Clam Chowder Recipe
Total Time
1 hr
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
45 mins
Rating
4.97 out of 5 stars
(226)
Ingredients
8 servings
- 6 slices lean bacon, cut into 1/2" strips
- 2 medium carrots, sliced into thin rings or half rings
- 2 celery ribs, finely diced
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 4 Tbsp all-purpose flour, or GF flour
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth, or stock
- 1 1/2 cups canned chopped clams, drained with juices reserved, from 3 (6.5 oz) cans
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 tsp Tabasco sauce
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper, or to taste
- 1 1/2 lbs 6 medium potatoes (Yukon gold or russet), peeled
- 2 cups milk, any kind
- 1 cup whipping cream or heavy whipping cream
- 2 Tbsp chopped cilantro, optional for garnish
How would you rate this recipe?
Preparation
Chef’s notes
The soup will thicken more as it cools. If needed, you can thin it out by adding more milk or chicken broth and bringing it to a boil once more.
Add the clams at the end and be sure you just bring to a boil then remove the soup from the heat. Overcooking the clams will make them chewy and rubbery.
Don’t skip the bacon. That little bit of bacon adds so much flavor, both in the soup and as a topping, and makes every bite completely irresistible.
To Make this Gluten-free, make sure the Tabasco and Worcestershire are FG, then replace the flour with GF flour or create a cornstarch slurry with 2 Tbsp cornstarch and 1/4 cup broth. Add slurry with the clams.
To use fresh clams, you’ll need 7 pounds of clams. Be sure to clean them very well and steam them until they open. Then chop the meat. See more tips in the post above.
Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-5 days. Freezing is not recommended, because the texture changes when frozen.