Thick, creamy and packed with flavor, this New England Clam Chowder is a delicious staple recipe to have on your menu for any time of the year.
If you are a chowder fan, then there is no doubt that you’ve had Clam Chowder before.
This New England Clam Chowder is one of my favorites because it consists of a variety of different ingredients.
Its thick, creamy and everything just melds so well together and it gives it a smooth flavor that you will love.
Plus this is such a super easy to throw together with minimal steps, and those recipes are the best.
When it comes to a great dinnertime meal, you cannot go wrong with this. You can call is soup if you like but chowder it is and they are a little different.
If you have never tried New England Clam Chowder, now is your chance with this easy recipe. Trust me, you don’t want to miss out.
Some of our favorite soup/chowder recipes we have on our site include: Chicken Pot Pie Soup, Creamy Potato Soup and Slow Cooker Chicken Wild Rice Soup.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
- So many flavors come together to give you something that works perfectly.
- This makes a larger batch but you can absolutely double it.
- Thick and creamy, this will not disappoint in flavor or texture.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED (FULL RECIPE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST):
Chopped clams in clam juice
Clam juice
Bacon
Unsalted butter
Celery
Yellow onion
Diced potatoes
Garlic
Dried parsley
Chicken broth
Bay leaves
Salt
Black pepper
Heavy whipping cream
Cornstarch, optional for cornstarch slurry
Cold water, optional for cornstarch slurry
Oyster crackers, optional for serving
Fresh chopped parsley, optional for serving
HOW TO MAKE NEW ENGLAND CLAM CHOWDER, STEP BY STEP:
- Drain and separate clams and juice from cans and reserve 2 cups of clam juice in a large measuring cup or bowl. Set aside.
- Cook bacon in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat until fat is rendered, about 10-12 minutes. Remove half the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. Reserve 1 tablespoon bacon grease and add 1 tablespoon butter to the pan over medium-high heat.
- Add celery and onions to pan with bacon. Cook for 5-7 minutes, or until onions are translucent. Add potatoes, garlic, and dried parsley. Sauté 60 seconds.
- Stir in chicken broth, reserved clam juice, clams, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.
- Discard bay leaves and stir in heavy cream. Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until heated through.
- Optional step to thicken soup: Combine cornstarch and water in a small mixing bowl, and whisk until smooth. Carefully pour slurry into the chowder, stirring constantly for 2 minutes to avoid clumping.
- Garnish with reserved chopped bacon, oyster crackers, and fresh parsley, if desired. Enjoy!
WHAT KIND OF POTATOES SHOULD I USE?
We use Russet Potatoes in this recipe, but you can also use Yukon Gold or Red Potatoes as well.
Just make sure they are peeled and cut to the same size.
DO I HAVE TO MAKE THE CORNSTARCH SLURRY?
The cornstarch slurry is optional but if you prefer a thicker chowder, don’t skip it.
We really like to use it so it is not watery and is a nice thick texture that really makes a chowder what a chowder should be!
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN NEW ENGLAND AND MANHATTAN CLAM CHOWDER?
There is quite a noticeable difference between the two chowder recipes. And both are delicious.
New England Clam Chowder is a rich and creamy broth, and the Manhattan Clam Chowder is a clear tomato broth.
CAN I MAKE THIS A LITTLE LIGHTER?
For a lighter version, substitute half-and-half or whole milk for heavy cream. You may need to do the cornstarch slurry to thicken it.
HOW TO STORE:
This can be store in an airtight container in the refrigerator where it will keep for up to 3 days.
We do not recommend freezing this soup as heavy cream does not freeze well and becomes a different texture when thawing.
To reheat, place on the stovetop in a pan and heat until heated through or place in microwave until heated through.
TIPS AND TRICKS:
- Add a variety of seafood, chopped cooked shrimp or scallops, lobster meat, crab, salmon, or cod.
- You can use fresh clams, but that can be pricey and difficult to find. I use canned clams and can’t tell the difference
- We do not recommend freezing this recipe.
- Yukon Gold and Red Potatoes can be used in place of the Russet Potatoes.
- The cornstarch slurry is optional but if you prefer a thicker chowder, don’t skip it.
- Easily double this recipe to serve more people.
When it comes to a delicious and filling meal, you absolutely cannot go wrong with this New England Clam Chowder
If you like this recipe you might also like:
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New England Clam Chowder
Ingredients
- 19.5 ounces 3 6.5 ounce each cans chopped clams in clam juice
- 2 cups reserved clam juice
- 6 slices bacon diced
- 1 Tablespoon butter
- 2 ribs celery chopped
- 1 large yellow onion diced
- 3 cups diced potatoes about 1 ¼ pounds russet potatoes, peeled
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 2 dried bay leaves
- ½ teaspoon salt plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper plus more to taste
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch optional for cornstarch slurry
- 1 tablespoon cold water optional for cornstarch slurry
- Oyster crackers optional for serving
- Fresh chopped parsley optional for serving
Instructions
- Drain and separate clams and juice from cans and reserve 2 cups of clam juice in a large measuring cup or bowl. Set aside.
- Cook bacon in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat until fat is rendered, about 10-12 minutes. Remove half the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. Reserve 1 tablespoon bacon grease and add 1 tablespoon butter to the pan over medium-high heat.
- Add celery and onions to pan with bacon. Cook for 5-7 minutes, or until onions are translucent. Add potatoes, garlic, and dried parsley. Sauté 60 seconds.
- Stir in chicken broth, reserved clam juice, clams, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.
- Discard bay leaves and stir in heavy cream. Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until heated through.
- Optional step to thicken soup: Combine cornstarch and water in a small mixing bowl, and whisk until smooth. Carefully pour slurry into the chowder, stirring constantly for 2 minutes to avoid clumping.
- Garnish with reserved chopped bacon, oyster crackers, and fresh parsley, if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
- Crackers and parsley garnish are not added into the nutritional value.
- Add a variety of seafood, chopped cooked shrimp or scallops, lobster meat, crab, salmon, or cod.
- You can use fresh clams, but that can be pricey and difficult to find. I use canned clams and can’t tell the difference
- We do not recommend freezing this recipe.
- Yukon Gold and Red Potatoes can be used in place of the Russet Potatoes.
- The cornstarch slurry is optional but if you prefer a thicker chowder, don’t skip it.
- Easily double this recipe to serve more people.
Nutrition
Tornadough Alli is not a nutritionist or dietitian, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and nutritional value is important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and values can vary depending on which brands were used.
Marsha
Do you use chopped or minced clams?
Tornadough Alli
We use chopped, it says it in the ingredients list 🙂