New England Clam Chowder Recipe is one of those dishes 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.

If you’re looking for more yummy soup and chowder recipes, Smoked Salmon Chowder and To-Die-For Hungarian Mushroom Soup will help you on your culinary journey.

There’s something magical about finding a seafood 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 for New England clam chowder with fresh clams is so easy to make. Make a side salad with this recipe, and you have a complete meal that everyone will love.

Most people don’t know how easy it is to make seafood stews at home.  Now, I would prefer to take a trip to coastal New England, but that is only sometimes possible.

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 young, but I remember being in awe of everything about the state.  While at the beach, I found several 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.

I surmised from the event 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 the East Coast.

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 this delicious New England clam chowder recipe.

New England clam chowder is a creamy soup that is beloved by many. Made with canned clams, clam broth, and other ingredients like potatoes and onions, this chowder has a rich and savory flavor that is hard to resist.

The use of minced clams and clam broth is key to making authentic New England Clam Chowder, as it brings out the unique taste of the sea. This classic dish is a staple in the Northeast region of the United States and is enjoyed by seafood lovers all over the world.

Recipe for New England Clam Chowder Trivia

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 recipe has been on the menu since the beginning.

The first mention of creamy clam chowder was from the west coast of France.  

I found this recipe for New England Clam Chowder 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? 

There’s no difference. Boston Clam Chowder and New England Clam Chowder are the same thing.

What is New England Clam Chowder? 

The New England clam chowder recipe has heavy cream broth. Manhattan clam chowder in the one with the red tomato broth.

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Since you clicked on this New England Clam Chowder recipe, I’m guessing you like all things cozy living. I created a Facebook group called Creating a Cozy Life with over 116,000 like-minded souls.

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Here’s the New England Style Clam Chowder Recipe

Simple Ingredients

1 large onion, chopped finely

3 tablespoons butter

1 1/2 cups bottled 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, chop the tender clams into bite-sized pieces

Chopped Italian parsley for garnish

Freshly ground pepper and salt to taste

Directions for Making Creamy Clam Chowder

1) Melt the butter over medium-high heat in a Dutch oven or large pot. 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 chopped clams for a few minutes on low heat, until the fresh clam meat is cooked.

8) Discard the bay leaf.

9) Season the creamy soup with salt and black pepper.

10) Garnish the New England Clam Chowder recipe with chopped fresh parsley.

Printable Recipe Card for New England Clam Chowder with Nutrition Facts

This will be one of the best bowls of clam chowder you’ll have. The whole family will love it!

Tips for making New England Clam Chowder recipe

• Don’t discard using the flour. If you do, the soup will curdle.
• Oyster crackers or saltines are usually served with the creamy New England clam chowder recipe.
• If you’re looking for creative ways to top your soups, check out this post Best Soup Topping Ideas to wow your guests. You can top this clam chowder recipe with chopped parsley, hot sauce, chopped red bell peppers, chives, or chili oil.
• You can substitute new potatoes with Yukon gold potatoes, red potatoes, or russet potatoes.
• Canned clams can be used in this delicious chowder. Small cans of clams can be found the canned good aisle of the grocery store. Just make sure you drain the clam meat before using.
• You can add crispy bacon or salt pork to the recipe. Add the cooked bacon or salt pork at the end of the recipe for best results.
• The amount of clams used isn’t set in stone, if you want more feel free to add some!
• For more flavor, add a Worcestershire sauce or a little white wine to taste.
• You can serve this New England Clam Chowder recipe in a large bowl, individual bread bowls, or individual soup bowls.
• If you want to thin out this clam chowder, you can add chicken broth to the chowder.
• You can also add minced garlic to the onions for more flavor.

Can New England Clam Chowder Recipe 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 you not to.

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

If you serve your homemade clam chowder recipe in a bread bowl, it tastes even better.

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

Let me know in the comments below how you liked this Best Clam Chowder Recipe.  

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