Easy Clam Chowder | New England Style
This easy clam chowder recipe is straight from New England and remains my favorite! I try all different recipes for creamy clam chowder but I keep coming back to this one!
Living in New England has its perks: beautiful foliage, cool accents, Maine lobsters, delish seafood and … easy clam chowder! Or as Bostonians would say, “clam chowdah”. Everyone has a favorite recipe.
I love New England clam chowder. So much so, that I won’t get it in a restaurant unless I know it is good. I hate to be disappointed by a watery bowl of a tasteless chowder wannabe.
When I was growing up, my parents had my three sisters and me help them make the chowder (read: do the grunt work). We would sit there cutting up the slippery quahogs and the greasy salt pork. Very labor intensive, but the final result was always delicious.
I knew I had to come up with a recipe that tasted delicious but without the muss and fuss of the salt pork or quahogs. I also wanted a thicker and creamier chowder than the one I grew up with. I think I’ve nailed it with this recipe, which I’ve been making for over 20 years.
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Helpful tips
- I use spelt flour to make my chowder and even though the roux will look brownish at first, adding the cream makes it white again
- Cook your veggies just enough that they are tender. Do not over cook them. I stick my fork in a potato to test it
- I use half and half but you could use either milk for a lighter chowder, or light cream for a thicker one
- I use canned clams but you can use fresh if you so desire. You will just have to cut them up into smallish pieces
- Serve this chowder with crusty bread because you can butter that bread and dip it in the chowder. So good
How to make easy clam chowder
Step one
Gather a large sauté pan and the ingredients – onion, carrots, celery, potatoes, butter and canned clams.
Step two
Chopped all the vegetables and place them in a pan and drain the juice from the two cans of clams in the pan as well as an 8 ounce bottle of clam juice. (A)
Step three
Bring the vegetable mixture to a boil and lower to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes. Check with a fork to see if it is done and add 5 minutes if not.
Step four
Gather the flour, butter and Dutch oven or stock pot to make the roux. (B)
Step five
Add the butter to the Dutch oven and turn the heat on medium/low. Add flour and whisk until it becomes a paste. (C)
Step six
Add half and half and whisk as it thickens up. It will take around 5 minutes. (D)
Step seven
After you reach the right consistency, take the pan of vegetables cooked in the clam juice and pour the whole thing in the roux mixture. Add the salt and mix it together until it is smooth. Add the drained the chopped clams and let it heat for 5 more minutes, being careful not to boil the clam chowder. You don’t want rubbery clams.
Here’s what it looks like before you ladle it out to your chowder-loving tribe.
Voila! You are done. Now all you need to do is serve it and eat it all up. 🙂
Let’s see how thick this easy clam chowder really is.
And the clam chowder from above. Do you see my reflection in one of the spoons.
Other popular soup recipes
I hope you enjoy this easy clam chowder recipe as much as I do.
Please feel free to leave me a comment. How do you like your chowder? Thick? Chockful of veggies? I’d love to know!
And as always, may all your dishes be delish!
If you’ve tried this or any other recipe on the blog, I’d love the hear what you thought about it in the comments below. I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST to see more of my delicious food and delightful cocktails!
Easy Clam Chowder
Ingredients
- 3 carrots cut in desired shape
- 1 onion large, chopped medium sized
- 2 stalks of celery sliced and cut in half again
- 3 potatoes I used yukon gold, cut in cubes
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cans chopped clams not drained
- 8 fluid ounces clam juice
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 pint half and half
Instructions
- Cut all your vegetables
- Place in big sauté pan
- Open cans of clams, drain the juice IN the sauté pan
- Add the bottle of clam juice in the pan as well
- Bring vegetable mixture to a boil, then lower heat to allow it to simmer
- Check vegetables at 15 minutes to see if done (tender). Cook for 5 more minutes if not done. Remove from heat and set aside.
- In stock pot, melt the butter on medium heat
- Slowly add the flour and whisk until it becomes a paste. It should take around 1 minute
- Add half and half and whisk constantly until the roux reaches your desired consistency (for me, thicker is better) – around 5 minutes
- Pour vegetable/clam juice mixture in roux
- Add clams and salt
- Stir mixture and set it to heat for another 5 minutes being careful not to let it come to a boil
- Serve
- Enjoy
Equipment
See all my favorite tools and gift ideas at my Amazon Store page!Check out Elaine’s Amazon Store!Notes
- I use spelt flour to make my chowder and even though the roux will look brownish at first, adding the cream makes it white again
- Cook your veggies just enough that they are tender. Do not over cook them. I stick my fork in a potato to test it
- I use half and half but you could make milk for a lighter chowder, or light cream for a thicker one
- I use canned clams but you can use fresh if you so desire. You will just have to cut them up into smallish pieces
- Serve it with crusty bread because you can butter that bread and dip it in the chowder. So good
