Clam Chowder Recipe

A soup pot filled with creamy New England Clam Chowder with bacon and parsley on top.

This New England Clam Chowder recipe has a creamy broth that's loaded with delicious clams, savory bacon, simple seasonings, and perfectly cooked potatoes

Prep Time15

Cook Time1

Total Time1 15

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

Servings: cups

Calories: 281kcal

Author: Stephanie

Ingredients

6 strips thick-cut bacon can sub salt pork
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium yellow onion diced
2 ribs celery diced
3 cloves garlic minced
1 teaspoon hot sauce or ½ tsp tabasco sauce
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup flour
1 cup chicken broth
3 cups Half and Half
8 oz. clam juice
1 chicken bouillon cube
1 bay leaf
1 ¼ lbs. potatoes see notes
3 (6.5 oz. cans) chopped clams juices reserved
Fresh parsley & Freshly cracked pepper for serving

Seasonings

½ teaspoon EACH: dried oregano, dried parsley
¼ teaspoon EACH: dried thyme, salt
1/8 teaspoon EACH: smoked paprika, pepper

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Prep Work

Cook the bacon in a 4.5-quart soup pot slowly over low heat. (I cut my bacon in half, it’s easier to fit it in the pan and have it cook evenly.) While the bacon cooks, measure out remaining ingredients. Once the bacon is cooked, set aside on a paper towel lined plate. Chop once cooled and reserve 2 tablespoons of bacon drippings.
Wipe any dark spots from the pot but leave as much bacon remnants as you can, as that will add flavor to the soup.

Make the Soup

Add reserved bacon drippings and butter to the pot over medium heat and use a silicone spatula to “clean” the bottom and sides of the pot. Add the diced onions and celery. Toss to coat and soften for 5-6 minutes. Add the garlic, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and seasonings. Cook for 1 minute.
Add the flour and cook for 2 minutes stirring continuously, until the raw flour smell is gone.
Add the chicken broth in small splashes, stirring continuously, and wiping the pan “clean” again as you do so. Add the half and half in the same manner.
Stir in the chicken bouillon and add the bay leaf. Add the juice from the canned clams to the soup, but don’t add the clams yet. Stir in the additional clam juice.
Bring the soup to a gentle boil, then reduce to a simmer, so that its just gently bubbling. Simmer for 20 minutes, partially covered. Stir occasionally as it cooks.
Peel and dice the potatoes and add them to the soup. Bring back to a very gentle bubble and let the potatoes cook through for 20-25 minutes, until fork tender. Reduce heat to low.
Stir in the clams and let them heat through, about 5 minutes. Remove bay leaf.
Ladle soup into serving bowls and garnish with roughly chopped parsley, freshly cracked pepper, and chopped bacon.

Notes

Pro Tips

Clams: I use Bar Harbor Chopped Clams and Clam Juice for this recipe.
Using Fresh Clams: 1 heaping cup of chopped fresh clams can be used in this recipe along with 1.5 cups of clam juice. (1.5 cups = the 8 oz. jar + reserved juices from the can.) Make sure the clams are cleaned and steamed prior to chopping.
Potatoes: I use Yukon Gold potatoes for this recipe because I love their creamy consistency, but red potatoes are always a great candidate for soups and chowders because they hold up the best. Russet potatoes may also be used, but they're also the starchiest, which makes them more prone to falling apart.
Bacon: Salt Pork can be used instead of bacon if preferred!
The longer this soup simmers, the thicker it gets, so you can control the consistency with that in mind. I always let it simmer, reduce, and concentrate for at least 20 minutes before I add the potatoes. Once you add the potatoes, you don't have as much flexibility with cooking time, as you don't want to overcook them
The Hot Sauce is a flavor enhancer that you can't taste outright and it won't make the soup spicey. I use Frank's Hot Sauce.
The Worcestershire Sauce adds umami and also can't be tasted in this soup. Soy sauce can be used as a substitute if needed.
Be sure to pair this with my crusty, airy, No Knead Bread for dipping!

Storage

Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3-5 days.

The nutritional information provided is an estimate and is per cup. There are approximately 9 cups in this recipe.

Nutrition