Description
This Creamy New England-Style Clam Chowder is a comforting and hearty soup featuring tender clams, crispy bacon, and soft potatoes in a rich, creamy broth. Perfect for a cozy meal, this chowder blends savory flavors with a hint of spice for a classic East Coast experience.
Ingredients
Scale
Soup Base
- 6 slices bacon diced
- 1 cup yellow onion diced (about 1 medium onion)
- 1 cup celery diced (about 2 stalks)
- 1 cup leeks sliced thinly (about 1 large leek)
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 cups red potatoes diced (about 1 lb.)
- 3 cups reduced sodium chicken broth or stock
- 3/4 cup clam juice (bottled is fine)
- 1/2 – 3/4 Tbsp dried thyme
- 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 4 dried bay leaves
- 1 1/2 tsp Tabasco sauce or your favorite hot sauce
Seafood and Dairy
- 2 – 3 cans (6.5 oz each) chopped or minced clams drained
- 4 cups half and half
Garnish
- sliced green onions for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Prepare: Gather a large pot or a 7 quart dutch oven to cook the soup.
- Crisp the bacon: Heat the large pot over medium-low heat. Add diced bacon and cook until crispy. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon or tongs onto a paper towel-lined plate, leaving the bacon drippings in the pot.
- Soften vegetables: Increase the heat to medium. Add the diced onion, celery, and sliced leeks to the pot. Sauté for about 3 to 4 minutes until the vegetables are soft. Sprinkle in the all-purpose flour and stir to coat the vegetables evenly. Cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently to avoid burning.
- Add liquids and potatoes: Add the diced red potatoes, reduced sodium chicken broth, clam juice, dried thyme, kosher salt, black pepper, dried bay leaves, and Tabasco sauce to the pot. Stir well to combine all ingredients, then bring the mixture to a boil.
- Simmer potatoes: Once boiling, reduce heat to low, cover the pot, and let the soup simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork-tender.
- Add dairy and clams: Stir in the drained chopped clams and pour in the half and half. Mix well to combine all ingredients.
- Heat through and thicken: Cook the chowder over medium heat, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes until it is heated through and has thickened to your desired consistency.
- Season and serve: Taste the chowder and adjust salt and pepper as needed. Serve topped with the crispy bacon pieces, sliced green onions, and optionally oyster crackers. Enjoy your creamy New England-style clam chowder!
Notes
- To make clam chowder thicker: simmer the chowder longer or mash some of the potatoes with a potato masher. Alternatively, mix about 2 teaspoons of cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of cold water until smooth and stir into the chowder, then simmer until thickened.
- To make clam chowder thinner: add more half and half or additional chicken broth and clam juice to reach your preferred consistency.
- To use fresh clams: steam 2 pounds of scrubbed littleneck or cherrystone clams with 1/4 cup water, 1/2 cup chicken broth, and 6 crushed garlic cloves in a covered saucepan over medium heat for 6-7 minutes until the clams open. Discard any unopened clams, remove meat from shells, chop, and use about 3/4 to 1 cup chopped clams in place of canned clams.
