Clam Chowder Recipe – Easy New England Style in 30 minutes

Oh, a bowl of this amazing creamy clam chowder recipe really hits the spot. It’s a popular white chowder full of clams, potatoes and warm goodness.

Easy Clam Chowder Recipe

It’s history is interesting and there’s many variations of clam chowder styles that you can read about here. This creamy New England Style is our favorite and most comforting. It’s rich and satisfying, keeping us all warm when we’re cold. Add it in a bread bowl and it’s a fantastic comfort food dinner that fuels the soul. We love this soup so much and it’s easily a full dinner because it’s filling. If you want, add a side salad or extra breaded butter. You’re sure to be happy when you finish the bowl!

Video: Creamy Clam Chowder Recipe in 30 minutes 

How to Make New England Clam Chowder

1. Cook bacon pieces until they’re crispy. Remove them from the pan and set aside.
2. Sautee the onions and add the clam juices, broth, cream and rest of the ingredients (except for the clams)
3. Simmer until the potatoes are tender, then add the clams into the soup.
4. Read or print the full recipe below in the recipe box.

Can you freeze clam chowder? Creamy version?

Yes, you can freeze this creamy clam chowder. But it won’t be as creamy when it thaws. So to get the texture of the soup back to it’s optimal texture, you’ll have to make a few adjustments:

• Allow the soup to completely thaw.
• Add soup to a pot and slowly warm it up. It will start to thin out. Add a little more milk by whisking in  a little milk until it’s to your preferred consistency.
• You can also use heavy cream or a little water. Heavy cream is if you want to have a richer broth.

Creamy Clam Chowder in 30 Minutes

Yield: 6 Servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Cook Time: 20 minutes mins

Total Time: 30 minutes mins

You can adjust the thickness of the chowder by changing the flour amount. From as little as 1 Tablespoon for a thin, almost broth-like chowder, to 1/4 cup or slightly more for a thick chowder. We prefer to use whole clams that we find in our market in the 10 oz cans. But most markets carry the 6.5 oz minced clams, so the recipe is written for minced clams. If you can find whole clams, then even better! If so, we normally use one 10 oz. can of whole clams.

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Ingredients

• 4 slices (4 slices) bacon , cut into small chunks
• 1 (1) onion , diced
• 2 cloves (2 cloves) garlic , minced or crushed
• 1 cup (240 ml) water
• 3 medium (3 medium) potatoes  (about ½ pound), peeled and diced
• 1 stalk (1 stalk) celery , diced
• 2 teaspoons (10 ml) Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) dried thyme or oregano leaves
• 1/4 teaspoon (1.25 ml) fresh crack black pepper
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) salt , or to personal taste
• 8 ounce (227 g) bottle of clam juice
• ½ cup (120 ml) heavy cream
• 2 (6.5 oz cans) (2 (184g cans)) clams in juices , drained but save the juices
• 3 Tablespoons (45 ml) flour
• 1 cup (240 ml) milk

Instructions 

• Heat a pot over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook until crisp and fat is released. Remove the pieces of bacon and set aside.
• In the same pot, stir in the onions and garlic. Cook until softened and translucent but not burnt, about 2-3 minutes.
• Stir in the water, potatoes, celery, Worcestershire, dried herbs, black pepper, salt, bottle of clam juice, juice from the 2 cans (but not the clams), and heavy cream.
• Bring the chowder to a boil, then immediately reduce heat to low. Simmer chowder on low heat for about 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and milk until smooth. After the first 15 minutes of simmering, stir in the flour/milk mixture to the pot. Stir in the minced or whole clams. Increase heat to get the soup to a low boil. (Note: do not add the flour/milk mixture & clams until you have simmered the chowder for the first 15 minutes to cook the potatoes.)
• Reduce heat and simmer for about 5 more minutes until the chowder is thickened or until heated through.
• Serve the chowder with the pieces of bacon on top.

Video

Nutrition Information per Serving

Calories: 268kcal, Carbohydrates: 26g, Protein: 9g, Fat: 15g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Cholesterol: 44mg, Sodium: 741mg, Potassium: 631mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 471IU, Vitamin C: 16mg, Calcium: 108mg, Iron: 4mg

Course: Main Course, Soup

Cuisine: American, Stove Top

Calories: 268

Try the lighter, tomato based –> Manhattan Clam Chowder Recipe