Contest-Winning New England Clam Chowder

Name: Contest-Winning New England Clam Chowder
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 5 servings.
Ingredients: 4 center-cut bacon strips; 2 celery ribs, chopped; 1 large onion, chopped; 1 garlic clove, minced; 3 small potatoes, peeled and cubed; 1 cup water; 1 bottle (8 ounces) clam juice; 3 teaspoons reduced-sodium chicken bouillon granules; 1/4 teaspoon white pepper; 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme; 1/3 cup all-purpose flour; 2 cups fat-free half-and-half, divided; 2 cans (6-1/2 ounces each) chopped clams, undrained

This is the best clam chowder recipe, ever! In the Pacific Northwest, we dig our own razor clams and I grind them for the chowder. Since these aren't readily available, the canned clams are perfectly acceptable. —Sandy Larson, Port Angeles, Washington

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Ingredients

4 center-cut bacon strips
2 celery ribs, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
3 small potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 cup water
1 bottle (8 ounces) clam juice
3 teaspoons reduced-sodium chicken bouillon granules
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups fat-free half-and-half, divided
2 cans (6-1/2 ounces each) chopped clams, undrained

Directions

In a Dutch oven, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove to paper towels to drain; set aside. Saute celery and onion in the drippings until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in the potatoes, water, clam juice, bouillon, pepper and thyme. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
In a small bowl, combine flour and 1 cup half-and-half until smooth. Gradually stir into soup. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened.
Stir in clams and remaining half-and-half; heat through (do not boil). Crumble the cooked bacon; sprinkle over each serving.

Test Kitchen Tips

White pepper comes from fully ripened peppercorns that have had their skins removed. It has a milder flavor than black pepper and is helpful in dishes like mashed potatoes where you might not want black flecks to show. You can substitute black pepper (perhaps using a bit less than called for).

Peel onion; cut in half vertically. Leave root end intact. Place onion half flat side down on cutting board. Make several slices parallel to board into the onion, leaving root uncut. Then slice perpendicularly to chop the onion.

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Nutrition Facts

1-1/3 cups: 260 calories, 4g fat (1g saturated fat), 22mg cholesterol, 788mg sodium, 39g carbohydrate (9g sugars, 3g fiber), 13g protein.

Originally published as New England Clam Chowder in Healthy Cooking October/November 2008

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Donna

Apr 13, 2019

I made this Clam Chowder and I will make it again, the chowder was just delicious.
nammy29

Mar 3, 2019

Just made this. From the sample taste, it is wonderful! Rich and creamy. I used 1.5 cups of heavy cream and i/2 cup half and half. Subbed basil for the thyme. Delish!! Can't wait for dinner to have a whole serving!!
Shelby

Feb 19, 2019

I followed the directions, no adding or subtracting, and this is the most tasteless chowder I've had. Looking through other recipes now to see what I can do to doctor it up. Will give it 2 stars for creaminess, but so bland.
Brenda

Feb 3, 2019

This is my family's new favorite Clam Chowder recipe! Absolutely delicious!! The only change to the recipe I made is I used heavy whipping cream ONLY because I misread the recipe. This recipe is definitely a keeper!! Thanks for sharing it.
B

Jan 19, 2019

I followed this recipe to the extent my ingredients would allow. I didn’t have half and half on hand, so I used a cup of heavy whipping cream and about 3/4 cup of milk, as not to make it too thick. Still ended up with a very tasty, very creamy, hit the spot soup and will be making it again! My only other tweaks were a pinch more garlic (because I LOVE me some garlic!) and black pepper. It was so delicious!
Jean

Jan 17, 2019

I followed the recipe with 2 exceptions, I used heavy cream instead of half and half and I added half a cup of fresh carrots. If using these exceptions make sure the carrots are in small cubes so they are done at the same time as the potato cubes. The heavy cream made the soup good and thick. The recipe is easy to follow and in my opinion one of the best clam chowders that I have ever tasted. Rates as good as any clam chowder I had in Bar Harbor.
Leicester

Dec 29, 2018

I noticed reviews that say not New England chowder with celery and thyme. From New England and always put in for great flavor
Barbara

Nov 1, 2018

Absolutely the best chowder I have made. The only thing I didn't have was thyme. But it was perfect anyway 5 stars!!!!
Sarah

Jun 24, 2018

Why do reviewers always feel the need to tell the story of how many changes to the recipe they made? Just review the original recipe. If you want to describe your custom recipe, get your own blog! Anyway, great chowder 5 stars.
Melissa

Jun 13, 2018

Great authentic tasting chowder! I used one cup of chicken stock and omitted the bouillon and water. I also found that it needed a little more liquid to thin out so I added more stock until I got the consistency I desired. It was delicious. Will make again.

Contest-Winning New England Clam Chowder

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