The Best Clam Chowder Recipe

5 from 10 votes

This creamy clam chowder recipe is different than all the others you'll try! One simple thing takes this soup from lacking in flavor to that authentic taste that you want. Plus, it's ready in 30 minutes!

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

Keyword: best clam chowder, creamy clam chowder, easy clam chowder, new england clam chowder

Servings: serving

Calories: 1102kcal

Author: Mindee

Cost: 15

Ingredients

1 Tbs Butter
¾ Cup Onions finely chopped
¾ Cup Celery chopped
2 ½ Cups Potatoes small diced
19.5 oz Chopped Clams (See note at end) 3x 6.5 oz cans
8 oz Clam Juice bottle of 8 oz
3 Tbs Butter
3 Tbs Flour
1 quart Half and Half slightly warmed
1 teaspoon Salt
¼ teaspoon White Pepper

Instructions

In a 4-quart soup pot, melt 1 Tbs. Butter to sizzling.
Sauté the onions and celery until they are half cooked.
Add the potatoes.
Pour the clam juice over the potatoes through a very fine mesh strainer or through a strainer lined with a paper towel to catch any sand from the bottle.
Open the cans of cans and pour the juice from the cans over the potatoes through the strainer as well. DO NOT ADD THE CLAMS YET!!!
Bring to a low boil and boil until the potatoes are done. Most of the liquid may be absorbed.
While the potatoes are cooking, prepare the white sauce.
In a small pot, melt the 3 Tbs. Butter and whisk in the flour.
Add the slightly warmed half and half a little at a time, whisking constantly until smooth and all the half and half has been added.
Remove the sauce from the heat and add it to the potatoes once they are done.
Stir the clams, salt, and white pepper into the soup and heat until the clams are hot.
You are now ready to serve, or you can refrigerate the soup overnight, and reheat and serve the next day.

Notes

Line a strainer with a paper towel and pour the clam juices through it. The paper towel with catch any sand that's in the juice keeping it out of your soup.
Just a word about canned clams here. Don't buy whatever is least expensive or off-brand clams. In my experience, cheap, non-name brand clams have chewy, tough clams and quite a bit of sand in them.
I like to make this soup the day before I plan to serve it because sitting in the fridge overnight enhances the flavor.
Nutritional Disclaimer

Nutrition