Easy Clam Chowder
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Clam chowder is easier to make than you think – and the homemade version is unbelievably creamy, flavorful and chockfull of clams!
Soup season has come and gone, but a bowl of clam chowder can really be eaten in any kind of weather, especially when it comes to the homemade version.
If you didn’t know, clam chowder is actually a very simple soup to prepare with a few pantry ingredients. Now some recipes call for fresh clams but I actually prefer to use canned clams for several different reasons.
1. It’s certainly easier – all you have to do is open up the can. Done.
2. It’s budget-friendly at $2.99 per can versus $9.99 per pound.
3. Last but not least, it brings in a lot more flavor when you use both the canned clams and juices, not to mention the abundance of clams as well, something you don’t really get when you order out.
Now what I love about this recipe is that you have absolute complete control over the creaminess of the soup. You can make it as thick as you’d like, or a little bit runny if that’s how you prefer your soup. Just be sure to have those oyster crackers ready to go because this soup is guaranteed to disappear from your dinner table!
Easy Clam Chowder
Ingredients
- 4 slices bacon, diced
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 onion, diced
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup vegetable stock
- 2 (6.5-ounce) cans chopped clams, juices reserved
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 russet potatoes, peeled and diced
- 1 cup half and half*
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
Instructions
- Heat a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add bacon and cook until brown and crispy, about 6-8 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate, reserving 1 tablespoon excess fat in the stockpot.
- Melt butter in the stockpot. Add garlic and onion, and cook, stirring frequently, until onions have become translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in thyme until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk, vegetable stock, clam juice and bay leaf, and cook, whisking constantly, until slightly thickened, about 1-2 minutes. Stir in potatoes.
- Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 12-15 minutes.*
- Stir in half and half and clams until heated through, about 1-2 minutes; season with salt and pepper, to taste. If the soup is too thick, add more half and half as needed until desired consistency is reached.
- Serve immediately, garnished with bacon and parsley, if desired.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
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This is the second time I’ve made this receipe because it is soooo delicious. Just like I love it to taste. Thank you for posting this!!!
So good! Whole family were super excited that I was making clam chowder and were 100% satisfied with your recipe. Thank you!
Super duper easy to make 10/10 I even used vanilla almond milk instead of normal milk as well has the heavy cream. Also if u don’t have fresh parsley use the dried kind but only about a third of what the recipe calls for. YUMMY!
No, no, no don’t use almond milk in clam chowder! If you can’t use half and half, use reduced fat milk to keep calories down. Also, not a fan of dried parsley — use the real deal.
Not everyone can have dairy, so using reduced fat milk won’t work for some. And plenty of people like dried herbs. Not sure why you feel the need to criticize the way someone else is choosing to cook.
Nancy’s recipe is as good as it comes and it is HER recipe. I do not see a criticism, she is reinforcing what she has already said about HER recipe.
I personally freaked out when i read VANILLA. That would completely change the taste of the original recipe; perhaps using plain almond milk if the person is lactose intolerant may be ok, but I am making mine Nancy’s style.
This was amazing clam chowder and so easy! I did add a little more spice to it, added celery, used red potatoes, and reduced the milk by half for thicker soup, but the base recipe is awesome and I will definitely make it again!
This clam chowder is delicious! I had left over steamed grouper with the juices I added to the pot at the end. Mouthwatering!
Fantastic and easy soup!! Yummy
I found this recipe very rich so I definitely recommend cutting it with some acidity. We added some vinegar. We also added some paprika and red pepper flakes (if we had old bay seasoning in the house, we would have used that). I enjoyed it after making those changes.
Yummy and super fast! Two thumbs up from this lifelong New Englander.
Love this! So easy and DELICIOUS.
Followed recipe to a “T” and my family enjoyed it.
We love our clam chowder and this is a very good and quick recipe. I tried to follow the recipe as written, but due to trying to do it quickly and with what I had, some things were missed/forgotten or substituted. So it is hard to mess up the final product and I suspect the original recipe is just as good! I used canned clams because I had them and lots of broth left over sitting in the refrigerator from an earlier doctoring of some commercial clam chowder. I used half & half for all of the milk requested…so a total of 3 cups. I mixed up the fact that I was supposed to use thyme and instead used fresh dried rosemary…yummy! I will continue doing that. I had only frozen bacon…so I used real bacon bits (purchased) and sautéed them in some bacon grease I had. I had an opened container of chicken broth, but not quite a full cup…so I added more clam juice and used that rather than vegetable broth. The soup was a little thinner than what we like so I added a tablespoon of cornstarch to the last cup of half & half before adding. I forgot the bay leaf…of well, not missed. I used 1 yellow potato chopped into small pieces. Out of fresh garlic so used about 2 + teas. of garlic powder. I didn’t want to run to the porch and snip parsley…so I left that out. I did use white paper and about teaspoon of sea salt. The end result could only have been improved on by using fresh clams….but then I won’t have had the amount of clam juice that I had. I was told not to change from adding rosemary. It was a very yummy, quick clam chowder and a recipe I will definitely make again with or wothout the changes!!! Thanks
Turned out REALLY Good. Great recipe and Very Easy to make.
I’m Originally from Chicago and have lived in the New England area for the past 17 years.
New Englanders have their own preference/taste for what they think Clam Chowder is supposed to taste like.
I LOVE it. It’s like Having New Englanders make a Pizza that Chicagoans would like. LOL
AND YES…. MY wife who has lived in New England all her life and LOVES “Snow’s” Clam Chowder Likes it. LOL
Great recipe. I substituted coconut milk for both milk and cream. Nice and thick and fewer calories
Awesome idea! I’m going to give that a try. I LOVE clam chowder and was worried I would have to give it up with my new eating-healthy regime.
Can you taste coconut when you add coconut milk? I have a child with a dairy allergy. I love the idea of using coconut milk but not if it changes the taste of the recipe
Use cashew cream, it works perfectly!
This was absolutely excellent. I added a little more half-and-half because I didn’t want it as thick and I used fresh thyme it was perfect. Will definitely make it again and again. Loved the bacon! This is real clam chowder
Delicious receipe! was very easy. it’s a hit with the family. I will make it again.
It is awesome
Great recipe! The first time I made it it came out too thin but I fixed that the second time by making sure to add the milk/stock/clam juice a little bit at a time and whisking well in between each addition.
Question for the author – can this recipe be doubled (or tripled!) by simply doubling all the ingredients? Or should some be adjusted
First clam chowder, turned out quite tasty, but the recipe needs a little tuning.
Recommend some light oiling of pan before bacon. Reserved bacon fat is never used. Allow 45 minutes for potatoes, not 12-15, or better parboil first in water for 30 mins. 2 russets should be medium, not large.
it wouldn’t take that log if you use yellow potatoes or smaller ones
Yes, my biggest complaint was my 2 potatoes (cut in 1/2” cubes) were nowhere near done after 15 minutes, 45 minutes was much more accurate. When cooked longer it was delicious!
I have been making this recipe for two years- I love it.
There is only me, so haOf of the recipe is great for dinner and then lunch in a few days.
I use heavy cream, as I freeze it in muffin tin (exactly 1/2 cup!) for recipes like this, it makes it thicker, too.
I use fresh bay leaves and thyme, as I have them year round.
I also add a bit of shrimp or a bit of fish fillet. But the basic recipe is awesome!
This was my first time making clam chowder. The reviews I had from my family, you would have thought I had made it over the years. Everyone loved it. I am making it again. I might add a little more flour to make it a little thicker but otherwise, the recipe to me is great the way it is!
Not sure what I did wrong but mine turned out quite bland and quite thin. However I added more thyme, oregano and some other spices I had along with some cornstarch + extra clam juice mixture and it turned out great in the end! Good base recipe for sure! I think i needs some more flavour though. I didn’t read the comments below first but I do see lots of people adding different things to theirs and some substitutions. I will read them and try tweaking it a bit next time.
thanks for the recipe!
Can you make this the day before?