Soup is a meal that’s so close to my heart. In the About Me section on this blog, you’ll learn that I come from a long line of excellent cooks. We never did takeout, and one of my absolute favorite meals was homemade soup . I remember walking into my grandma’s house and being hit with the smell of amazing wedding soup and homemade bread. When I think of soup, I think of home, and I’m very excited to share this yummy clam chowder recipe with you!
I love each and every kind of soup. When we weren’t feeling well my mom would whip up chicken noodle soup. To keep us occupied, she would make wonton soup and have us sit for hours folding wonton’s. Soup was a part of my childhood. So naturally when I met my husband who is originally from Boston, I got to work creating this recipe. This is my take on a New England clam chowder, decked out with salted pork, Old Bay seasoning and tons of clams.
The key to this recipe is to chop everything up before you get started. I also love this dish is that it’s all made in the same pot. First simmer the salted pork or bacon and build the base of this soup by sautéing the onions, garlic and celery in that pork fat. That base of flavor is what takes this chowder to the next level.
I mix flour into the pork fat and vegetables to create a roux. This is what makes this creamy soup a true chowder. From here you’ll add in the clam juice, milk and potatoes and bring to a boil to cook the potatoes. Once the potatoes are cooked, stir in the Old Bay and half and half. This easy one pot chowder is guaranteed to make you feel comfy, cozy and please a crowd. Let me know what you think!
Clam Chowder
Ingredients
- ½ lb salted pork or bacon, chopped
- 2 tbsp butter
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup celery, finely chopped 1 cup = about 2 stalks
- 1 medium onion, chopped approximately 1 cup
- 1 tsp pepper
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- 3 6.5 ounce chopped clams reserve the juice
- 1 8 ounce bottle of clam juice You can use 1 cup of water in a pinch!
- 2 cups Russet potatoes, peeled and diced into cubes
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 cups milk
- 1 tsp Old Bay seasoning
- 1 cup whipping cream can use heavy whipping cream as well!
For garnish:
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
- oyster crackers
Instructions
- In a large pot, add chopped salted pork or bacon and adjust to medium heat. Cook for 4 minutes, or until almost cooked. Add chopped celery, onion and garlic and cook until translucent, about 3 minutes.
- Add butter and melt. Add black pepper and flour to the pot. Stir until all combined, about 1 minute.
- Constantly stir while you pour in the 8 ounce bottle of clam juice, as well as the reserved juice from the clams which should be about an additional cup. It will sizzle, then start to evaporate and combine with the flour to make a thick paste. Slowly pour in the milk, stirring constantly to incorporate and avoid clumps of the flour. Add in the bay leaf and potatoes and bring to a low boil for 10-15 minutes, or until the potatoes become tender.
- Once the potatoes are cooked, turn the heat to low. Stir in whipping cream, Old Bay seasoning, and clams. Serve immediately and garnish with parsley and oyster crackers.
Did you make this recipe? Tag @mymessykitchenn on Instagram and hashtag it #mymessykitchen, or leave a comment on this page!
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