How To Make A Low Carb Instant Pot Clam Chowder

Of all the different comfort foods that exist, there is no denying that clam chowder is one of the best. There is no problem that can’t be solved with a nice, warm bowl of clam chowder.

So it is understandable that you might find yourself searching for the perfect recipe for you. 

How To Make A Low Carb Instant Pot Clam Chowder

There are tons of different clam chowder recipes to choose from, and lots of different variations of this delicious dish.

But when you start looking for recipes for special dietary requirements, your options begin to dwindle. For example, if you are searching for a low carb recipe, you might find yourself at a bit of a loss. 

In this guide, we’re taking a look at how to make a low carb Instant-Pot clam chowder. So if you are searching for a clam chowder recipe that is low in carbohydrates, and super easy to make, you are in the right place. 

Keep on reading to find out more! 

What You Need 

Before you start making your clam chowder, you will need to gather all the different ingredients for the job.

You can’t make an omelet without breaking eggs, and you can’t make clam chowder without gathering all the ingredients you need for the dish. So what do you need to make clam chowder? Let’s take a look.

Cooking Equipment

  • Instant-Pot
  • Chopping Board
  • Knife
  • Blender
  • Spoon

Ingredients

  • 8 Ounces Bacon (Nitrate-Free)
  • 4 Cloves Garlic
  • 1.5 Cups Diced Onion
  • 2 Pounds Cauliflower Florets
  • 5 Cups of Peeled and Diced Celeriac Root
  • 1 Quart Chicken Bone Broth
  • 4 x 6.5 Ounce Cans of Clams
  • 16 Ounces Bottled Clam Juice
  • 1 tsp Pepper
  • 1 tsp Dried Thyme
  • 1 tbsp Salt

This recipe takes about 20 minutes to prepare and cook and will serve 6 people.

As well as being a low-carb recipe, it is also dairy-free (see also “How To Make Low-Carb Zuppa Toscana Dairy-Free“), potato-free, keto-friendly, and suitable for the Whole30 diet. Now, let’s take a look at how to make it. 

How To Make Low-Carb Instant-Pot Clam Chowder

Now that we have taken a look at what you need for making your own low-carb Instant-Pot clam chowder, let’s dive right in and take a look at how to make it.

As we have just established, this is a super quick recipe to throw together, so you will be able to enjoy your clam chowder in no time!

How To Make Low-Carb Instant-Pot Clam Chowder

Step One – Prepare Your Ingredients

As you can see from the ingredients list that we have just looked at, there are a number of ingredients in your Instant-Pot Clam Chowder that will need to be prepared and diced before they can be cooked.

So, the first thing that you should do is prepare your ingredients ready for cooking. 

Begin by peeling and dicing your onions into small pieces. Once your onions are diced, you can then move onto peeling and dicing your celeriac ready for cooking.

With these diced, the only thing left to chop is your bacon. If you dislike fatty bacon, take this opportunity to remove the fat. Then dice your bacon into small squares and set aside. Your ingredients are now ready for cooking. 

Step Two – Start Cooking Your Meat 

With your ingredients prepared, it is then time to begin cooking your ingredients. Turn on your Instant-Pot and set it to Saute. 

Add your chopped bacon and set your Instant-Pot to start cooking until your bacon is almost crisped.

This will typically take around 6 and a half minutes, but keep an eye on your bacon as it cooks. Once cooked, remove your bacon and transfer to a paper towel. 

Step Three – Begin Making Your Chowder

With your bacon cooked, you can then move onto making the base of your chowder. The first thing that you need to do is add your bone broth to the Instant-Pot, and add your cauliflower too.

Close your Instant-Pot and seal your vent. Press the manual button on your Instant-Pot and pressure cook for 3 minutes. Once this time has passed, open the vent and let out the steam. 

With your cauliflower cooked, scoop it out using a spoon and transfer to a blender. Add your garlic cloves to the blender, and pulse or blend the contents until totally smooth. Set this aside. 

You can then return to your Instant-Pot, which should still contain the broth from earlier. Add the diced celeriac and onion from earlier to your Instant-Pot, alongside the thyme, salt, pepper and clam juice.

Cover your Instant-Pot, lock the vent and set to manual for 5 minutes. When the timer runs out, release the steam using the vent. 

Step Four – Add Your Final Ingredients

With the ingredients cooked, and the base of your broth ready, all you need to do is add your final ingredients.

Open up the Instant-Pot and add your diced bacon, the blended cauliflower, and your chopped clams. You should clean your chopped clams in a sieve before adding them to the Instant-Pot. 

Once the ingredients are all prepared and in your Instant-Pot, your job is almost done. Stir all the ingredients together to ensure they are fully combined, and your clam chowder is ready to serve! 

Not Quite Right? Add Some Seasoning

If your clam chowder doesn’t taste quite right, then that’s okay! Most of the time, this can easily be fixed by adding more seasoning.

This is why things such as salt are typically added to food to taste, rather than by measurement. 

If adding salt doesn’t fix the issue, then you could add a little more pepper. Something that many people enjoy in their clam chowder is Cayenne pepper.

So if you think your chowder is missing that kick, add a quarter teaspoon of this seasoning for more flavor.

Summary 

In short, making low carb Instant-Pot clam chowder isn’t as tricky as you might expect.

In this guide we have taken a look at how to make this recipe. So if you want to make your own clam chowder, check out the guide above. 

Thanks for reading!

Lindsey Morgan
Latest posts by Lindsey Morgan (see all)