Creamy soup fans, this one’s for you! Clam chowder might seem intimidating, but it is so much easier to make than you might think. All you need is a couple cans of clams and some pantry staples for a luxurious, restaurant-quality soup that’s perfect for chilly weather.
INGREDIENTS
- 4 slices bacon chopped
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 onion chopped
- 2 celery stalks chopped
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour (40g)
- 2 (6.5-ounce/184g ) cans chopped clams in juice undrained
- 1½ cups milk 360ml
- 1½ cups chicken stock (360ml)
- 1 bay leaf
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 russet potatoes peeled and diced
- 1½ cups half and half (360ml)
- Chopped parsley
DIRECTIONS
- Add the bacon to a large pot or Dutch oven and cook over medium-high heat until brown and crispy, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the bacon from the pot and place on paper towels to drain. Reserve the drippings in the pot.
- Add the butter to the pot and melt over medium-high heat. Add the onion, celery, and garlic, and sauté until the onion is tender, about 4 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute.
- Gradually whisk in the juice from the clams, milk, stock, salt, and pepper. Cook until mixture starts to thicken, about 2 minutes. Add the potatoes and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.
- Stir in the half and half and clams. Cook until heated through, about 2 minutes. Discard the bay leaf. Serve immediately topped with the cooked bacon and parsley.
NOTES
- Cut the potatoes into evenly sized pieces. This will help them cook at the same speed. If you don’t have russet potatoes, you can swap them out for red potatoes.
- If you prefer using fresh clams, you’ll need about 1 cup of cleaned, steamed, chopped fresh clams, along with about 1 cup of clam juice.
- Make an even richer chowder! Swap the half and half out for an equal amount of heavy cream.
- Serve the creamy soup immediately. It will continue to thicken as it sits. You can thin it out with a little milk if necessary.
- Add a spicy kick to the clam chowder! Add a few splashes of your favorite hot sauce, or chop up a jalapeno or two and add it directly to the soup with the garlic for extra heat!
