Soup season is here and I am ready for it! Bring on hearty beef stew, chicken and dumplings, and loaded vegetable soup. But if you’re in the mood for something even more comforting and, dare I say, indulgent, why not try my creamy New England clam chowder recipe? If you’ve ever tried my corn chowder recipe, then you already have the basic outline for this recipe. The main difference is that instead of using corn, you’ll use clams instead.
It’s creamy, it’s flavorful, it’s quick enough for busy weeknights, and it tastes better than what you’d find at a restaurant! Slightly briny and perfectly savory, with a hint of sweetness from the tender clams, this easy soup recipe tastes fancy without any fuss. Just grab some canned clams, bacon, and a few pantry staples, and you can have dinner on the table in no time.
While clam chowder is typically served with oyster crackers, it is also insanely good with breadsticks, no-knead beer bread, or crusty artisan bread.
What You Need to Make This Recipe
Bacon — chop up 4 slices of bacon. Bacon fat is a large flavor component here, and the cooked bacon serves as a topping for the soup.
Onion and celery — I make an “almost-mirepoix” with chopped onion and celery that serves as the foundation of flavor for the soup.
Flour — flour acts as a thickening agent and helps bind the milk and stock together.
Canned chopped clams in juice — drain the clams over a bowl and save the juice, which is super important for adding a mild briny flavor to the chowder
Milk — use whole milk so the soup is extra creamy.
Stock — chicken stock is the best option, but you can use vegetable stock instead.
Bay leaf — a single bay leaf adds depth. Don’t forget to remove it before serving. (Bay leaves are quite bitter and hard!)
Russet potatoes — peel the potatoes and dice them into fairly small cubes for faster and more even cooking.
Half and half — adds yet another layer of creaminess that makes the soup irresistible.
Chopped parsley — along with chopped bacon, parsley is a bright topping for the soup.
How to Make Clam Chowder
1. Grab a large pot or Dutch oven for the clam chowder. Start by cooking the chopped bacon over medium-high heat until crispy and brown. Prepare a plate covered with a few paper towels. Remove the bacon from the pot with a slotted spoon and set it onto the paper towels to drain off the excess fat. Leave the rest of the bacon drippings in the pot — It adds a rich savory flavor to the soup.
2. Add the unsalted butter to the pot and melt it before throwing in the chopped onion and celery, and minced garlic. Saute for about 4 minutes, until the onion is tender and translucent.
3. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute.
4. Slowly whisk in the clam juice you saved when draining the clams, whole milk, chicken broth, salt, and pepper. Cook for a couple of minutes until it begins to thicken, then add the bay leaf and diced potatoes. Reduce the heat and cook for about 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender (check by gently piercing a few with a fork).
5. Pour in the half and half and stir. The soup should now be quite thick.
6. Add the chopped clams. Cook until that’s heated through (this will only take about 2 minutes). Find and throw away the bay leaf. Spoon the creamy clam chowder into bowls and top with the cooked bacon and chopped parsley. Enjoy immediately.
Pro Tips for Making This Recipe
- Cut the potatoes into evenly sized pieces. This will help them cook at the same speed. If you don’t have russet potatoes, you can swap them out for red potatoes.
- If you prefer using fresh clams, you’ll need about 1 cup of cleaned, steamed, chopped fresh clams, along with about 1 cup of clam juice.
- Make an even richer chowder! Swap the half and half out for an equal amount of heavy cream.
- Serve the creamy soup immediately. It will continue to thicken as it sits. You can thin it out with a little milk if necessary.
- Add a spicy kick to the clam chowder! Add a few splashes of your favorite hot sauce, or chop up a jalapeno or two and add it directly to the soup with the garlic for extra heat!
Frequently Asked Questions
Many would argue that fresh clams are the best option for clam chowder. But if you don’t live near the ocean, fresh clams can be difficult to come by (not to mention expensive). Shucking and cleaning clams is time-consuming as well. Canned clams are an affordable option available at most large grocery stores. They’re also a major time-saver that allows you to have this soup on the dinner table in well under an hour. Regardless of what kind of clams you use, this recipe will give you a delectable authentic clam chowder.
New England clam chowder, which is what this recipe is for, is a thick and creamy soup containing milk and/or heavy cream. Manhattan clam chowder, on the other hand, is tomato-based and brothy. Equally delicious, but totally different!
My family loves clam chowder leftovers because the flavors meld as it sits in the refrigerator. If you have leftovers, wait until the soup is completely cool before carefully transferring it to an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 5 days. Reheat on the stove or in the microwave. You may need to add a little more milk or chicken stock to thin the chowder out a bit.
Unfortunately, because of the milk and half and half, this clam chowder recipe is not a good candidate for freezing. It will likely separate as it thaws, ruining the creamy, luxurious texture of the soup.
If you love this recipe try these out!
If you’ve tried this Clam Chowder recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Clam Chowder
Equipment
- Paper towels
Ingredients
- 4 slices bacon chopped
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 onion chopped
- 2 celery stalks chopped
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour (40g)
- 2 (6.5-ounce/184g ) cans chopped clams in juice undrained
- 1½ cups milk 360ml
- 1½ cups chicken stock (360ml)
- 1 bay leaf
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 russet potatoes peeled and diced
- 1½ cups half and half (360ml)
- Chopped parsley
Instructions
- Add the bacon to a large pot or Dutch oven and cook over medium-high heat until brown and crispy, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the bacon from the pot and place on paper towels to drain. Reserve the drippings in the pot.
- Add the butter to the pot and melt over medium-high heat. Add the onion, celery, and garlic, and sauté until the onion is tender, about 4 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute.
- Gradually whisk in the juice from the clams, milk, stock, salt, and pepper. Cook until mixture starts to thicken, about 2 minutes. Add the potatoes and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.
- Stir in the half and half and clams. Cook until heated through, about 2 minutes. Discard the bay leaf. Serve immediately topped with the cooked bacon and parsley.
Notes
- Cut the potatoes into evenly sized pieces. This will help them cook at the same speed. If you don’t have russet potatoes, you can swap them out for red potatoes.
- If you prefer using fresh clams, you’ll need about 1 cup of cleaned, steamed, chopped fresh clams, along with about 1 cup of clam juice.
- Make an even richer chowder! Swap the half and half out for an equal amount of heavy cream.
- Serve the creamy soup immediately. It will continue to thicken as it sits. You can thin it out with a little milk if necessary.
- Add a spicy kick to the clam chowder! Add a few splashes of your favorite hot sauce, or chop up a jalapeno or two and add it directly to the soup with the garlic for extra heat!
