New England Clam Chowder is hands down my favorite soup. I didn’t realize how easy it is to make at home. I browsed a few recipes online and gathered bits and pieces to come up with this recipe. This is the perfect Summer soup. But you’ll want to enjoy it all year long.
What you will need…
3 tbsp of butter (unsalted)
1 medium onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped (reserve leaves for garnish)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour (more if you prefer a thicker soup)
1 cup vegetable stock
1 (8 oz) bottle of clam juice
2 (10 oz) cans of chopped or baby clams
1 cup of heavy cream
1 lb of Idaho potatoes, cubed
Old Bay, Sea Salt & Ground Black Peppercorn to taste
Pan Toasted Garlic Bread
french baguette loaf, sliced
3 tbsp butter (salted)
2-3 cloves of fresh garlic, crushed
Heat the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and celery, and sauté until soft. Stir in the flour until the vegetables are coated. Then add the vegetable stock, bottle of clam juice, juice from the 2 cans of clams (reserving clams), cream, bay leaves, and potatoes. Bring to a simmer until the mixture starts to simmer, stirring frequently. Cook until the potatoes are tender. Then season to taste with old bay, salt & pepper. Turn off the heat and add the clams.
To make the Pan Toasted Garlic Bread, first melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the crushed garlic and sauté until soft and slightly browning. Add the baguette slices and toast in the butter until brown. Flip over, and toast the other side until brown. Serve fresh out of the pan with the hot New England Clam Chowder. Use it to sop up leftover broth.
