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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Made this tonight. It was excellent. Am I missing something? Was I supposed to add the saved bacon grease? As others said I added some Old Bay seasoning. Will definitely make again. Also my first time making chowder.
Easy. Yummy…delicious!!
I had started with another recipe (for Corn & Potato chowder) and realized I have a can of chopped clams and some clam juice, so I thankfully found your recipe. Since I already chopped some sweet orange and yellow peppers I added them with the onion and garlic. Since I only had 1 can of clams I cooked another 4 slices of bacon and added them at the end with the clams. I added the corn towards the end too. It is thick and creamy. Since it is still a Saturday Morning (I got the urge to cook early today!) I’m letting it sit (off the heat, covered) in the dutch oven on the stove until lunchtime, for the flavors to meld together. My samplings have been delicious… I can’t wait to dig in! 🙂
This is an excellent recipe. I have made it twice, both times using leftover steamers and lobster meat, the first time using a 6.5 oz can of clams along with what I had leftover, and the second time with a total of about 10 oz of leftover lobster and clams combined, and using an additional 1/2 cup of clam juice to make up for not using the reserved juice from two cans of canned clams. BUT, the one big difference for the two times I have made it (so far, because I LOVE this recipe!) is that I use clam broth left over from making steamers instead of vegetable stock. And, I will use bottled clam juice instead of vegetable stock if I make this with no fresh broth on hand. FYI, 12 oz potato, and 4 oz of bacon works well. Thank you for a great basic recipe! It tastes like my Mom’s.
The recipe tasted good, but I agree with a PP about it being too thin.
Usually, I like my dairy-based soups (cream of mushroom, broccoli cheddar, potato, etc.) to have a thicker consistency. This had more of the consistency of a broth-based soup, unfortunately.
Anyways, I plan on making it again, but I will probably leave out some of the milk.
I ran into that problem the first time I made it but I fixed it the second time – make sure to add the milk/stock/clam juice a pour at a time, then whisk and let it thicken for 30-45 seconds. Using the original ingredient amounts I poured/whisked/repeated around 6 times and it got much thicker!
I doubled it and I did add a little Bay seasoning. The flavor was really good but it got a little thin. I should have only added 1 cup of half and half I think. Next time I will add it slower and try to get it thicker. Or possibly add more flour. I have to experiment a bit.
Made this for the first time tonight and it is perfect! Highly recommend serving with sourdough toast. We are transplants to the Seattle area and this is going to be our new Clam Chowder recipe to serve to visitors. Do note that, this recipe didn’t make a huge amount – served my husband and I, with maybe 1.5 bowls leftover. Will want to double or triple for a crowd.
Very good , everyone in my family liked it.
Wonderful! I used coconut cream instead of half and half.
also, to thicken – stead of flour (because I am gluten-free) I have used cooked rice tor potatoes blended with some of the soup then added back to the pot. Works well to thicken instead of flour
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very yummy!! made for dinner tonight and it got rave reviews, thanks for the recipe !!
Very simple recipe to make and over all it was good. I added some more seasonings as I found it a little bland with just salt and pepper. This recipe is the perfect base recipe to then stand adding different ingredients to make it perfect for your taste.
My first time making Clam Chowder. I worked at a seafood restaurant in my early adult years. We all loved the clam chowder there, even my young daughters at the time. With time off from work, I find myself having more time to try new recipes. This Clam Chowder was “Damn Delicious!” my now grown daughters, husband and I loved the taste! The only complaint was, I wish I would of doubled the batch : )
Delicious. Made this for dinner tonight. Only thing I did different was sub clam juice for the vegetable stock because I had bought it already. Turned out great.
I absolutely LOVE this recipe! I made it this afternoon and my husband loved it. We are having it tonight for dinner. I am going to make another batch tomorrow. I am in CA and we are currently on lock down over this COVID crisis. I can’t WAIT to make this for our future family dinner.
This was awesome. One modification, as per some earlier readers’ comments: Before doing anything, I browned six strips of bacon in the large skillet, removed them and let them drain. Then, I added the veggies to the bacon fat and proceeded as described (with clam juice, water, etc.) Crumbled the bacon into the soup after it was all combined. Adds fat, but a huge flavor too. Simply outstanding recipe here — I love the red wine vinegar idea. Thank you!!
I made this recipe two nights ago. I used fresh horse and butter clams that I caught myself. I also used smoked bacon from my local butcher. I didn’t drain off the fat as the recipe said to and instead opted to add all of it to the dish (I like the flavor it adds). Anyhow, it turned out amazing! Thank you so much for sharing this gem of a recipe.
Josh S: What did you mean by “fresh horse”??
Fresh refers to the clams. They mean “horse and butter clams.” What kind of horse and butter clams? Fresh horse and butter clams.
This was delicious. My first time making clam chowder because I have a husband who is very picky about this dish. I bought seafood stock based on comments here and used instead of vegetable stock as well as someone’s suggestion of adding a couple of TBS of Old Bay Seasoning and this was fabulous. Husband LOVED it.
Clam chowder is my absolute favourite and this was so quick and easy ! It tastes so good too (my boyfriend doesnt like seafood so i made the whole thing for myself lol) the canned clams were just okay as the ones i bought were a little fishy/sandy type of taste but honestly i dont mind it really. Other than that great flavour, i added lots of freshy grounded black pepper and tomorrow im going to make some brioche croutons to go with it ! How long can i store it in the fridge? Saw a comment saying it freezes well but i thought dairy doesnt freeze very well?
I doubled the recipe, added :4 doz frozen cooked clams in the shell, i shelled them. Added 2 stalks of diced celery, 1 cup clam sauce, teas. Crushed celery seed , 1/4 teas garlic powder, 1/2 teas thyme crushed 3 bsy leaves, 1 # of thin sliced cooked crisp bacon , with grease,s handful of chopped flat leaf parsley. 2 cups heavy creme, 3 cups milk 2 cups organic veg. Stock, Very good.
Delicious and easy directions to make no left overs