Light and Creamy New England Clam Chowder Recipe
This light and creamy homemade New England Clam Chowder recipe is a delicious comfort food that’s perfect for a warm, cozy evening meal. It’s an easy, lightened-up version of an American classic using cream cheese instead of heavy cream and more broth and vegetables than the traditional full-fat, calorie-laden dish.
This recipe hits all the clam chowder flavor cravings without all the fat, calories, and guilt. This is one of those new recipes you’ll look forward to making when soup season arrives.
WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS LIGHT AND CREAMY CLAM CHOWDER RECIPE
✨It’s a one-pot meal! Every step from frying the bacon to ladling a creamy bowl full of this ultimate comfort food is done in one Dutch oven or large soup pot.
✨This soup recipe uses less flour than most traditional New England Clam Chowder Recipes so you don’t end up with clam chowder gravy instead of a creamy, yummy soup.
✨Lots of tender potatoes, onions, celery, and cabbage are “hidden” in the creamy, savory broth so even your pickiest eaters won’t complain.
✨This recipe comes together in less than an hour so it’s an easy weeknight meal.
WHAT YOU’LL NEED FOR THIS LIGHTER NEW ENGLAND CLAM CHOWDER
Fresh Ingredients
- Clams – easy, canned whole baby clams work great in this recipe. Although I’m sure fresh clams would be souper delicious in this recipe, I personally have never cooked with them. I live in the almost exact middle of the U.S. so fresh clams are just not common in our grocery stores.
- Potatoes – Yukon Gold or Red Potatoes. I’m not a fan of diced russet potatoes in creamy soups but if you already have them then use them.
- Vegetables – garlic…like 5 cloves… onion, celery, and cabbage, yep!
- Broth – reserved clam juice from the canned clams and chicken broth.
- Cream Cheese – I use Garlic and Chive Whipped Cream Cheese in this, but regular block or whipped jalapeno cream cheese is also good.
- Flour – in most of my soups and chowder I really try and limit the flour amount. I use gluten-free flour when it’s in the pantry. Cornstarch also works well.
- Bacon – 6 slices but you could use more.
- Butter – salted or unsalted.
- Seasonings and Fresh Herbs – Old Bay Seasoning, Garlic Boullion, bay leaves, fresh thyme (or ground), salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste, paprika
- Toppings – fresh chives and parsley, oyster crackers, bacon bits
HOW TO MAKE THIS HEALTHY CLAM CHOWDER RECIPE
Easy Instructions
- STEP 1: Chop onion, garlic, celery, and potatoes into desired-size pieces. Cut cabbage into thin slices then chop in half.
- STEP 2: Open 2 10 oz cans of whole baby clams and pour them into a mesh strainer with a large measuring cup or bowl underneath to catch the clam juice.
- STEP 3: In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, cook the bacon over medium heat until it becomes crispy, about 5-7 minutes.
- STEP 4: Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and place it on a plate lined with paper towels to drain. Leave the bacon grease drippings in the pot.
- STEP 5: In the same pot with the bacon drippings, add the chopped onion, garlic, celery, and cabbage. Cook over medium heat until the vegetables become tender, about 5-7 minutes.
- STEP 6: Add butter to the sauteed vegetables. Mix until the butter disappears into the veggies.
- STEP 7: Sprinkle 1/3 cup of flour, 2 tsp. of Old Bay seasoning, and 2 tsp. of Better than Boullion Garlic paste on the sauteed vegetables. Stir to coat the veggies.
- STEP 8: Add the reserved clam juice, chicken broth, bay leaf, fresh or dried thyme, Bring the mixture to a light boil. Stir in diced potatoes.
- STEP 9: Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and simmer for about 15-20 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork-tender.
- STEP 10: Once the potatoes are tender, stir in the cream cheese and gently stir until cream cheese is incorporated into the soup base.
- STEP 11: Sprinkle paprika over the soup and stir.
- STEP 12: Add the whole baby clams to the soup and stir. Cover and let the chowder simmer for about 10 minutes or until desired warmth. Taste the chowder and adjust the salt and black pepper, if needed.
HOW TO SERVE CREAMY AND LIGHT NEW ENGLAND CLAM CHOWDER
- Ladle into bowls and garnish each serving with chopped fresh parsley, chopped fresh chives, the cooked bacon cut into small pieces, a little shredded parmesan cheese, and plain or seasoned oyster crackers.
- If you’re looking to make this healthier soup more “fancy” to guests, then serve it in individual warm sourdough bread bowls.
RECIPE TIPS
If you want to skip using bacon grease then substitute the grease with 2 tablespoons of butter or olive oil.
To make it gluten free, use gluten free flour or corn starch. Use the same amount of gluten free flour and half the amount of cornstarch. The soup will still have a creamy texture but without the gluten guilt.
Omit the cabbage if your people don’t care for it. My family isn’t a big cabbage fan, but it’s never stopped them from going back for seconds.
HOW TO STORE
ITEMS YOU’LL NEED FOR THIS RECIPE 🍲
Store this creamy soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. If it’s too thick then add extra chicken broth, milk, or water to thin it out.
This soup will freeze pretty well but the potatoes might be a little mushy.
TOPPING IDEAS 💡
Simple Italian Dill Snacks – seasoned oyster crackers
Goldfish Crackers, Saltine Crackers
Easy Spicy Everything Mini Saltine Snack Crackers
Fresh chives, parsley, green onions.
French Fried Onions in a can.
Parmesan Cheese
How to Make Easy Homemade Croutons
MORE SOUP RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE 💙
Easy Ground Turkey Green Chili Soup
Sweet and Savory Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Sausage
Easy Old Fashioned Chicken and Dumplings
Creamy and Light New England Clam Chowder Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 10 oz cans clams – canned whole baby clams drained and juice reserved
- 4 medium potatoes Yukon Gold or Red Potatoes, diced
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 1 medium-large onion chopped
- 4 stalks celery chopped
- 1/2 sm. head cabbage slivered and them cut in half
- 1 32 oz chicken broth carton or 4-8 oz cans
- 2 cups clam juice – reserved if there is not 2 cups of clam juice then add a little more chicken broth to make up the difference
- 6 oz cream cheese Garlic and Chive Whipped, Cream Cheese regular block, or whipped jalapeno cream cheese
- 1/3 cup flour – unbleached white gluten free or cornstarch can be substituted.
- 6 slices bacon 6 slices but you could use more.
- 3 tbsp butter – salted or unsalted.
- 3 whole bay leaves
- 2 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
- 2 tsp Garlic Boullion Better than Boullion Roasted Garlic
- 1 tsp paprika
- 3 large fresh thyme sprigs if using ground thyme, use 2 tsp
- salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
- Toppings – fresh chives and parsley, oyster crackers, bacon bits
Instructions
- STEP 1: Chop onion, garlic, celery, and potatoes into desired-size pieces. Cut cabbage into thin slices then chop in half..5 cloves garlic, 4 medium potatoes
- STEP 2: Open 2 10 oz cans of whole baby clams and pour them into a mesh strainer with a large measuring cup or bowl underneath to catch the clam juice.2 10 oz cans clams – canned whole baby clams
- STEP 3: In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, cook the bacon over medium heat until it becomes crispy, about 5-7 minutes6 slices bacon
- STEP 4: Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and place it on a plate lined with paper towels to drain. Leave the bacon grease drippings in the pot.
- STEP 5: In the same pot with the bacon drippings, add the chopped onion, garlic, celery, and cabbage. Cook over medium heat until the vegetables become tender, about 5-7 minutes.1 medium-large onion, 4 stalks celery, 1/2 sm. head cabbage
- STEP 6: Add butter to the sauteed vegetables. Mix until the butter disappears into the veggies.3 tbsp butter – salted or unsalted.
- STEP 7: Sprinkle 1/3 cup of flour, 2 tsp. of Old Bay seasoning, and 2 tsp. of Better than Boullion Garlic paste on the sauteed vegetables. Stir to coat the veggies.1/3 cup flour – unbleached white, 2 tsp Old Bay Seasoning, 2 tsp Garlic Boullion
- STEP 8: Add the reserved clam juice, chicken broth, bay leaf, fresh or dried thyme, Bring the mixture to a light boil. Stir in diced potatoes.4 medium potatoes, 1 32 oz chicken broth, 2 cups clam juice – reserved, 3 whole bay leaves, 3 large fresh thyme sprigs
- STEP 9: Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and simmer for about 15-20 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork-tender.
- STEP 10: Once the potatoes are tender, stir in the cream cheese and gently stir until cream cheese is incorporated into the soup base.6 oz cream cheese
- STEP 11: Sprinkle paprika over the soup and stir.1 tsp paprika
- STEP 12: Add the whole baby clams to the soup and stir. Cover and let the chowder simmer for about 10 minutes or until desired warmth. Taste the chowder and adjust the salt and black pepper, if needed.2 10 oz cans clams – canned whole baby clams, salt and fresh ground black pepper, Toppings – fresh chives and parsley, oyster crackers, bacon bits
