Chunky New England Clam Chowder

Clam Chowder doesn’t have to be runny or full of cream. Add more of the good stuff to make this Chunky New England Clam Chowder.

Soup and I have an interesting relationship. My husband LOVES soup – all forms of soups. And he passed this soup obsession to two out of three kids. Me? I like to chew my food.

Soup doesn’t light my fire like it does for my husband. I lean towards chunkier soups than the traditional liquid type. The same for peanut butter and mashed potatoes – I like them chunky.

One soup I do go ga-ga over is chowder. I love red AND white clam chowder. But even my beloved white chowder needed a little makeover for me. So, I went chunky. And if you love red chowder, I’ve got a fabulous recipe for a hearty and healthy Manhattan clam chowder.

What goes into a good chowder

The basic vegetables for a fabulous clam chowder is pretty universal: onions, potatoes, carrots and celery. I like to change things up, of course, and have used a variety of potatoes for clam chowder: red potatoes, finger potatoes, russet potatoes.

For thin skinned potatoes, I like to keep the skin on. The red and yellow potatoes are more waxy and hold their shape during the cooking process. If I’m using Russets, I peel the potatoes.

To bacon or not to bacon?

Some may feel that it is a sin to not start with bacon when you are making clam chowder. Don’t get me wrong, I love, love, LOVE bacon. But I don’t really care for it in my chowder. I do like to sprinkle a little crushed up bacon on top, as a garnish.

Canned clams versus fresh clams

I live in Southern California. Getting fresh clams can be difficult, let alone expensive considering you need about 3-pounds of clam meat for this chunk clam chowder. So, I always use canned clams. And just a note, Costco sells big gonga cans of clam chowder for a great price!

Just remember when using canned clams, drain the clams (save the juice for your chowder!) and give the clams a good shake and rinse with water so you can get the grit out.

This Chunky New England Clam Chowder epitomizes what I love: chunks of clams to chew on, chunks of potatoes I can taste, chunks of celery and carrots that are full of flavor all hugged in a creamy base.

Now this is a soup I can clearly bite into.

And if you want to try another seafood stoup you can bite into, you MUST try my version of the Brazilian seafood stew (moqueca de peixe), which is packed with crab, shrimp, scallops, fish, so much fabulous seafood!

If you are enjoying my recipes, please sign up for my newsletter and get my free 28-day meal plan! You can also follow me on Instagram or Facebook.

Chunky New England Clam Chowder

Laura Bashar | Family Spice

Clam Chowder doesn’t have to be runny or full of cream. Add more of the good stuff to make this Chunky New England Clam Chowder.

No ratings yet

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Total Time 55 minutes mins

Course Soups

Cuisine American

Calories 437 kcal

Ingredients

  

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup chopped onions
• 2 cup fingerling potatoes cut into ½-inch rounds
• 1 cup chopped carrots
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 2 garlic cloves crushed or minced
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoon all purpose flour
• 3 lbs canned clams
• 3 cup half-and-half
• ¼ cup chopped parsley
• 2 tablespoon chopped green onions green parts only

Get Recipe Ingredients

Instructions

 

• Heat a large stock pot on medium and add olive oil.
• When oil is hot add onions and cook until softened, about 8 minutes.
• Stir in potatoes, carrots and celery and continue to cook vegetable for 5 minutes, stirring often.
• Stir in garlic, salt, pepper and flour.
• Cook for an additional 2 minutes.
• Separate the juice from the canned clam meat. You should have about 1 quart of juice.
• Stir the clam juice to the cooked vegetables, scraping the bottom of the pot to pick up the browned bits.
• Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce to low and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes.
• Stir in the reserved clam meat and half-and-half, parsley and green onions.
• Continue to simmer for 15 minutes, stirring often.
• Check seasoning and serve hot.

Nutrition

Serving: 1bowlCalories: 437kcalCarbohydrates: 30gProtein: 46gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 117mgSodium: 569mgFiber: 2gSugar: 7g

Keyword chunky new england clam chowder

Tried this recipe? Pin it for Later!Be sure to tag @FamilySpice

Nutrition Disclaimer

Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.

PS If you try this recipe, why not leave a star rating in the recipe card right below and/or a review in the comment section further down the page? I always appreciate your feedback.

You can also follow me on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram. Sign up for my eMail list, too!