Prepare onion, celery and carrot and sauté in vegan butter for 12 to 15 minutes in the same dutch oven used for the 'clams’. Note that depending on the size of your carrot and celery dice, you may need to adjust your sauté time. These need to be tender. Add minced garlic and sauté and additional 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant.
Add wine and cook off most of the liquid.
Add remaining chowder ingredients, except the plant based milk and remembering to strain the marinating broth,, to the dutch oven and bring to a boil before reducing to a simmer. Cover and cook for approximately 15 to 20 minutes until potatoes are fork tender. Remove and discard bay leaves.
Stir in cashew cream, vegan 'clams' and ½ cup of plant based milk and heat over medium low for 3 to 4 minutes. Add additional plant-based milk if you prefer a less thick chowder.
Serve with oyster crackers if you can find them, because that's just the way you do it! If you can't find them, don't stress! We also like ours with a slice of lightly toasted sourdough!