Simple Clam Chowder

Randy Mayor; Jan Gautro
The protein in the milk benefits hair and skin, and the vitamin B12 from the clams and B6 from the potatoes nourish hair. Garnish with additional fresh thyme.
Yield: 12 servings (serving size: 1 cup)
Ingredients
- 2 bacon slices
- 2 cups chopped onion
- 1 1/4 cups chopped celery
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 6 (6 1/2-ounce) cans chopped clams, undrained
- 5 cups diced peeled baking potato (about 1 pound)
- 4 (8-ounce) bottles clam juice
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 cups fat-free milk
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (about 2 1/4 ounces)
Preparation
Cook bacon in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving 1 teaspoon drippings in pan. Crumble bacon; set aside. Add onion, celery, salt, thyme, and garlic to drippings in pan; cook 4 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
Drain clams, reserving liquid. Add clam liquid, potato, clam juice, and bay leaf to pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until potato is tender. Discard bay leaf.
Combine milk and flour, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Add flour mixture to pan; bring to a boil. Cook 12 minutes or until thick, stirring constantly. Add clams; cook 2 minutes. Sprinkle with bacon.
Nutritional Information
- Calories:
- 257 (10% from fat)
- Fat:
- 2.9g (sat 0.6g,mono 0.6g,poly 0.7g)
- Protein:
- 28.5g
- Carbohydrate:
- 27.9g
- Fiber:
- 2g
- Cholesterol:
- 67mg
- Iron:
- 26.6mg
- Sodium:
- 475mg
- Calcium:
- 242mg
Member Ratings and Reviews
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This soup is very tasty! I didn't think my two young boys would eat it because of the clams, but they cleaned out their bowls. And my husband, who is not a huge fan of soup, asked me to make this again. Great with corn muffins and salad.02/21/09
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Far better than anything you could buy in a can. Thick and creamy, with lots of clams. I would omit the crumbled bacon on top - doesn't need it and distracts from the clam flavor. Takes a long time, but is not difficult. I will definitely make this again.03/14/08




