Weather in Texas is so strange…our Christmas this year was a high of 78° than a week later it was a high of 34°, a week after that – right back to swimsuit weather. Seriously I wear flip flops all year ‘round! Last week was a tough one, not only did we both have to go out of town for business, but it was drizzly and chilly out. The kind of weather and taxing week that when you come home you just want something comforting. When I asked Mr. T what he wanted he said seafood chowder. I was on a mission to make that happen – and low carb to boot! 

I used a combination of smoked salmon, fresh salmon, shrimp and scallops as my seafood. The base for the cream soup was a combination of some aromatics and base from this Clam Chowder recipe from Love, Peace and Low carb, but I just stuck with chicken broth and added some additional elements.

The veggies sauteing with the cream cheese

The result: an extremely comforting dish with loads of hearty seafood and a beautiful silky texture. Each time we ate the dish we’d add some spices or dash of sherry to give it a slight twist from the original (it made a lot)! I had intended to slow cook this in my Instant Pot, but it really didn’t need that much time so I ended up just cooking it normally – still in my Instant Pot, but just using the Saute and Slow Cook function without actually keeping it for hours.

NOTE: I did do a variation on this recipe that adds in half a head of cauliflower instead of cream – the result was a thicker chowder – but the carbs are upped a bit if you care about that. Either way, both are delicious – it’s up to you!

Seafood Chowder (cream-base)

2 slices of bacon, chopped
2 leeks, halfed and chopped (just white to light green parts)
2 stalks of celery, halved and chopped
1 shallot, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
½ block of cream cheese (4 oz), cut into cubes
4 cups of chicken stock (use 3 c. for thicker chowder)
1 ½ cup of cream
1 tsp dried thyme
Salt & Pepper
1 Tbsp Seafood Seasoning (I used The Gourmet Collection, Fisherman’s Seafood Spectacular)
1 tsp xantham gum
2 oz smoked salmon
1 lb fresh salmon filet
4 oz frozen scallops
10 frozen shrimp

Sauté bacon in large pot, once the fat has rendered and bacon has slightly crisped add in your vegetables (leeks, celery and shallot). Sauté until softened. Turn heat down to medium low. Add in garlic & cream cheese – whisk until cream cheese starts to melt down, add in chicken stock and cream, continue to whisk until cream cheese is fully incorporated. Add in spices and simmer on low for 30 minutes. Add broth to a small bowl, whisking in the xantham gum. Once blended, add to the soup pot with the other ingredients. Also submerge seafood into the pot. Cook another 10 minutes on a low simmer until seafood is cooked through.

Optional: Top with green onions and a dash of sherry. Add in more pepper or seasoning if needed.

Serves: 6

Estimated Nutrition Stats (Carb Manager): Calories – 462 | Carbs 6g | Net carbs – 5g | Fat 34g | Protein 35g | Fiber 1g.

Seafood Chowder (cauliflower-base)

Half a head of cauliflower, cut into chunks
2 slices of bacon, chopped
2 leeks, halfed and chopped (just white to light green parts)
2 stalks of celery, halved and chopped
1 shallot, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
½ block of cream cheese (4 oz), cut into cubes
4 cups of chicken stock (use 3 c. for thicker chowder)
1 tsp dried thyme
Salt & Pepper
1 Tbsp Seafood Seasoning (I used The Gourmet Collection, Fisherman’s Seafood Spectacular)
1 tsp xantham gum
2 oz smoked salmon
1 lb fresh salmon filet
4 oz frozen scallops
10 frozen shrimp

Add in broth and cauliflower into an Instant pot and set to 5 minutes manual (High pressure) then let it rest natural release for 5 minutes. Puree with an immersion blender. Alternatively you could do this on the stove as well, just cook until the cauliflower is soft and then blend until smooth.

Sauté bacon in large pot, once the fat has rendered and bacon has slightly crisped add in your vegetables (leeks, celery and shallot). Sauté until softened. Turn heat down to medium low. Add in garlic & cream cheese – whisk until cream cheese starts to melt down, add in chicken stock and cream, continue to whisk until cream cheese is fully incorporated. Add in spices and simmer on low for 30 minutes. Add broth to a small bowl, whisking in the xantham gum. Once blended, add to the soup pot with the other ingredients. Also submerge seafood into the pot. Cook another 10 minutes on a low simmer until seafood is cooked through.

Optional: Top with green onions and a dash of sherry. Add in more pepper or seasoning if needed.

Serves: 6

Estimated Nutrition Stats (Carb Manager): Calories – 326 | Carbs 11g | Net carbs – 8g | Fat 11g | Protein 45g | Fiber 2g.

NOTE: The nutrition stats I get are after putting the recipe in carbmanager.com. I do the best I can with what I’ve input, but I cannot guarantee 100% accuracy.

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