Name: Morel Ramp Potato Chowder
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons avocado oil; 1/2 cup ramps (chopped); 1/2 cup celery (chopped); 1/2 cup carrot (peeled/chopped); 1+ cup morel mushrooms (fresh or reconstituted from dried); 2 bay leaves; 6 medium potatoes (peeled and cubed (about 6 cups)); 4 cups chicken bone broth (or vegetable broth ); 1 1/2 cups Heavy Cream (or canned full fat coconut milk); Sea Salt; Black Pepper

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This Morel Ramp Potato Chowder Recipe combines amazing spring flavors into a hearty creamy soup is great for those chilly spring days! Gluten-Free, Grain-Free & Vegetarian Friendly.

Morel Ramp Potato Chowder in a white bowl on a marble background

This recipe was originally shared in April of 2013 and updated in 2021.

I simply LOVE spring. I love the potential it holds for the upcoming summer. Our life is so jam-packed-FULL during spring, but I would have it any other way! Baby chicks, turkey poults, starting the garden, hunting for morel mushrooms and foraging for ramps are just a few of the highlights of what takes up all of our free time!

Are we nuts? Yes!! But in a really good way 🙂

Morel Mushrooms and Ramps are 2 of the best foods that nature brings to the table, and they are available for FREE! You just have to get out into the woods and find them. To learn more about what to forage for in April Click HERE

red plate with ramps and morel mushrooms

One of the best things about this Potato Chowder with Morels and Ramps is that you can use either freshly picked morels and ramps OR you can use dehydrated or freeze dried that you reconstitute.

That give you the ability to make this gluten free morel mushroom chowder any time of the year, but still incorporate all the flavors of spring!

ingredients for morel ramp potato chowder

How to make Morel Ramp Potato Chowder

One important thing that I want to point out, I create all my morel mushroom recipes using a very small amount of mushrooms; in this case just 1 cup. Then I re-test with more morels.

While we have an abundant supply of morel mushrooms I understand that many of you do not and I want my recipes to work for EVERYONE. So if you’re blessed with lots of morels, feel free to add more.

This gluten free potato chowder is so easy to make! To get started you will simply sauté your vegetables…

morels, ramps and celery sautéed in butter with a orange rubber spatula in a dutch oven

then add cubbed potatoes that you’ll simmer in chicken bone broth. If you are vegetarian you can swap vegetable broth or my pressure cooker wild mushroom broth for extra boost of mushrooms!

morel ramp potato chowder in a yellow dutch oven with bay leaves on top

The bay leaves are what give this Mushroom Potato Chowder Recipe that distinct ‘chowder’ flavor and helps to balance out the ramps.

This recipe isn’t written specifically to be gluten-free it’s just naturally how I cook. I always try to avoid using gluten in recipes where it’s not necessary, I try to use alternative, yet delicious ingredients and techniques. I feel very strongly that globally we’ve relied on flour to do things because it’s cheap and easy but it doesn’t always yield the BEST result, like in this potato chowder recipe.

How to Thicken Potato Chowder without Flour

The secret to making a potato chowder without flour is using the potatoes themselves as the thickener!

By taking some of the cooked potatoes and vegetables with broth and pureeing them until smooth with heavy cream, you’ve created a creamy, gluten-free thickener to add back into the soup that’s never going to get starchy or lumpy.

And using a vegetable puree as a thickener ADDS a boost of flavor from the ingredients in the soup! This technique is also wonderful for margin gravy like in my Low Carb {Pressure Cooker} Pork Roast with Mushroom Gravy or Easy Slow Roast Leg of Lamb Recipe — pictured below.

To accomplish the most perfect velvety smooth puree, a high quality blender, like a Vitamix, is essential. I’ve had mine for over 10 years and can’t say enough good things about it. I high recommend the investment.

Important reminder, always be very careful when blending HOT liquids in any blender. Work in small batches and start on very low speed. I suggest only filling your blender 1/3 of the way full for optimal safety.

Tips for making the Best Homemade Potato Chowder

Of course your morel ramp potato chowder will be delicious right away, but I personally like to always give my soups/stews etc time to rest. Time to cool down and sit on the stove for a little while.

The flavors will develop better, in my opinion. I call it the “Grandma Effect” that we’ve gotten away from in modern day cooking. Both my grandmother and my husband’s grandmother prepared their meals early and let them rest, I encourage you to do the same.

Think of this as similar to why some things taste even better as leftovers. For us it’s how we’ve harnessed some of the magic that made our grandmother’s food so damn good!

I hope you enjoy this Creamy Potato Chowder Recipe with Morel Mushrooms and Ramps! For more spring recipes featuring morel mushrooms and/or ramps try these: