Just right for nippy days or whenever you might be craving something cozy and filling, clam chowder is the ultimate comfort food — a creamy, chunky soup. This simple homemade clam chowder recipe brings all the sumptuous flavors and textures of a classic New England clam chowder right to your kitchen. This dish will become a staple of your household as soon as delicate clams and potatoes are combined in silky broth. Best That’s easy to make and doesn’t require any of the fancy ingredients or methods.
Easy Homemade Clam Chowder
Ingredients
Using common, pantry items and fresh clams you take home for the rich salty seafood flavor this clam chowder recipe is a You’ll need the following:
- Cuts of bacon, four pieces: Chop for a smoky bottom
Adds another layer of creaminess to the chowder. One tablespoon of butter. - One medium onion: Dice for aroma and flavor.
- Two minced garlic cloves will add more depth.
- Three medium potatoes: Peel and cut into little chunks.
- Two 6.5-ounce cans chopped clams: Drained; save the clam juice.
- One cup heavy cream adds to that gorgeous creamy texture.
- Two cups chicken broth provides the liquid base.
- One cup whole milk maintains creaminess and lightens up the soup.
- Either ½ teaspoon dry or 1 teaspoon fresh thyme lends a herbaceous note.
- Salt and pepper, to taste: Seasoning
- A bay leaf infuses a subtle richness of flavor .
- A teaspoon all-purpose flour will help thicken the chowder .
Detailed Homemade Clam Chowder Braising Steps
1. is to pan-fry the bacon.
Start with a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the diced bacon and cook, five to seven minutes, until crispy. The bacon infuses the hard-to-beat chowder with a smoky, luscious flavor. Once the bacon’s crispy, remove it from the pan with a sloped spoon and set aside on a plate lined with paper towels, leaving the rendered bacon fat in the pot.
2. Brown the Aromatics.
Add the butter into the bacon fat in the pot. Once melted, add chopped onion, cook for about five minutes until tender and translucent. Add minced garlic and sauté for a minute until the aroma is released. Your chowder’s flavor base is now comprised of bacon, onion, and garlic, which also gears your palate for everything that is to come.
3. Add the Potatoes and Broth
Add the chopped potatoes to the pot and swirl to coat them with bacon oil and onions. Cooking for another minute, scatter the flour over the potatoes and well mix. The flour thinks the chowder more thickly. Pour the chicken broth gradually; save the clam juice from the canned clams and whisk constantly to prevent lumps. Add the thyme and bay leaf then bring the mixture to a boil.
Boil that soup for ten to fifteen minutes or till the potatoes are coming through soft. When a fork can pierce them easily, they’re done.
4. Add milk and cream and clams.
Once the potatoes are done, then is the time for putting in the clams. Put the whole milk, heavy cream, and clam juice into this mixture. Mix well and put in the clams; this is what gives it that nice creamy texture but the flavor that a fresh, salty clam adds is incomparable. Allow it again to come to a simmer and be careful for it not to boil over, as this tends to curdle the cream.
Allow to simmer for about five minutes, just long enough for the clams to boil through and the flavors to meld together.
5. Adjust with Seasoning and Serve Tasting
Taste the chowder and add with fresh cracked black pepper and salt. If the soup is too thick for your tastes, you can thin it up with a little extra milk or broth. Remove the bay leaf before serving.
Ladle the clam chowder into bowls and top it with crispy bacon bits you put aside early. Add some pop of color and flavor: sprinkle over soup some fresh chopped parsley or more thyme.
Guide to Making the Best Clam Chowder
- Fresh vs. canned clams: You’ll want to use fresh clams, if available! Though canned clams are fine, convenient option, fresh really do add more flavor. Steam fresh clams before using them, and save the liquid reserved from cooking the clams to substitute for canned clam juice.
- Alternatives to using bacon would be to use olive oil or butter as the fat component if you are doing a bacon-free version; however, there’s just something about the smokiness of bacon that adds so much flavor to the chowder.
- More flour or even mash a few of the cooked potatoes before adding the cream and milk will build a thickness to the chowder. Beware, though, that if you overdo the flour, it can become too thick to actually eat.
- Season and taste and adjust seasoning just before serving. Taste as you add more salt; broth, bacon, and clams differ in saltiness.
Substitutions for Clam Chowder
- Corn clams chowder: Add one cup of corn kernels for a nice contrast to the rich, savory soup.
- Add scallops, prawns or other shellfish to turn this into a heartier seafood chowder.
- For a kick, sauté the onion with a dash of cayenne pepper or chopped jalapeño.
Why You’ll Love This Clam Chowder
Quick and Easy: Easy and great for a fast weekend dinner or busy night supper is this dish.
creamy and rich: The thick, very satisfying texture of this soup comes from heavy cream, milk, and potatoes.
Rich in taste: The flavor is what differentiates the chowder, because of a sophisticated and wonderful taste combination that comes from the bacon, clams, and thyme.
Conclusion
This easy homemade clam chowder recipe is all the things you’d want in a bowl of comfort food: rich, hearty, and full of great potatoes and clams. Whether you’re a traditional New England chowder fan or trying it for the first time, this dish will quickly become a staple in your kitchen. Serve it up for the perfect dinner with some crusty bread or oyster crackers.
