Healthy mussel chowder is a creamy delicious seafood chowder made without butter or cream. This thick and chunky seafood soup is one amazing budget quick healthy meal.
Folks, this healthy mussel chowder may be made without butter or cream but in no way does that mean there's any loss in flavour or texture.
It's still as deliciously creamy as the original classic recipe, but its made with milk instead.
Recently, I was challenged by none other than Rick Stein to make this dish.
Yes, you heard that right—Rick Stein himself challenged me!
Let me explain.
In his new series “The Road To Mexico" whilst making a Clam Chowder, he mentioned, "if you haven’t got clams then use mussels instead!"
So there you have it—the challenge was thrown down to me to make a mussel chowder.
Besides, I don't know about you, but it's much easier for me to get mussels in the supermarket as opposed to clams!
Now, obviously, I’ve not used Rick Stein's clam chowder recipe directly, as that would be plagiarism.
Indeed, his recipe, being a version of the classic original, contains butter and cream.
As you can see in my recipe below, I’ve omitted those ingredients.
Instead, with my mussel chowder, I focused on extracting the maximum amount of flavour from the bare minimum of ingredients, using just milk.
This way, the recipe stays as close as possible to the original New England clam chowder.
Mussels are said to be at their best between October and March, so if you can get fresh mussels during those times of the year, that's a bonus.
However, if you can't get fresh mussels but can find pre-cooked ones that are already taken out of the shell, I've adapted my recipe to include those as well.
These are often cheaper, making this a budget-friendly recipe.
So, this easy, healthy mussel chowder recipe is perfect to make all year round!
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👨🏻🍳 Tips For How To Make This Creamless Healthy Mussel Chowder
As I mentioned above you can either use fresh mussels or pre-cooked mussels for this mussel chowder.
If you can get fresh mussels it's so worth that little extra bit of effort in having to steam them and then remove them from their shells.
That also adds a bit more originality and authenticity to the recipe!
Some chowder recipes also use bacon to add an extra bit of sweetness and flavour.
However, in this recipe, it's the onion, celery, and leek that provide that depth of flavour.
Additionally, the use of bay leaf imparts a slightly delicate, floral note to the dish.
The corn flour and cold water are mixed together to form a paste.
When added to the chowder, this paste thickens it and gives it body.
This method eliminates the need to add cream, making the chowder both healthier and just as satisfying.
The result is a rich, creamy texture achieved without the extra calories from cream.
Make sure to mix the corn flour and water together in a little bowl first, before adding to prevent the chowder from clumping.
If you loved this (which I'm pretty sure you will 🙂 ) make sure you try out the Moules Marinieres recipe next.
Again I've "lightened" that classic up by also not using any cream!
💭 FAQ's
How Many Calories Are In This Healthy Chowder?
There are 419 calories in this mussel chowder recipe.
What To Serve With This Chowder Recipe?
Serve it with some warm crusty bread or rolls. Or a light green salad, or some roasted or steamed vegetables, like broccoli.
Is Mussel Soup Healthy?
Yes, mussel soup can be a healthy option, especially when prepared with nutritious healthy ingredients as in this recipe. Also Mussels are high in protein and contain omega-3 fatty acids, which are beneficial for heart health. These fatty acids also help reduce inflammation and help lower the risk of heart disease.
How To Thicken Chowder?
Mix more flour / cornflour with cold water and stir into the warm chowder before serving.
How To Store This Chowder?
Chowder can be stored in the fridge, once cooled, in an air-tight container for about 3 days.
Can you Freeze Chowder?
Yes, you can freeze the chowder. Transfer the airtight containers to the freezer. Mussel chowder can be stored in the freezer for up to 2-3 months.
How To Reheat?
If frozen defrost in the fridge overnight before reheating. You can either reheat this gently on the stove top in a saucepan, or in the microwave.
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🍲 Other Fish Recipes You’ll Love
This mussel chowder recipe is not only healthy but it's decadent and filling.
It could be an ideal starter for a dinner party to impress your guests!
📋 Healthy Mussel Chowder Recipe
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 kg fresh mussels or 175g pre-cooked
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion diced
- 2 sticks celery chopped
- 1 leek thinly sliced
- 500 ml skimmed milk
- 1 bay leaf
- 450 g potatoes peeled and diced
- 2 tablespoon corn flour
- 4 tablespoon cold water
- Freshly ground salt and pepper
- Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon freshly chopped parsley
Instructions
- Prepare the mussels by washing them in cold water and removing any beards. Discard any that are damaged. Omit this step and step 2 if you are using pre-cooked mussels.
- Bring 250ml water to the boil in a large pan. Add the mussels, place a lid on and allow the mussels to steam away in the saucepan for about 8 – 9 minutes or until all the shells have opened. Remove the mussels from their shells, set aside and discard any mussels that have not opened.
- Heat the olive oil in a pan and add the onion, celery and leek. Sauté until softened.
- Add the milk, bay leaf and potatoes then bring to the boil and simmer for about 10 minutes until the potato has softened.
- Mix the corn flour and cold water together to form a paste then stir into the milk and keep stirring until it thickens.
- Add the mussels to the mixture, season with salt and pepper and a little nutmeg.
- Divide the chowder between two bowls and serve sprinkled with the chopped parsley.
Nutrition
🧾 Nutrition Label
Nutritional information provided below is calculated using paid for online tools and the exact ingredients and quantities used above.
⭐ Rate The Recipe
If you’ve made this easy healthy mussel chowder recipe, or any other recipes on Neil's Healthy Meals, then please let me know.
I’d love to hear what you think of my recipe in the comments below and please do rate my recipe 5* if you like it! 🙂
David @ Spiced
What a fun recipe, Neil! I've had steamed mussels, but I don't think I've ever cooked with them like this. And now I'm dying to try it out! Our local grocery store often has a sale on mussels, so this is a win-win! And great tip about the corn flour to keep this one thick without using cream. We're still trying to watch our diet around here, so this sounds like a flavorful yet healthy option! Plus, Laura loves mussels. Maybe I'll surprise her with a batch of this soup for Valentine's Day in a couple of weeks! 🙂
neil@neilshealthymeals.com
What a lovely idea to surprise Laura with a bowl of this for Valentines Day in a couple of weeks. 🙂
Lynne has already requested pancakes so I'm on a mission to deliver a top notch recipe for that day.
I'm glad that you can get mussels on sale locally for yourself. They're one of my favourite seafoods. If they're on the menu in a restaurant we happen to be eating out in, I tend to gravitate towards them! Hope you have a great weekend!
Ben|Havocinthekitchen
This Chowder looks and sounds delicious, Neil. When it comes to soup, I don't mind cutting down on/eliminating butter and cream (=more room for a dessert). I've never made chowder, but now living in the seafood/fish province, I should certainly try making it 😉
neil@neilshealthymeals.com
Ha ha, I like your thinking there Ben. Less calories / fat during main starter / main courses of a meal then you can afford to indulge a little more by having a dessert. I guess that's you kind of 80/20'd your meal course. Love it!! 😀
If you can get fresh mussels with you now living in the seafood/fish province, I would definitely try this if you can. 🙂
Neha
This chowder looks so creamy and delicious. I could never guess it is cream/fat free! Wonderful recipe.
neil@neilshealthymeals.com
Thanks Neha. Yes it's amazing what you can do with a bit of creativity and recipe substitution to change the calories of recipes which I love doing! Hope you're having an amazing weekend.