1 tablespoon olive or sunflower oil
1 large yellow onion, diced
2 carrots, peeled or unpeeled and sliced into 1/4-inch slices
3 stalks celery, sliced into 1/4-inch
4 ounces of shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced – these give the chowder its chewy, clam-like bits
8 ounces white mushrooms, sliced whole into 1/4-inch thick slices
2 medium potatoes, peeled or unpeeled, and diced
3 cups vegetable stock
1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt
Pepper to taste
1 to 2 nori sheets, chopped very fine or crumbled up into tiny pieces (this gives your chowder that ‘taste-o-the-sea’ flavor)
1 1/4 cups unsweetened, unflavored cashew milk (either store-bought or *see below for making your own)
2 more cups vegetable stock
4 teaspoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons tomato paste (optional)
2 tablespoons lemon juice (optional)

In a large, heavy pot, saute the onions, carrots, celery, and mushrooms on medium-low to low heat, until onions are translucent and the other vegetables are just barely softened. Add the potatoes, the 3 cups of vegetable broth, nori, and salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower heat, cover, and simmer until the potatoes are just turning tender.

While the soup is simmering, put the vegan milk, 1 cup of vegetable stock, and the cornstarch in your blender, and blend until very well blended. Stir the milk mixture into the soup, and simmer uncovered for another 5 to 10 minutes, until thickened to where you want it (which will be accomplished by the cornstarch).

At this point, if you want to add the tomato paste (it adds tang and brightness, but we found it a bit odd for our taste) and the lemon juice, do so.

*Make your own cashew milk: Soak 1 cup of raw cashews in water to cover for 2-3 hours. Drain and put in blender with the 2 cups vegetable stock and 4 teaspoons cornstarch and blend the heck out of it until very smooth.

Serve with salad and some crusty gluten-free bread and vegan butter!

If you bring this to a Super Bowl party, please let us know how it went over!