Prep time: 25 mins | Cook time: 35 mins | Total time: 1 hr | Servings: 6 small lunch bowls or 4 main dish bowls
The perfect taste of clams and bacon that I always look for is all in this dish. The marriage of wondrous flavours, the comfort, and ease that this nice and hot Clam Chowder offers is the best!
Ingredients
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8 bacon strips, divided
2 tablespoons butter
2 celery ribs, chopped
1 leek, finely chopped (or 1 shallot)
1 large onion, chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
3-4 small unpeeled potatoes (red potatoes or Yukon gold), cubed into 1/2” pieces (optional to peel)
2 c. broth, chicken or vegetable
1/2 tsp white pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/3 c. all-purpose flour
2 c. half-and-half, divided
3 cans 6-1/2 ounces each of chopped clams, undrained
Bay leaf
Chopped fresh chives or green onions, for garnish
How to make Best Clam Chowder
Step 1: Cook the bacon in a Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp. Once cooked, transfer to paper towels to drain. Set aside.
Step 2: Spoon out the drippings from the Dutch oven if you don’t want to use them. Alternately, add butter to the drippings and saute the celery leek and onion until tender. Add in the garlic and cook for another minute. Then, stir in the potatoes, broth, salt, pepper, and thyme. Bring to a boil, then decrease the heat. Simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes until the potatoes are tender, uncovered.
Step 3: Combine the flour and a cup of half-and-half in a small bowl until smooth. Slowly stir this into the soup. Boil and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring until thick.
Step 4: Add in the clams and the juice followed by the rest of the half-and-half. Stir and heat through but do not boil. Adjust the heat to low, then add in the bay leaf. Continue to cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
Step 5: Finally, add in 4 strips of crumbled bacon.
Step 6: Garnish the chowder with the crumbled 4 strips of bacon and fresh chopped chives or thinly sliced green onions.
Ingredients
- 8 bacon strips, divided
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 celery ribs, chopped
- 1 leek, finely chopped (or 1 shallot)
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
- 3-4 small unpeeled potatoes (red potatoes or Yukon gold), cubed into 1/2” pieces (optional to peel)
- 2 c. broth, chicken or vegetable
- 1/2 tsp white pepper
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1/3 c. all-purpose flour
- 2 c. half-and-half, divided
- 3 cans 6-1/2 ounces each of chopped clams, undrained
- Bay leaf
- Chopped fresh chives or green onions, for garnish
Instructions
Step 1: Cook the bacon in a Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp. Once cooked, transfer to paper towels to drain. Set aside.
Step 2: Spoon out the drippings from the Dutch oven if you don’t want to use them. Alternately, add butter to the drippings and saute the celery leek and onion until tender. Add in the garlic and cook for another minute. Then, stir in the potatoes, broth, salt, pepper, and thyme. Bring to a boil, then decrease the heat. Simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes until the potatoes are tender, uncovered.
Step 3: Combine the flour and a cup of half-and-half in a small bowl until smooth. Slowly stir this into the soup. Boil and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring until thick.
Step 4: Add in the clams and the juice followed by the rest of the half-and-half. Stir and heat through but do not boil. Adjust the heat to low, then add in the bay leaf. Continue to cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
Step 5: Finally, add in 4 strips of crumbled bacon.
Step 6: Garnish the chowder with the crumbled 4 strips of bacon and fresh chopped chives or thinly sliced green onions.
