Favorite New England Clam Chowder
I’ll take New England Clam Chowder over Manhattan Chowder any day of the week. But this creamy chowder that’s reminiscent of the East Coast has never been one of my staple recipes. All of that cream? No thanks. Until I came up with a recipe that only uses a bit of half and half and flour to thicken the soup. I used all the other common ingredients such as diced potatoes, clams and onions. Perfection….well it’s close.
New England Clam Chowder
Chopped clams, spices and low-fat milk with a touch of half and half make a tasty classic soup without all the fat!
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp. canola oil
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
- 1 tsp. dried thyme
- 3 cans (6 ounces each) chopped baby clams, drained and clam juice reserved
- 1 medium red potato, diced
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 cups low-fat milk
- 1/2 cup half and half
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1/4 tsp. black or white pepper
- 3/4 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/4 cup crumbled bacon pieces
Instructions
- Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, celery and thyme; cook stirring until onions begin to soften, about 2 minutes. Add reserved clam juice, potato and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.
- Whisk milk, half and half, flour, pepper, salt and garlic powder in a medium bowl. Add to the pan and simmer over medium-high heat; stirring often and cooking until thickened, about 2 minutes. Add clams and bacon pieces and cook an additional 2 minutes until clams are heated.
- Discard bay leave and serve.
Notes
12 ounces fresh clam strips, chopped can be used in place of the canned clams. 1-1/2 cups of cooking liquid can be used to add in the first step of the recipe for the clam juice.
Serve with oyster crackers.
Nutrition
Serving: 1.25cupsCalories: 170kcalCarbohydrates: 19gProtein: 9gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 7.5gCholesterol: 20mgSodium: 780mgPotassium: 489mgFiber: 1gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 32IUVitamin C: 8mgCalcium: 196mgIron: 1mg
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