Home > Soup > Clam Chowder Recipe (VIDEO)

December 6, 2020

Clam Chowder Recipe (VIDEO)

Name: Clam Chowder Recipe (VIDEO)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: 6 slices lean bacon (cut into 1/2" strips); 2 medium carrots (sliced into thin rings or half rings); 2 celery ribs (finely diced); 1 small onion (finely diced); 4 Tbsp all-purpose flour; 2 cups low sodium chicken broth or stock; 1 cup chopped clams with their juice (from 2 (6.5 oz) cans); 1 bay leaf; 1 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce; 1/2 tsp Tabasco sauce; 1/2 tsp dried thyme; 1 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper (or to taste); 1 1/2 lbs 6 medium potatoes (yukon gold or russet), peeled; 2 cups milk (any kind); 1 cup whipping cream or heavy whipping cream

4.96 from 152 votes
315 comments
- #Soup
- #Gluten Free

Homemade clam chowder is easy and such a treat. It is creamy, but light and so satisfying. This creamy clam chowder recipe is loaded with tender clams, silky potatoes, and crunchy bacon.

Clam chowder recipe in a bowl garnished with bacon and cilantro

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Creamy soups are such a treat. I fell in love with them on our honeymoon in Mexico where we enjoyed 5-star dining for the first time in our lives. It’s so fun to recreate restaurant-quality dishes at home like this Zuppa Toscana Recipe, our Chicken Wild Rice Soup, and definitely Chicken Tortilla Soup.

Easy Clam Chowder Video Tutorial:

Clam Chowder Recipe

This clam chowder is hearty and loaded. Nearly every bite has clams in it which is awesome because what you get at restaurants is very little clams and veggies but just a ton of cream. I find homemade clam chowder is so much more enjoyable than dining out.

It’s a recipe that’s actually way easier to make than you might think! Make this bowl full of comfort next time you crave a soup to warm you up on a cool night. This recipe has rich flavor and is even better than Panera’s clam chowder!

What Is Clam Chowder?

This creamy clam chowder recipe rivals the best clam chowder I have tried and it’s not as guilty with only 1 cup of cream for the entire pot, but it sure tastes indulgent (WINNING!). It has simple ingredients with minimal prep. You can start with fresh clams if you wish but using canned clams is so easy and less expensive than purchasing clams by the pound.

Ingredients for Clam Chowder:

Don’t let this seemingly long list of ingredients scare you away from this clam chowder recipe. Odds are most of what you need is already tucked away in your pantry.

Lean bacon
Basic Vegetables: Carrots, Celery ribs, Onion, potatoes
All-purpose flour
Low sodium chicken broth or stock
Chopped clams
Simple Seasonings: Bay leaf, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, Dried thyme, Salt and Black pepper
Milk and Whipping cream

The SECRET INGREDIENT: The cilantro on top is brilliant – an idea I picked up from my favorite restaurant clam chowder. Try it and you’ll want to top all of your clam chowders with bacon and cilantro forever!

How To Make Clam Chowder

Brown Bacon: Heat a large pot or dutch oven and add the chopped bacon. Sauté until browned and crisp then transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
Sautee Vegetables: Add prepared carrots, onion, and celery and continue cooking, stirring occasionally until soft and golden. Sprinkle in flour, and saute another minute, stirring constantly.
Add Broth and Seasoning: Add chicken broth, chopped clams with their juice,1 bay leaf, Worcestershire, Tabasco sauce, dried thyme, tsp salt, and black pepper. Bring soup to a light boil.
Cook Potatoes: While the soup is heating up, chop potatoes, add to the pot, then stir in the milk and whipping cream. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and lightly boil until potatoes are easily pierced with a fork. Season to taste with salt and pepper. To serve, garnish with cooked bacon and fresh cilantro.

Tips For Making Th Best Clam Chowder

Don’t skip the bacon. That little bit of bacon adds so much flavor, both in the soup and as a topping and makes every bite completely irresistible.
To make this a vegetarian clam chowder, simply leave out the bacon, and replace the chicken broth with a vegetable broth or the substitute of your choice.
The soup will thicken more as it cools. If needed, you can thin it out by adding more milk or chicken broth and bringing it to a boil once more.
That gorgeous dutch oven can be found here (affiliate link). It’s also more fun to cook in one – it feels rustic and charming to push bacon around with a wooden spatula in one of these. The dutch oven is a tool that cooks have been using for centuries.

Clam chowder up close with bacon and cilantro garnish

Homemade clam chowder is creamy, hearty and so satisfying. All you need are some crackers or Dinner Rolls to soak up that chowder.

More Classic Soup Recipes You Will Love

Zuppa Toscana – a copycat recipe that’s even better than olive garden’s!
Potato Soup – Loaded with bacon and cheese for a bowl full comfort
Easy Chicken Noodle Soup – Exactly what you imagine when you think of homemade chicken noodle soup
Corn Chowder – A soup recipe you’ll love to make in summer
Classic Borscht – Our family’s go-to recipe for red beet soup that I know you’ll love
Beef Stew – A hearty beef stew with wonderful flavor from the slow roasting.

Clam Chowder Recipe (VIDEO)

4.96 from 152 votes

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Homemade clam chowder is easy and a real treat. It's creamy, but light and so satisfying. This creamy clam chowder recipe is loaded with tender clams, silky potatoes and crunchy bacon.

Author: Natasha of NatashasKitchen.com

Course: Lunch, Soup

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Clam Chowder Recipe

Skill Level: Easy

Cost to Make: $14-$16

Calories: 231

Servings: 8 people (1 cup servings)

Ingredients

6 slices lean bacon, cut into 1/2″ strips
2 medium carrots, sliced into thin rings or half rings
2 celery ribs, finely diced
1 small onion, finely diced
4 Tbsp all-purpose flour
2 cups low sodium chicken broth or stock
1 cup chopped clams with their juice, from 2 (6.5 oz) cans
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp Tabasco sauce
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper, or to taste
1 1/2 lbs 6 medium potatoes (yukon gold or russet), peeled
2 cups milk, any kind
1 cup whipping cream or heavy whipping cream

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Heat a large pot or dutch oven over med/high heat and add the chopped bacon. Sauté, stirring occasionally until browned and crisp then transfer to paper towel lined plate. Keep 3 Tbsp of bacon grease in the pot (discard excess if desired).
Add prepared carrots, onion and celery and continue cooking over med/nigh heat, stirring occasionally until soft and golden (7-8 min). Sprinkle in 4 Tbsp flour, and saute another minute, stirring constantly.
Add 2 cups chicken broth, 1 cup chopped clams with their juice,1 bay leaf, 1 1/2 tsp Worcestershire, 1/2 tsp Tabasco sauce, 1/2 tsp dried thyme, 1 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Bring soup to a light boil.
While soup is heating up, chop potatoes into bite-sized pieces about 1/4″ thick. Add potatoes to pot then stir in 2 cups milk and 1 cup whipping cream. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and lightly boil until potatoes are easily pierced with a fork (about 20 min). Season to taste with salt and pepper. To serve, garnish with cooked bacon and fresh cilantro.

Recipe Notes

The soup will thicken more as it cools. If needed, you can thin it out by adding more milk or chicken broth and bringing it to a boil once more.

Nutrition Facts

Clam Chowder Recipe (VIDEO)

Amount Per Serving

Calories 231 Calories from Fat 117

% Daily Value*

Fat 13g20%

Saturated Fat 8g50%

Cholesterol 48mg16%

Sodium 578mg25%

Potassium 608mg17%

Carbohydrates 21g7%

Fiber 3g13%

Sugar 4g4%

Protein 7g14%

Vitamin A 3140IU63%

Vitamin C 12.5mg15%

Calcium 130mg13%

Iron 3.3mg18%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutrition Disclosure

From indulgent to super-food-healthy, check out all of our top soup recipes here. I hope you find some new favorites! P.S. This is our kids favorite soup of all time!

Q: What is your all-time favorite comfort soup? We would love to hear from you in a comment below! 🙂

Natasha Kravchuk

Welcome to my kitchen! I am Natasha, the blogger behind Natasha's Kitchen (since 2009). My husband and I run this blog together and share only our best, family approved and tested recipes with YOU. Thanks for stopping by! We are so happy you're here.