Description
This classic Clam Chowder recipe is a creamy, flavorful soup featuring tender clams, savory bacon, and a rich broth made with half and half, clam juice, and chicken broth. Perfect as a comforting meal, it balances the umami from Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce with diced potatoes and fresh herbs for a hearty and satisfying dish.
Ingredients
Scale
Soup Base
- 6 strips thick-cut bacon (can substitute salt pork)
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 ribs celery, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce (or ½ teaspoon Tabasco sauce)
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ⅓ cup flour
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 3 cups half and half
- 8 oz clam juice
- 1 chicken bouillon cube
- 1 bay leaf
- 1¼ lbs potatoes (Yukon Gold recommended), peeled and diced
- 3 (6.5 oz) cans chopped clams, juices reserved
Seasonings
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Garnishes
- Fresh parsley, roughly chopped
- Freshly cracked black pepper
- Chopped cooked bacon
Instructions
- Cook Bacon: In a 4.5-quart soup pot, cook the bacon slowly over low heat until crisp. Remove bacon to paper towels to drain and cool, then chop. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the bacon drippings in the pot.
- Sauté Vegetables: Add butter to reserved bacon drippings over medium heat. Use a spatula to scrape up browned bits. Add diced onions and celery, cooking for 5-6 minutes until softened. Stir in garlic, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and all seasonings. Cook for 1 minute.
- Add Flour: Sprinkle in flour and cook, stirring continuously for 2 minutes until the raw flour smell dissipates.
- Incorporate Liquids: Gradually add chicken broth in small splashes while stirring and scraping the pot bottom. Repeat with half and half the same way.
- Add Flavorings: Crumble in the chicken bouillon cube and add the bay leaf. Stir in reserved clam juice from cans and the additional 8 oz clam juice.
- Simmer Soup Base: Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to a simmer with partial covering. Let it simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Cook Potatoes: Add peeled and diced potatoes. Bring back to a gentle simmer and cook for 20-25 minutes until the potatoes are fork-tender. Lower the heat to low.
- Add Clams: Stir in chopped clams and heat through for about 5 minutes. Remove bay leaf.
- Serve: Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with fresh parsley, freshly cracked black pepper, and the chopped cooked bacon.
Notes
- Clams: Use Bar Harbor chopped clams and clam juice, or substitute with 1 heaping cup chopped fresh clams and 1.5 cups clam juice (fresh clams must be cleaned and steamed before chopping).
- Potatoes: Yukon Gold potatoes offer creamy texture; red potatoes hold their shape best in soups. Russet potatoes can be used but are starchier and may break down more.
- Bacon: Salt pork can be used instead of bacon if preferred.
- Simmer Time: Longer simmering will thicken the chowder; adjust cooking time before adding potatoes to control consistency.
- Hot Sauce: Adds subtle flavor enhancement without spiciness. Frank’s Hot Sauce is recommended.
- Worcestershire Sauce: Adds umami; soy sauce can be a substitute.
- Pair with crusty, airy No Knead Bread for best results.
- Storage: Store in airtight container in refrigerator for 3-5 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 280
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 620mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0.2g
- Carbohydrates: 14g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 12g
- Cholesterol: 50mg
