The World Recipes

AP Photo By using creative ways of making a chowder thick and creamy without using milk or cream you can have the soup you want without compromising your healthy eating habits.

The term chowder usually brings to mind a steaming bowl of thick and chunky soup, often enriched with a generous amount of whole milk, or even cream.

It’s that last part that can dishearten the diet-conscious diner. Soups and some stews can be a great way to fill up on low-calorie vegetables, proteins and liquid, leaving you satisfied without feeling stuffed. But too much cream, milk or sour cream can take the virtue right out of the meal.

Beans, pureed with a bit of broth or water, also make a thick, flavorful soup base. Use convenient canned beans, but be sure to rinse them under cold water to wash away some of the salt that is in the canning liquid.

Even tofu (the soft or silken variety) can be pureed to create a smooth and protein-rich foundation on which you can build a creamy soup with little fat and no dairy.

For this butternut squash and scallop chowder the secret to low-fat thickening comes from a snack food. Crumbled tortilla chips dissolve in the soup while it’s cooking, adding plenty of body along with a layer of toasty corn flavor.

Jarred salsa is another secret to this satisfying chowder, bringing with it pre-diced vegetables and spicy seasoning, which helps make it possible to get this meal on the table in under 30 minutes on a busy weeknight.

Plump bay scallops are called for here, but you can substitute chunks of almost any white fish and if you like, make the soup vegetarian by omitting the seafood altogether and upping the amount of diced squash.

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