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New England Clam Chowder

Leanne Neill
New England clam chowder is the ultimate comfort soup - creamy, hearty, and made with simple, honest ingredients. This classic clam chowder recipe features tender clams, soft potatoes, and a rich, savory broth built from a traditional soup base, creating a bowl that’s cozy, satisfying, and perfect for everything from casual weeknight dinners to slow weekend meals.
5 from 3 votes
Print Recipe
Prep Time 55 minutes
Total Time 54 minutes
Course Dinner, Lunch, Main Course, Soup
Cuisine American
Servings 5 people

Equipment

  • Dutch Oven
  • Measuring Cups
  • Measuring Spoons

Ingredients
  

  • 6 pieces of bacon, chopped divided
  • 1 heaping cup onion, chopped
  • 1 heaping cup celery, chopped
  • 1 heaping cup carrots, chopped
  • 1 cup leeks, chopped optional
  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • ¾ cup Clam juice
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1.5 tsp cracked black pepper
  • 2 tsp dried thyme
  • 2 tsp dried tarragon
  • 1 ½ cups milk
  • 1 ½ cups heavy cream
  • 1 lb Potatoes, cut into bite sized cubes Yukon gold
  • 3 cups baby clams frozen or 2-3 cans rinsed

Instructions
 

  • Cut bacon into 1-inch pieces. Cook in a Dutch oven over medium heat until crispy. Remove to a paper towel and set aside.
    6 pieces of bacon, chopped
  • Rinse clams under cold water, drain, and set aside.
  • Add onions, carrots, celery, and leeks to the Dutch oven. Sauté in bacon fat over medium heat until soft, about 7 minutes.
    1 heaping cup onion, chopped, 1 heaping cup celery, chopped, 1 heaping cup carrots, chopped, 1 cup leeks, chopped
  • Sprinkle in flour and cook for 2 minutes.
    ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • Slowly whisk in chicken broth, then add clam juice, bay leaf, black pepper, thyme, and tarragon. Stir in ¾ of the bacon and bring to a gentle boil.
    2 cups chicken broth, ¾ cup Clam juice, 1 bay leaf, 1.5 tsp cracked black pepper, 2 tsp dried thyme, 2 tsp dried tarragon
  • Slowly add milk and cream. Return to a gentle boil.
    1 ½ cups milk, 1 ½ cups heavy cream
  • Add potatoes, cover, and simmer until tender, 15–20 minutes.
    1 lb Potatoes, cut into bite sized cubes
  • Remove bay leaf and add clams. Cook until heated through, about 5 minutes.
    3 cups baby clams
  • Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with oyster crackers or crusty bread.

Notes

  1. You can remove some of the bacon fat, if you want, before adding the veggies. If they need more oil, just add some of the bacon fat back in.
  2. Scraping up the bacon brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan adds a lot of flavor into the broth. It also makes cleaning up of the pot at the end easier.
  3. The time needed to simmer the potatoes will depend on how big the potato chunks are. Mine took about 15 minutes.
 

FAQs

 
Can I use whole milk instead of cream? Yes, you can. It will lower the calories in the soup, but it will also not be as rich and thick.
Can I make clam chowder ahead of time? Yes, this New England Clam Chowder can be made up to two days ahead. Store it in the fridge in an airtight container. Reheat in a pot on the stove top until heated through.
Why is my clam chowder not creamy white? Because we cook the bacon in the same pan as the chowder, the brown bacon fond that is on the bottom of the pan gets incorporated into the chowder. This adds amazing bacon flavor, but it also makes the chowder go from creamy white to a creamy faint yellow. If you want that pure white color, cook your bacon in a different pan, and just add the bacon fat to the Dutch oven and sauté veggies from that point.
Keyword Clam Chowder, Hearty Soup, Homemade soup, New England Clam Chowder, Seafood, Seafood Soup