Name: Clam Chowder Soup
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Ingredients: 4 slices bacon, chopped; 1 onion, diced; 2 celery stalks, diced; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 1/3 cup all-purpose flour; 2 cups clam juice; 2 cups chicken or seafood broth; 3 cups Yukon gold potatoes, diced; 2 (6.5 oz) cans chopped clams, juice reserved; 1 1/2 cups half-and-half; 1 bay leaf; 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme; Salt and black pepper, to taste; Fresh chives or parsley, for garnish

This Clam Chowder Soup is made with chopped clams, potatoes, bacon, and a creamy broth thickened just enough to coat the back of a spoon.

It’s the New England style version, thick, briny, and loaded with tender potatoes in every bite.

I make this one when it’s cold out and I want something that eats more like a meal than a soup.

It’s great for a weekend lunch, a starter before a bigger dinner, or paired with crusty bread for a full meal on its own.If chowders and creamy soups are your thing, these are worth a try too:

Ingredients You’ll Need

Bacon fat is where the flavor starts, so don’t skip rendering it before you add the vegetables. Canned chopped clams work just as well as fresh here (and they’re a lot easier to find), just save the juice from the cans to use in the broth.

Yukon gold potatoes hold their shape better than russets, so they don’t turn mushy as the soup simmers.

Ingredients

4 slices bacon, chopped
1 onion, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups clam juice
2 cups chicken or seafood broth
3 cups Yukon gold potatoes, diced
2 (6.5 oz) cans chopped clams, juice reserved
1 1/2 cups half-and-half
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
Salt and black pepper, to taste
Fresh chives or parsley, for garnish

Directions

Cook the chopped bacon in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp, about 6-7 minutes.
Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the fat in the pot.
Add the onion and celery to the bacon fat and cook for 5-6 minutes until softened.
Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir constantly for about a minute to cook off the raw flour taste.
Slowly whisk in the clam juice and broth so no lumps form.
Add the diced potatoes, bay leaf, and thyme.
Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15-18 minutes until the potatoes are fork-tender.
Check a piece around the 15-minute mark. You don’t want them falling apart, just soft.
Stir in the clams with their reserved juice and the half-and-half.
Cook for another 3-4 minutes over medium-low heat, just until heated through.
Don’t let it boil hard at this point. Dairy soups can separate if they get too hot too fast.
Remove the bay leaf and taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper as needed (the clams and bacon both bring some saltiness already, so taste before adding much).
Stir the crispy bacon back in, reserving a little for garnish.
Ladle into bowls, top with the reserved bacon and fresh chives, and serve hot and enjoy!

How to Make Healthy Clam Chowder in the Crockpot

For the crockpot version of Healthy Clam Chowder Soup, add the potatoes, onion, celery, broth, clam juice, garlic, and seasonings to the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 6–7 hours or HIGH for 3–4 hours, until the potatoes are tender.

About 20–30 minutes before serving, stir in the clams and milk or half-and-half, then let the chowder heat through gently without boiling.

For a thicker soup, mash some of the potatoes directly in the crockpot before adding the dairy. Finish with parsley, black pepper, and a little extra clam juice if needed for flavor.

Important Recipe Notes

Render the bacon fat fully. That fat is the base of the flavor in this chowder, so let the bacon get properly crisp before removing it. Don’t rush this step.
Don’t boil it hard once the dairy goes in. High heat can cause the half-and-half to break and turn the soup grainy. Keep it at a low simmer once you add it.

Use Yukon gold or red potatoes. They hold their shape better than russets, which tend to break down and turn the broth starchy in a different way than intended.
Storage. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Freezing isn’t recommended. Cream-based soups like this one separate and turn grainy after freezing and thawing. It’s best made fresh or kept in the fridge for a few days.
Reheating. Warm gently over low heat, stirring often, and thin with a splash of broth or milk if needed.
Add more seafood. Shrimp or a can of crab meat stirred in at the end turns this into a fuller seafood chowder.

How to Serve, Store & Customize This Recipe

Serving:

Ladle into bowls and top with extra crispy bacon, chives, and a crack of black pepper. Oyster crackers on the side are classic, and a piece of crusty bread works just as well. I like a squeeze of fresh lemon over the top right before eating.

Storing:

Cool completely, then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The potatoes soak up liquid as it sits, so leftovers thicken (thin with broth or milk when reheating).

Customization:

Add shrimp or crab meat for more seafood, or swap the bacon for pancetta if that’s what you have.

For a lighter version, use whole milk instead of half-and-half, though the chowder won’t be quite as thick. Corn kernels are also a good addition if you want to bulk it up.