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    Home » Recipes » Soups

    New England Clam Chowder

    Published: Jan 29, 2013 · Modified: Feb 1, 2023 by Jessie · This post may contain affiliate links; if you buy something we'll earn a commission at no cost to you.

    Jump to Recipe

    Homemade New England Clam Chowder is easier than you think - whip some up in less than an hour with this easy homemade clam chowder recipe!

    Two black bowls filled with clam chowder next to two pieces of crusty bread. this recipe

    OKAY. Remember how last week I was desperate for clam chowder?

    WELL. After a disappointingly short expedition to the grocery store (I was thinking clam-finding would be a bit more of an adventure, but apparently my meat/seafood counter is better stocked than I thought it was...WHATEVER) I emerged victorious! (...with clams!)

    Fresh clams on a piece of butcher paper.

    SO. I made clam chowder. And YES, there will be lots of words in all capital letters in this post. Because CLAM CHOWDER is THE MOST EXCITING THING EVER.

    Bacon strips sliced into small pieces on a red cutting board.

    Also, I took about a zillion pictures. Because like I mentioned earlier, my parents got me a SUPER AWESOME 50mm macro lens for Christmas and I am totally.obsessed.with.it.

    Steamed clams with open shells in a blue bowl.

    Also, big news - Life As a Strawberry is now on Instagram! And y'all should follow me. You'll get super-interesting snapshots of my life as seen from my couch. But there will ALSO be witty commentary (which I know you all love). So check it out!

    Spoon lifting a bite of clam chowder out of a black bowl.

    Actually, while I'm plugging social media, I might as WELLLLLL tell you that you should also follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter (Insert cheesy but lovable grin here).

    Aerial view of a black bowl filled with clam chowder, topped with crispy bacon and fresh parsley.

    But enough of that. Today is all about CLAM CHOWDER! And how you should make it. Immediately. And how I am about to go back to the grocery store and buy a million more clams so I can make this again tomorrow.

    Piece of crusty bread tucked into a bowl of clam chowder.

    Love this recipe? Try our smoked salmon chowder →

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    📖 Recipe

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    Clam chowder in a small black bowl.

    New England Clam Chowder

    ★★★★★ 5 from 1 review
    • Author: Jessie
    • Prep Time: 30 minutes
    • Cook Time: 1 hour
    • Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
    • Yield: Serves 2-4 1x
    • Category: Soup
    • Cuisine: American
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    Description

    This easy, creamy clam chowder is the perfect cozy dinner!


    Ingredients

    Scale
    • 2 Pounds Fresh Clams
    • 6 cups water
    • 4 slices thick-cut bacon, sliced into ⅓-inch thick pieces
    • ½ yellow onion, chopped
    • 1 clove garlic, minced
    • salt and pepper to taste
    • 4 large red potatoes, diced
    • 2 celery stalks, chopped
    • 2 bay leaves
    • 5 sprigs fresh thyme
    • 2 Tbsp. butter
    • 3 Tbsp. flour
    • 2 and ½ cups reserved clam broth
    • 1 cup milk (I use skim)
    • 1 and ½ cups half-and-half
    • ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped (optional, for garnish)

    Instructions

    1. Check to make sure all of your clams are still alive – live clams’ shells are tightly closed and won’t have cracked open. If any of your fresh clams have open shells, throw them out! Next, run each clam under running water and scrub them with your hands or a small loofah to remove any grit and sediment.
    2. Place the cleaned clams into a large stockpot and add the water. Cover and bring to a simmer. Cook for 15-20 minutes or until clams have steamed open and the water has taken on their flavor to form a clam stock. When clams are cooked, pull them out of the water with a slotted spoon and place them in a separate bowl. Continue to boil the water you cooked the clams in, uncovered, while you prep the other soup ingredients. This will reduce some of the water and concentrate the clam flavor.
    3. Pull cooked clams out of their shells and chop. Set aside.
    4. In a large pot (I’m in LOVE with my Le Creuset for soup-making. Seriously) cook bacon over medium heat. I like my bacon super crispy, so I let it go for about 10 minutes. Pull it out whenever it’s at the crispy-ness point you like best! Place bacon on a paper towel, but leave the grease in the pan over medium-high heat! (I didn’t say this was a HEALTHY soup…) You’ll use the bacon pieces later to garnish the soup.
    5. Add onion, garlic, salt and pepper, potatoes, and celery to the bacon fat (YUM) and cook for 3-4 minutes until onions are translucent.
    6. Tie bay leaves and thyme sprigs together with kitchen twine to make a bouquet garni. Add this bundle to the pot.
    7. Add butter to pot and stir until it’s melted. Then add flour and stir to make a roux – this will help thicken the soup. Cook for one minute.
    8. Remove clam broth from the heat. Check it for grit and sediment – if you’ve done a good job scrubbing the clams, the broth will be free of any dirt. If there’s any sand or grit floating around, though, strain the stock through a fine strainer to remove it before you proceed. Ladle 1 cup of it into the soup pot and stir to break up any chunks of flour that might be hiding. When you’ve mixed everything well, add the remaining 1 and ½ cups of stock. Keep the leftover stock in the fridge for another day or discard it.
    9. Add chopped clams to the pot. Then add milk and bring soup to a simmer. Simmer for 25-35 minutes or until soup has thickened considerably. (I sometimes leave the soup on the stove all afternoon – just add more clam stock every hour or so to keep the soup from reducing too much and burning!)
    10. Add half-and-half to soup and stir to combine. Return soup to a simmer and cook for an additional 10-15 minutes until soup is thick and creamy and delicious-looking. Remove soup from heat and ladle into serving bowls. Top with crispy bacon and parsley and serve immediately.

    Nutrition

    • Serving Size:
    • Calories: 2676
    • Sugar: 54.3 g
    • Sodium: 9499.6 mg
    • Fat: 55.8 g
    • Carbohydrates: 344.3 g
    • Protein: 199.2 g
    • Cholesterol: 400.9 mg

    Keywords: soup, comfort food, stew, seafood

    Tag @lifeasastrawberry on Instagram to show us what you're cooking! Nutrition information is calculated per serving; it is approximate and will vary based on many factors.

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    I'm Jessie, and I like to talk about food. Tag your recipes #LifeAsAStrawberry on social media to share your creations! Learn about our team!

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    Reader Interactions

    Discussion

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    1. Rhonda

      January 11, 2023 at 12:32 pm

      I've never made clam chowder with fresh clams and was a little intimidated. Thanks for walking me through all the steps. It was not hard and this soup is s amazing. One of my husbands favorite soups.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Team Life As A Strawberry

        January 11, 2023 at 6:04 pm

        We're SO happy to hear this soup was a hit for both you and your husband!

        Reply
    2. Sabrina Zaragoza

      November 13, 2016 at 9:19 am

      This looks SOOOO fantastic! I don’t cook with clam juice often enough – it adds SO much flavor!

      Reply
      • Jessie

        November 22, 2016 at 9:47 am

        Thanks, Sabrina! I agree - the flavor of clam stock is always amazing!

        Reply
    3. Queenie

      February 01, 2016 at 10:22 pm

      Could you use almond milk?

      Reply
      • Jessie

        February 03, 2016 at 1:40 pm

        Absolutely! You may have to adjust the seasonings a bit since almond milk has its own distinct flavor, but otherwise you should be good to go!

        Reply
    4. dianne

      November 07, 2013 at 4:15 pm

      This recipe looks amazing and what I grew up on. However, one question, we had used Snow's Clams. Can I adapt this reciped using caned? It has a great taste. Thanks

      Reply
      • Jessie

        November 13, 2013 at 8:05 pm

        Absolutely! Just substitute veggie or chicken stock for the clam stock called for in the recipe and add as many canned clams as you'd like!

        Reply
    5. Chung-Ah (@damn_delicious)

      January 31, 2013 at 12:15 am

      Amazing! I've always wanted to make homemade clam chowder!

      Reply
    6. Rachel @ Bakerita

      January 30, 2013 at 7:40 pm

      This looks amazing, gorgeous photos as well! I would never think to make clam chowder at home...but now I want to!

      Reply
    7. Maggie @ A Bitchin' Kitchen

      January 30, 2013 at 6:34 pm

      This looks delicious! I've never made clam chowder from scratch, but now I really want to! Great photos too 🙂

      Reply
    8. Laura

      January 30, 2013 at 11:32 am

      We love clam chowder, and yours looks fabulous. Great photos as well!

      Reply
    9. Jéssica Hernández Diez-Martínez

      January 30, 2013 at 7:52 am

      Sooo good. Will try it today.

      Reply
    10. Rhonda

      January 29, 2013 at 11:05 pm

      Love these pictures

      Reply
      • Karen Templeton

        November 21, 2014 at 9:04 pm

        I am going shopping tomorrow! This clam chowder looks wonderful...

        Reply

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