Seafood Chowder
Seafood chowder packed with protein from cod, shrimp, and clams. Mashed white sweet potatoes and coconut milk make it creamy without cream, butter, or flour. It's dairy-free, gluten-free, and Whole30 compatible.
This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our disclosure policy.
This seafood chowder has cod, shrimp, and clams in a creamy, dairy-free broth. I first developed it during a round of Whole30, and I’ve been making it for years since. It’s become one of my favorite pots of chowder to make in the fall and winter.
The creaminess comes from mashed white sweet potatoes and one can of coconut milk. There’s no cream, butter, or flour in this pot. A classic trio of carrots, celery, and onion builds the flavor. The seafood goes in at the end, so it stays tender.
Cod, shrimp, and clams add protein, and together they make this a full dinner on its own. You can mix and match the seafood to your liking. This makes a big pot, and leftovers reheat well for lunches.
Ingredients You’ll need
This chowder builds in layers. A generous mirepoix (onion, carrot, and celery) carries the flavor since there’s no cream or butter in the pot. Mashed white sweet potatoes give it texture and thickness, and the seafood goes in last, in stages, so nothing overcooks.
The full ingredient list and quantities are in the recipe card below. Along with the mirepoix and sweet potatoes, you’ll need seafood stock, full-fat coconut milk for creaminess, about 2½ pounds of mixed seafood, and thyme, salt, and pepper for seasoning.
For the seafood, I used 1 pound shrimp, 1 pound cod, and a can of drained clams. Swap in other firm white fish if you’d rather.
White Sweet Potatoes vs. Yams (What to Buy)
Most grocery stores make this more confusing than necessary. The orange potatoes we often think of when someone says sweet potatoes are sometimes mislabeled as yams. True yams are a different thing, starchier and less sweet, and are usually found at international markets rather than a standard grocery store. I often see them mixed and matched with orange sweet potatoes and white sweet potatoes.
What you’re looking for to make this seafood chowder are true white sweet potatoes. They’re sweet, but less so than orange sweet potatoes or yams, which is part of why they work so well here. The chowder gets a subtle sweetness from the potatoes, balanced by the seafood and thyme, rather than tasting like a sweet potato dish. You can recognize white sweet potatoes by their pale skin. They have a cream-colored flesh when peeled.
They’re starchy and hold their shape better while simmering, but smash easily once cooked to release those starches and thicken the chowder. If you can’t find white sweet potatoes, russet potatoes are a fine substitute. The chowder will be less sweet and a bit more neutral in flavor, closer to a classic potato chowder, but the texture holds up the same way.
Note: Once peeled, sweet potatoes brown quickly. If you’re peeling and cubing in advance, you can store them in cold water to stop the oxidation. When they’re ready to go into the pot, just drain off the water.
How to Make Seafood Chowder
You can find full step-by-step instructions in the recipe card below. But here’s an overview of how to layer in the flavors for this seafood chowder.
Start by cooking the mirepoix. Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, then add the carrots, celery, and onion. Let them cook until soft and the onion turns translucent. Add the garlic for the last minute, just until fragrant.
Add the sweet potatoes next, along with the seafood stock, just enough to cover them. Bring it to a boil, then stir in the thyme, salt, and pepper, and reduce to a simmer. The sweet potatoes need just 10 to 12 minutes to turn fork-tender.
Once the sweet potatoes are just tender, mash about half of them right in the pot with a potato masher or wooden spoon. Leave the rest in bite-sized chunks. This is what thickens the chowder without any flour. Be sure to leave some small chunks for variation.
Stir in the coconut milk and bring the pot back to a simmer. This is the step where the chowder turns from a brothy vegetable soup into something creamy.
Now add the seafood in batches. Make sure the soup is just simmering, and add the cod first. Allow it to cook for 2 minutes, stirring gently. Then add the shrimp and clams, cooking for 3 to 5 minutes, just until the shrimp turn pink and the cod flakes easily with a fork.
Taste, adjust seasoning, and serve with fresh black pepper on top.
Serving Ideas & Storage
This seafood chowder is a full meal on its own, but you can serve it with crusty bread for dipping (if you’re not doing Whole30), or a green salad for a classic soup-and-salad combo. Leftovers keep well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat gently over medium-low heat so the seafood doesn’t overcook and toughen.
If you’re in the mood for more chowder, my Dairy-Free Clam Chowder leans into a more classic clam chowder flavor, and my Shrimp & Potato Chowder uses golden potatoes instead of sweet potatoes for something a bit more traditional.
Seafood Chowder
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into ½-inch coins
- 3 stalks celery, sliced ½ inch thick
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 6 cups white sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces, about 3 medium
- 4 cups seafood stock, or vegetable stock
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, or 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup full-fat coconut milk
- 1 pound skinless cod, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 pound shrimp, peeled, deveined, and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 6.5-ounce can clams, drained
Instructions
- Peel the sweet potatoes and cut into 1-inch pieces. Peel the carrots and cut into ½-inch coins. Slice the celery into ½-inch pieces. Dice the onion and mince the garlic.
- Cut the shrimp and cod into 1-inch pieces. Refrigerate until the chowder is ready for them.
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven (6 quarts or larger) over medium heat. Add the carrots, celery, and onion. Cook for 7 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft and the onion is translucent.
- Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant.
- Add the sweet potatoes and pour in 4 cups stock to just cover them. Bring to a boil.
- Stir in the thyme, salt, and pepper. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are fork-tender.
- Use a potato masher or wooden spoon to break up about half of the sweet potatoes right in the pot. Leave the rest in bite-sized chunks for texture.
- Stir in the coconut milk and return to a simmer.
- Add the cod and cook for 2 minutes. Stir gently so the pieces stay intact.
- Add the shrimp and clams. Cook for 3 to 5 more minutes, until the shrimp are pink and opaque and the cod flakes easily with a fork.
- Taste and adjust the salt and pepper. Top each bowl with fresh cracked black pepper and serve hot.
Notes
- Sweet potatoes: White sweet potatoes work best here. Japanese sweet potatoes are a fine swap, but I would recommend just using russets. Avoid orange sweet potatoes for this recipe, as they are too soft and sweet.
- Other fish: Any mild, firm white fish, cut into 1-inch pieces, can replace the cod. As a general guide, aim for about 2½ pounds of seafood total if you’re mixing and matching.
- Stock: Store-bought seafood stock adds depth, and homemade vegetable stock works as an alternative. Salt levels vary by brand, so read labels and taste before adding more salt at the end.
- Consistency: If the chowder is thicker than you like, stir in a splash of stock or water. If it’s thinner, mash a few more sweet potato pieces.
- Storage: Refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days. Reheat gently over medium-low heat so the seafood doesn’t toughen.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
