soup – Berries and Pie

One Hour Clam Chowder

On January 1, 2021

This thick & hearty New-England style clam chowder is loaded with potatoes, onions, and tender clams. It is easy to make at home and ready in less than an hour!

Note: This post may contain affiliate links, where I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.

One thing I miss about pre-pandemic life is going to the coast to enjoy a big bowl of clam chowder at our favorite restaurant. While many restaurants are closed right now, it does not mean that you cannot enjoy a satisfying bowl of chowder at home, no trip to the beach required!

If you have never tried to make your own clam chowder before you are in for a treat! This New-England style clam chowder is absolutely loaded with potatoes and clams. This recipe is not only easy to make, but it is ready in under an hour! Serve it with oyster crackers or crispy bacon sprinkled on top for a satisfying salty crunch. Yum!

This will take you through how to make this delicious clam chowder step-by-step. Let’s get started!

Ingredients for One Hour Clam Chowder

Clam chowder only requires 7 ingredients: onion, celery, potatoes, clams (with juice), milk, flour, half-and-half, and butter. We will go through the ingredients now:

Onions and Celery – These add flavor to the soup. Be sure to use a yellow or white onion (not a red onion) so it does not change the color of the broth.

Potatoes – My favorite potatoes to use in this soup are red potatoes or yukon gold potatoes. Since they have thin skin, I usually do not peel them.

If you don’t have yukon gold or red potatoes, russets work great too! They are a little more tender than the yukon golds or red potatoes and break down a little more in the soup. You may want to peel them though because they have a slightly thicker skin.

Clams – This recipe calls for one large can of chopped clams (51 oz). Grocery stores may not have this size available but you can find them at Costco, Sam’s Club, restaurant supply stores such as Smart Foodservice, or Amazon. What I like about using a large can of clams is that it is less expensive and much easier than buying the smaller cans. It also has plenty of clam juice so you do not need to buy the clam juice separately.

My absolute favorite clams are from Costco. There are about 3 cups of clam juice and 4-5 cups of loosely packed chopped clams in the can. If you cannot find a large can of clams, you may use 4-6 of the smaller 6.5-oz cans, depending on how many clams you would like in your soup.

Half-and-Half – Half-and-half makes the soup rich and satisfying. It also gives it its creamy white color. You can control the richness of the soup by substituting any combination of milk or heavy cream if you prefer 🙂

Flour – Flour helps to thicken the clam chowder. This is added at the very end.

Also needed: butter, water, salt, and pepper.

How to Make One Hour Clam Chowder

Step 1: Prepare the Ingredients

Chop celery, onions, and potatoes for one hour clam chowder

Start by chopping the vegetables for the soup. You want to chop the celery and onions into fairly small pieces. Cut the potatoes into half inch cubes so they will cook more quickly.

drain the clams, reserving the clam juice

Drain the clams, reserving the juice. I like to do this by putting a strainer over a large bowl or measuring cup. I usually get about 3 cups of clam juice from my can of clams. If you have less than this, add a little water until you have about 3 cups.

Look through the clams and remove any strings or pieces that don’t look right. Set this aside as you start your soup.

Step 2: Cook the Onion and Celery

Melt the butter in a large pot. Add in the onion and celery and cook over medium high heat for 5 minutes or until they soften up a bit, stirring occasionally.

Step 3: Add in the Potatoes and Clam Juice

After the onion and celery are tender, add in the cubed potatoes and reserved clam juice. Bring to a boil then cover and reduce the heat. Simmer for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.

Step 4: Add in the Clams and Milk

When the potatoes are tender stir in the clams and half-and-half. The clams are added at the very end so they stay nice and tender. Heat through just until soup starts to boil.

Step 5: Thicken the Soup

Stir the flour and water together in a small bowl or measuring cup to make a slurry. Whisk vigorously to get out any lumps.

Make a slurry of flour and water to thicken the clam chowder

Drizzle the flour mixture into the gently boiling soup, stirring constantly, until the soup has thickened. You may not need too add all of the flour if you like your chowder on the thinner side. Boil gently for one minute to fully cook the flour and then remove from heat.

Add the slurry to thicken the clam chowder

Taste the soup and season with salt and pepper to taste. The clam chowder is now ready to serve!

Serve

Ladle the hot soup into bowls and top with butter, oyster crackers, crispy bacon, or whatever you like. Serve with crusty bread if desired. Yum!

Hope you get to try this easy clam chowder soon. Happy Cooking!

One Hour Clam Chowder

Recipe by: Mandy

This thick & hearty New-England style clam chowder is loaded with potatoes, onions, and tender clams. It is easy to make at home and ready in less than an hour!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 45

Total Time 1

Servings 8

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, chopped
3 stalks celery, finely chopped
2 pounds potatoes, cut into half inch cubes (about 3-4 medium), peeled if desired
1 can chopped clams (51 oz), drained, reserving juice. You should have around 3 cups clam juice and 4-5 loosely packed cups of chopped clams. See recipe notes below.
2 cups half-and-half
⅔ cup flour, or as needed
1 cup water, or as needed
½ teaspoon salt, or to taste

Instructions

Melt the butter in a large pot. Add in the onion and celery and cook over medium high heat for 5 minutes or until they have softened up a bit, stirring occasionally.
After the onion and celery are tender, add in the cubed potatoes and reserved clam juice. Bring to a boil then cover and reduce the heat. Simmer for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.
When the potatoes are tender stir in the clams and half-and-half. Heat through just until soup start to boil.
Stir the flour and a little water together in a small bowl or measuring cup to make a slurry. Whisk vigorously to get out any lumps.
Slowly drizzle the flour mixture into the gently boiling soup, stirring constantly, until the soup has thickened. You may not need to add all of the flour if you like your chowder on the thinner side. Boil gently for one minute to fully cook the flour and then remove from heat.
Taste the soup and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve the clam chowder topped with butter, oyster crackers, crispy bacon, or whatever you like. Enjoy!

Notes

51-oz cans of chopped clams can be found at Costco, Sam’s Club, restaurant supply stores such as Smart Foodservice, or online at Amazon. You may also substitute 4-6 of the smaller 6.5 oz cans if you prefer.

Other recipes you may like:

Soft Garlic Breadsticks

Sausage, Potato, and Kale Soup

Leek and Potato Soup with Bacon

Sausage, Potato, and Kale Soup

By Mandy

On October 15, 2020

In Cooking

Fall is here and that means that it’s soup season! One of my very favorite soups to make is sausage, potato, and kale soup.

You may recognize this soup as Zuppa Toscana from the Olive Garden. But you are in for a treat because the homemade version is so much better!

This soup is loaded with sausage, potatoes, and fresh kale. One thing that I like about this recipe is that it makes a lot! The soup reheats well and we eat it for lunches during the week. It requires only 10 ingredients and is ready in less than an hour.

This post will take you through how to make this delicious sausage potato and kale soup step-by-step. Let’s get started!

Ingredients for Sausage, Potato, and Kale Soup

Sausage, potato, and kale soup only requires 10 ingredients: Italian sausage, onion, water, potatoes, milk, evaporated milk, oregano, red pepper flakes, kale, and parmesan cheese for the top. We will go through the ingredients now:

Italian Sausage – Italian sausage is made with fennel and herbs that adds a lot of flavor to the soup. I choose the mild Italian sausage (also called sweet Italian sausage) because of my kids but spicy Italian sausage would be delicious as well!

Onion – This adds flavor to the soup. Use a yellow or white onion so it does not change the color of the broth.

Potatoes – My favorite potatoes to use in this soup are red potatoes or yukon gold potatoes because they have an amazing flavor. Since they have thin skin, I usually do not peel them.

If you don’t have yukon gold or red potatoes, russets work great too! You may want to peel them though because they have a slightly thicker skin.

Kale – I LOVE kale in this soup! Unlike spinach or other greens, kale keeps its integrity, even when the soup is reheated for leftovers the next day. This recipe calls for a lot of kale (two bunches!) and it will look like it will be too much. However, you will be surprised by how much it cooks down.

Milk – Adding some milk gives the soup some richness. You can use whatever milkfat you prefer.

Evaporated Milk – Evaporated milk is sold in a can and is quite simply milk that has had some water removed. Do NOT get sweetened condensed milk because it is not the same thing!

Evaporated milk is heated during the canning process which gives it is a slightly darker color than fresh milk. It also has a richer flavor, which I really like in this soup!

You can also use half-and-half or cream instead of the evaporated milk if you prefer, but wait to add it until the end. After the kale is done cooking remove the soup from the heat, stir in the cream, and serve.

Oregano and Red Pepper Flakes – These add flavor to the soup. Adjust the amounts to taste.

Parmesan cheese – I like to sprinkle parmesan cheese on top of the finished soup. This is optional but delicious!