"This creamy New England clam chowder with potatoes and bacon is a hearty and oh-so-comforting soup that's actually quite easy to make. It's so delicious, savory, and comforting on a cold winter day or in the summer with clam cakes!"
If you've spent any amount of time on the coast of New England, you've probably noticed how generously awards are bestowed upon clam chowders in restaurants all over the states. Iggy's was always my favorite and forever will be. Chowdah, clam cakes and doughboys and wash it all down with a birch beer or sasparilla soda the water was a favorite childhood memory.
When done right, clam chowder should be rich and filling, but not sludgy or stew-like. Its texture should be creamy without feeling leaden, or gritty like you're sipping on gravy. Tender chunks of potato should barely hold their shape, dissolving on your tongue, their soft texture contrasting with tender bites of salty pork and briny clams; lord help the clam shack that dare serves rubbery clams in their chowder or at all for that matter!
New England Clam Chowder
Servings – 8 Prep Time – 15 Minutes Cook Time – 35-40 Minutes
Ingredients:
8-10 slices bacon, diced - you can also use canadian bacon as well
3 cups onion, chopped small
4 celery stalks, chopped small
8 cups potatoes, peeled and cubed to about one-inch - I use Yukon gold or russet
1 1/2 cups clam juice, 2-8oz bottles of Snow's or Bar Harbour is what I like to use.
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons ground black pepper to taste, I prefer coarse ground
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon fresh dill, chopped
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup half and half
1 stick of butter, cut in half and then cut one half into cubes*
1/4 cup flour
4-10oz cans clams or quahogs*, chopped and juice reserved* or 40oz of fresh clams - cleaned, cooked, shelled and chopped
Directions:
*Drain clams, reserving clam liquid; set aside.
Place diced bacon in a large stockpot over medium-high heat; cook and stir until crisp. Add onion and celery; cook and stir until tender, about 5-8 minutes.
In 2 quart saucepan on medium-low heat, melt butter and add in flour to make a roux. Whisk briskly . The mixture will start to thicken and become light and puffy. Pour in cream and half and half a little at a time while continuing to stir briskly with a whisk. The mixture will be creamy and will look like thick cream and the whisk will chop up and smooth out any lumps that form from the marriage of the cream and floured roux.
Add in clam juice; season with garlic, salt and pepper; mix well.
Stir in potatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, until potatoes are tender, about 15-20 minutes.
Add in clams, cubed butter and fresh dill; stir to combine.
Cook until heated through, simmering about 5-10 minutes.
Serve with these delicious RI Style Fried Clam Cakes and oyster crackers; enjoy!
If you prefer a chowder that is lighter and less fat, try my RI Red Clam Chowder! It's another favorite staple of mine growing up!
Notes:
*If the soup is too thick for your taste, add in 1/2 cup of water or reserved clam juice to thin out.
If you are not able to purchase clam juice, you can also use a vegetable stock, and add in clam boullion found in your local grocery stores.
*Quahogs (pronounced KAW-HAWGS) are the largest clam of clams! Sometimes weighing as much as half a pound or more. Round where I grew up, they're known as "Stuffie Clams" and it's for good reason—their large size makes them very easy to process for Stuffies or big pots of chowder. (Chow-Duh) if you were asking me to say it... LOL you know who you are! P, M, N, K, and J! PYCITHY - When you know you know 🙃😉🤣💜
Nutrition:
Calories: 396 | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 150mg | Sodium: 960mg | Potassium: 960mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin C: 24.2mg | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 20mg
CWT is not a certified dietician or nutritionist. Any nutritional information shared on this site is an estimate counted through measurements and package nutritional information used in each recipe. If calorie, macro counting and other nutritional values are important to you, I recommend running the ingredients through your choice of nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary depending on national brands used per recipe.