For soup lovers, a tasty chowder can be enjoyed as a hearty lunch, or a starter at dinnertime. Below, we feature a few recipes for traditional clam chowders, along with a few interesting twists of other chowder favorites.
New England Clam Chowder
This is probably the first style of chowder you thought of when reading the title. It’s creamy, thick consistency makes it great on its own, or served with oyster crackers.
Time Needed: 45 minutes
Serves: 8
Ingredients:
- 4 strips of bacon, diced
- 1 1/2 cups of onion, chopped
- 1 1/2 cups of water
- 4 cups of potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 1 1/2 tsp. of salt
- Ground pepper, to taste
- 3 cups of half-and-half
- 3 tbsps. of butter
- 2 (10-oz.) cans of minced clams
Instructions:
- Place diced bacon in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Cook until almost crisp.
- Add onions to the stockpot and cook for 5 minutes. Then stir in water and potatoes, and season with salt and pepper.
- Bring to a boil and cook uncovered for 15 minutes, or until potatoes are fork tender.
- Pour in half-and-half, and add butter. If using packaged clams, grab a container or bowl to drain the clams. You’ll want to save the clam liquid to add some extra flavor to the soup.
- Cook the clams for 5 minutes and add half of the clam liquid to the soup. Do not bring to a boil.
Manhattan Clam Chowder
If you prefer tomato-based sauce, try Manhattan Clam Chowder. Multiply the recipe below by how many people you’re serving.
Time Needed: 45 minutes
Serves: 1
Ingredients:
- 2 bacon slices, cut into 1/2-inch squares
- 1/3 cup of chopped onion
- 3 tbsps. of green bell pepper, diced
- 3 tbsps. of celery, diced
- 2/3 cup of peeled boiling potato, diced
- 1 (8-oz.) bottle of clam juice
- 1 cup of canned diced tomatoes (8-oz.), including juice
- 2 lbs. of small hard-shell clams, scrubbed well
- 2 tbsps. of fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Instructions:
- Cook bacon in a two to three quart heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring for five minutes or until golden.
- Reduce heat to low, then add onion, bell pepper and celery. Cook and stir for five minutes or until softened.
- Stir in your potato, bottled clam juice, and diced tomatoes with juice. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Stir in clams and simmer. Cover, stirring occasionally, and simmer for eight to 10 minutes.
- Discard any unopened clams after 10 minutes. Remove chowder from heat.
- Remove clamshells with tongs, then detach clams and return them to the chowder. You can keep a few shells for a garnish if you wish. Stir in parsley, salt, and pepper to taste.
Mexican Chicken Corn Chowder
Add a little kick to your meal with this spicy corn chowder!
Time Needed: 25 minutes
Serves: 6
Ingredients:
- 1 tbsp. of butter
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 1/2 tsp. of cumin
- 1 cup of chicken broth
- 2 cups of half-and-half cream
- 2 cups of shredded Mexican blend cheese (or cheddar cheese)
- 1 (14-oz.) can of cream-style corn
- 1 (14-oz.) can diced green chiles
- 1 (14-oz.) can diced tomatoes, drained
- 2 cups of chicken, chopped and cooked (can be baked or rotisserie chicken)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Tabasco sauce (optional)
Instructions:
- In a large pot or dutch oven, add butter and melt over medium high heat. Add in onion, jalapeño, and garlic. Cook for one to two minutes until tender. Add in
- cumin and broth, and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to low and add cream, shredded cheese, cream-style corn, green chiles, diced tomatoes, and chicken.
- Season with salt, pepper, Tabasco sauce, and top with favorite toppings.
Cauliflower Chowder
For those of you who need to follow a Paleo diet, or simply do not like clams, this is a great alternative. You’ll need to use the cooking fat to make this soup thick.
Time Needed: 30 minutes
Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 1 head of cauliflower, roughly chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 4 cups of chicken stock
- 1 1/4 tsp. of ground cumin
- 1 tsp. of ground turmeric
- 1/2 tsp. of ground coriander
- Fresh dill, to taste
- 4 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
- 1 cup of coconut milk
- Cooking fat
Instructions
- Melt cooking fat in a large saucepan placed over medium heat.
- Add garlic, onion, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender (about five minutes).
- Stir in the cauliflower and cook, stirring occasionally, for about five minutes.
- Add in chicken stock, cumin, turmeric, coriander, and coconut milk. Stir together.
- Bring saucepan to a boil; then reduce the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
- Season to taste and serve garnished with bacon and fresh dill to taste.
* Please consider food allergies when making these recipes.
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