Reserve the clams.
  6. To the pot, add the diced sweet potatoes, the reserved clam liquid, the clam juice, water, 3 cups of milk, and the bay leaf. Bring the liquid to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are fork tender, about 10 minutes.
  7. In a small bowl, whisk a ¼ cup of milk and the cornstarch until the cornstarch dissolves, make sure the milk is cold in order for the cornstarch slurry to work properly. Slowly drizzle the cornstarch slurry into the pot and continue to simmer the soup, be careful not to let the soup boil. Allow the broth to simmer thicken, about 10 minutes.
  8. Add the clams and the chopped spinach. Stir everything thoroughly, and simmer for 15 more minutes, until the chowder is thick and creamy. Like any soup or stew, you can simmer the chowder for longer if desired. The flavors will enhance and the broth will thicken even more.
  9. Ladle the chowder into bowls, and garnish with freshly chopped chives.

Recipe by: Chef Vikki