Place a large pot over medium heat, and when the pan is hot, add the bacon. Sauté until the bacon renders it's fat and is crispy.
Scoop out the bacon bits and set them aside. Pour out some of the bacon fat if there's too much, you'll need around 2-3 tablespoons in the pan.
Add the onion, garlic, and celery to the pan. Sauté over medium low temperature until the onion begins to turn translucent and is soft.
Add the thyme, stir to combine, then add the bay leaf, reserved juice from the clams, the bottle of clam juice, and the chicken stock.
Stir to combine again, then add the potatoes and bacon bits. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to maintain a simmer. Cook until the potatoes are tender, 15-20 minutes. When the potatoes are done, remove the bay leaf.
Then using a ladle, scoop out 2 cups of the cooked potatoes, draining off excess liquid, and add them to a blender. Don't worry about spooning out the other ingredients with the potatoes, this won't matter.
Add the coconut cream to the blender with the potatoes, then blend on low speed just until the potatoes are mostly smooth.
Add the potato/coconut cream mixture back to the chowder and stir to combine. Turn the heat off and add the clams. Stir again, then season to taste with salt and pepper.
Serve immediately. Any leftovers reheat well on the stove top. This soup doesn't freeze super well because the potatoes tend to come out with a mushy texture.
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Notes
For the coconut cream you can scoop the hardened cream from the top of a refrigerated can of coconut milk. Or you can buy cans of coconut cream and use that. Coconut cream should have just coconut in it, it comes unsweetened.The amount of salt you'll need here will vary greatly depending on the chicken stock, clams, and clam juice you use. So it's best to season to taste at the end of the cooking time.To ensure this recipe is Whole30, definitely check your labels for compliant ingredients.