Easy New England Clam Chowder. Loaded with tender clams, creamy potatoes, and topped with smoky bacon, this satisfying comfort meal is packed with flavour and destined to be repeat all season long!
Perfect for satisfying your cravings on a chilly evening, this chowder is a delightful blend of textures and tastes. This hearty dish has a prep time of 15 minutes, a cook time of 60 minutes, and serves 4-6 people.
Jump to:
Ingredients
- Bacon
- Unsalted butter
- Onion
- Celery ribs
- Garlic cloves
- Fresh thyme
- Fresh tarragon
- Bay leaves
- Dried oregano
- Salt
- Pepper
- Hot sauce
- Worcestershire sauce
- All purpose flour
- Chicken concentrate
- Half & half
- Baby clams
- Whole clams
- Clam juice
- New red potatoes
- Pasta clams (optional)
Garnish
- Chopped tarragon
- Small crispy crackers (like oyster crackers)
Instructions
Cook Bacon
Heat a 4-quart saucepan over low heat. Add the diced bacon and cook until crisp, stirring occasionally, 6 to 8 minutes. Once the bacon is cooked, use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon to a paper towel lined plate, leaving the bacon drippings in the pot.
Build the Chowder
Add the butter to the bacon drippings over medium heat and use a wooden spoon or stiff spatula to scrape clean the bottom and sides of the saucepan. Add the onions and celery. Toss to coat them in the bacon drippings and melted butter. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes until slightly soft. Add the garlic, thyme, tarragon, oregano, salt, pepper, hot sauce, and Worcestershire sauce. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring often.
Sift in the flour, stir to combine, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring often.
Add the warm chicken concentrate, ¼ cup at a time, stirring constantly, and scraping the pan clean before adding the next ¼ cup. Next add the warm half & half, ½ cup at a time, stirring constantly, and scraping the pan clean before adding the next ½ cup.
Add the bay leaves, the reserved juice from the canned clams and the 8-ounce bottle of clam juice to the saucepan. NOT the clams.
Bring the soup to a low boil, then reduce to a simmer, (just bubbling lightly around the edges of the pot) for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the potatoes to the soup and cook until softened, 20 to 25 minutes.
Turn the heat down to low and stir in the strained baby clams and whole clams to heat them up.
Steam the Fresh Pasta Clams
Heat a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add the claims and 4 ounces of white wine (or water), cover and cook until the claims open (stirring occasionally), 4 to 6 minutes.
Garnish and Serve
To serve, fill individual serving bowls and garnish with chopped tarragon, diced bacon, steamed clams and crackers. Enjoy.
Watch how this recipe was made here
Equipment
Cooked in the Hestan Culinary Thomas Keller Insignia 4-Qt Commercial Clad Stainless Steel Sauce Pot, 8.5″ Sauté Pan, and 8.5″ Commercial Clad Stainless Steel Universal Lid. Proud Hestan Culinary Ambassador. Opinions in this post are my own.
What is the Difference Between New England and Manhattan Clam Chowder?
New England Clam Chowder is creamy and rich, while Manhattan Clam Chowder features a tomato-based broth, offering a lighter and tangier taste. The choice between the two often comes down to personal preference for creaminess or a tomato-infused kick.
- Base:
- New England Clam Chowder: This chowder has a creamy base, usually made with a combination of milk, cream, or half-and-half.
- Manhattan Clam Chowder: Manhattan chowder features a tomato-based broth, giving it a reddish color.
- Flavour:
- New England Clam Chowder: It has a rich, creamy, and slightly sweet flavour. The creaminess is a result of the dairy-based broth.
- Manhattan Clam Chowder: This version has a tangy and slightly more robust flavour due to the tomato broth. It’s often considered lighter than the creamy New England style.
- Ingredients:
- New England Clam Chowder: Ingredients typically include bacon, onions, celery, potatoes, clams, and a creamy base.
- Manhattan Clam Chowder: Besides clams, you’ll find tomatoes, carrots, celery, onions, and sometimes bell peppers in the mix.
- Regional Influence:
- New England Clam Chowder: Originating from the northeastern United States, particularly the New England region, this chowder reflects the area’s preference for creamy and hearty dishes.
- Manhattan Clam Chowder: Hailing from New York City, the Manhattan version reflects the influence of Italian-American cuisine and the preference for tomato-based soups.
Leave a Comment
If you get the chance to try this Easy New England Clam Chowder recipe please drop back and leave us a comment and rating here. We would love to know what you think! Thanks Elaine & James 🙂
📖 Recipe
Easy New England Clam Chowder
Ingredients
- 6 slices bacon diced
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 large onion diced
- 2 celery ribs diced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh tarragon chopped
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 1 cup chicken concentrate warm
- 2 cups half & half warm
- 2 9.5 ounce/270 g jars baby clams, juices reserved
- 2 5 ounce/142 g cans whole clams, juices reserved
- 1 8 ounce/236 g bottle clam juice
- 1 pound small new red potatoes skin on, cubed
- 12 pasta clams (optional) scrubbed clean mandatory
Garnish
- Chopped tarragon
- Small crispy crackers like oyster crackers
Instructions
Cook the Bacon
- Heat a 4-quart saucepan over low heat. Add the diced bacon and cook until crisp, stirring occasionally, 6 to 8 minutes. Once the bacon is cooked, use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon to a paper towel lined plate, leaving the bacon drippings in the pot.
Build the Chowder
- Add the butter to the bacon drippings over medium heat and use a wooden spoon or stiff spatula to scrape clean the bottom and sides of the saucepan. Add the onions and celery. Toss to coat them in the bacon drippings and melted butter. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes until slightly soft. Add the garlic, thyme, tarragon, oregano, salt, pepper, hot sauce, and Worcestershire sauce. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring often.
- Sift in the flour, stir to combine, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring often.
- Add the warm chicken concentrate, ¼ cup at a time, stirring constantly, and scraping the pan clean before adding the next ¼ cup. Add the warm half & half, ½ cup at a time, stirring constantly, and scraping the pan clean before adding the next ½ cup.
- Add the bay leaves, the reserved juice from the canned clams and the 8-ounce bottle of clam juice to the saucepan. NOT the clams.
- Bring the soup to a low boil, then reduce to a simmer, (just bubbling lightly around the edges of the pot) for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the potatoes to the soup and cook until softened, 20 to 25 minutes.
- Turn the heat down to low and stir in the strained baby clams and whole clams to heat them up.
Steam the Fresh Pasta Clams
- Heat a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add the claims and 4 ounces of white wine (or water), cover and cook until the claims open (stirring occasionally), 4 to 6 minutes.
Garnish and Serve
- To serve, fill individual serving bowls and garnish with chopped tarragon, diced bacon, steamed clams and crackers. Enjoy!
- Please take 5 seconds to rate this recipe below. We would greatly appreciate it!
Nice and simple, but oh so good!! 👍
Hello Sally,
We are so happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe!
Thank you for taking the time to let us know, we really appreciate it!
Have a wonderful night 🙂
Elaine & James