Authentic New England Clam Chowder is one of those recipes that has you dreaming of watching the ocean waves crash upon the rocks with the salty breeze blowing back your hair.  

Fresh clams, potatoes, cream, and a little butter add up to one of the most famous soups in the world.  I love chowders, add a little seafood, and you’ve got heaven in a bowl.  Earlier this month, I posted another delicious chowder recipe Smoked Salmon Chowder.

If you serve your New England Clam Chowder in a bread bowl, it tastes even better.

There’s something magical about finding a restaurant that sells authentic clam chowder.  Add some oyster crackers to the top, and you’re diving into a bowl of something divine.  

This recipe answers the question of how to make New England clam chowder with fresh clams.  

What most people don’t know is how easy it is to make at home.  Now, I would prefer to take a trip to Maine or Boston, that isn’t always possible.  

Bring a touch New England to where you live by making New England Clam Chowder on your stovetop.  

One year my parents took our family on vacation to Vermont to see our aunt, uncle, and cousins.  Since we were in the area, we took a day trip to Maine.  

I was little, but I remember just being in awe of everything about the state.  While we were at the beach, I found starfish that had washed ashore.  

Those starfish were promptly hidden in the beach bag because I knew my mom wouldn’t let me take them with me.  When I got into my aunt’s car to go back to her house, I stored them under the front seat for safekeeping.  

I think at this point you can figure out I wasn’t an easy kid to raise.  The next day my aunt’s car smelled something awful, and my relatives got a story to talk about for the rest of my life.  

What I surmised from the event was that even at a very young age, I instinctively wanted to take a little piece of Maine back home with me.  Those starfish were my tokens of Maine.  

Now that I’m older and wiser, I’ve realized that a yummy hot bowl of clam chowder does the same trick as those starfish.  “Maine in a bread bowl” is what I like to call authentic New England clam chowder. 

Here’s a little trivia for you.  Did you know that the Union Oyster House in Boston is the longest continuously running restaurant in the United States?   They’ve been open since 1836, and New England clam chowder has been on the menu since the beginning.

The first mentions of creamy clam chowder were from the west coast of France.  That sounds about right since the French know how to cook.  

If you’ve been looking for a New England clam chowder recipe without bacon, this is it.

I found this recipe in a vintage cookbook called Cooking for Comfort.  You can find a copy of it here on Amazon.   

What’s the difference between Boston Clam Chowder and New England Clam Chowder? 

Nothing.  Boston Clam Chowder and New England Clam Chowder are both the same thing.  

What is New England Clam Chowder? 

New England clam chowder is the one with heavy cream broth.  Manhattan clam chowder has the red tomato broth. 

Can New England Clam Chowder be frozen?

You can freeze this New England clam chowder soup recipe, but it won’t taste the same after you reheat it.  Freezing food with dairy changes the structure of the recipe.  I would advise not to.  

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Here’s the recipe for New England Style Clam Chowder: 

New England Clam Chowder Ingredients

1 large onion, chopped finely 

3 tablespoons butter 

1 1/2 cups clam juice 

2 medium-sized new potatoes, cleaned and diced 

1 bay leaf 

1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme

2 cups heavy cream 

1/2 cup milk 

1 tablespoon flour 

1 1/2 pints shucked clams 

Freshly ground pepper and salt to taste 

Chopped Italian parsley for garnish

How to Make New England Clam Chowder

1) Melt the butter over medium-high heat.  Add the chopped onions and sauté until translucent.  

2) Add the clam juice, diced potatoes, bay leaf and thyme to the onions.  Bring the mixture to a boil.  

3) Simmer 10-15 minutes the mixture until the potatoes are tender.

4) Add the cream and bring mixture to a simmer.  

5) In a separate bowl, mix a little of the milk into the flour until you have a paste.  Add in the remaining milk and stir.  

6) Add flour and milk mixture to the soup and stir.

7) Reduce the heat as low as possible.  Add the clams for a few minutes, until they are cooked.  

8) Discard the bay leaf.  

9) Season with salt and pepper.  

10) Garnish with chopped parsley.  

Here’s the Printable Recipe for New England Clam Chowder soup:

Yield: 8 cups

New England Clam Chowder

Print

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 large onion, chopped finely
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 1/2 cups clam juice
• 2 medium-sized new potatoes, cleaned and diced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1 1/2 pints shucked clams
• Freshly ground pepper and salt to taste
• Chopped Italian parsley for garnish

Instructions

1. Melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion and saute until translucent.
2. Add the clam juice, diced potatoes, bay leaf and thyme to the onions.  Bring the mixture to a boil.  
3. Simmer 10-15 minutes the mixture until the potatoes are tender.
4. Add the cream and bring mixture to a simmer.  
5. In a separate bowl, mix a little of the milk into the flour until you have a paste.  Add in the remaining milk and stir.  
6. Add flour and milk mixture to the soup and stir.
7. Reduce the heat as low as possible.  Add the clams for a few minutes, until they are cooked.  
8. Discard the bay leaf.
9. Season with salt and pepper.
10. Garnish with chopped parsley.

Tips for making New England Clam Chowder recipe:  

1) Don’t discard using the flour.  If you do, the soup will curdle.  

2) Oyster crackers or saltines are usually served with the creamy New England clam chowder recipe

Making homemade clam chowder is way easier than you thought, right?  Sometimes we believe something that tastes good is difficult to recreate.  This creamy chowder thankfully is simple to cook.  

We’ve reached the end of New England Clam Chowder.  I hope you enjoyed it. 

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Low-Carb Cabbage Soup 

Slow Cooker Chicken Bone Broth 

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