YIELD: 4 to 6 servings | PREP TIME: 20 minutes, plus time to cure | STOVETOP: 50 minutes
• 3 pounds (1361 g) cherrystone, quahog, or littleneck clams, well rinsed
• 4 ounces thick-cut bacon, cut into small dice
• 1 medium leek, white part only, cleaned and sliced into quarter-moons (about 1 cup (240 ml))
• 1 cup (240 ml) diced shallots (about 2 large)
• ½ cup diced celery (about 2 ribs)
• Pinch of salt
• 1 pound (454 g) Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into small dice
• ½ teaspoon minced fresh thyme
• ½ cup white wine
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) arrowroot starch
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream, full-fat coconut milk, or Cashew Cream
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) minced fresh parsley, plus extra for garnish
1. In a large pot, bring 1 quart of water to a boil. Add the clams, cover, and cook for 5 to 10 minutes, until the clams open. Discard any clams that do not open. Transfer the clams to a rimmed baking sheet and set aside to cool. Strain the broth through a fine-mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth to catch any sediment. Reserve the broth.
2. Once the clams are cool enough to handle, remove them from their shells and chop them into small pieces. Set aside.
3. Rinse out the pot and return it to the stovetop over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until crisp, about 10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon to a plate. Remove all but 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of the fat from the pot.
4. Add the leek, shallots, and celery to the pot along with a pinch of salt and cook until softened, 7 to 8 minutes, stirring often.
5. Add the potatoes and thyme and cook for another 3 minutes. Turn the heat up to high and add the wine. Cook for another couple of minutes, until the liquid has mostly evaporated. Add the arrowroot starch and cook for 1 minute more, stirring constantly.
6. Pour in the reserved clam broth and add the bay leaf. Bring to a simmer and cook, partially covered, until the potatoes are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in the clams, cream, and half of the bacon and bring just to a simmer. Set aside at room temperature for up to an hour to allow the flavors to develop.
7. To serve, reheat the soup and stir in the parsley. Garnish with additional minced parsley and the remaining bacon.
Chef’s Tip: Rather not use wine? Swap the white wine for equal parts white wine vinegar and water.
AIP Modification: Use celery root, parsnips, or turnips instead of potatoes, and use coconut milk instead of heavy cream or cashew cream.
Lower-Carb Modification: Use celery root instead of potatoes.
More Recipes You'll Love
New England clam chowder is the creamy classic done properly: fresh cherrystone clams steamed open, their broth strained and saved as the soup's base. Crisp bacon, tender potatoes, and a swirl of cream (or coconut milk) make every spoonful rich and satisfying. Arrowroot starch thickens it to that signature chowder consistency without a speck of flour.
Pro Tips
- Never use the liquid straight from the clam pot — strain it through cheesecloth first. Sand in the broth will ruin an otherwise perfect chowder.
- Cook the bacon until genuinely crisp and leave 2 tablespoons of the fat in the pot. Those drippings are the flavor foundation of the whole soup.
- Add the chopped clams and cream only at the very end and just bring to a simmer. Boiling them turns clams rubbery and the cream grainy.
- The chowder is better after resting: let it sit off the heat for up to an hour before reheating and serving, exactly as the recipe suggests.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between New England and Manhattan clam chowder?
New England is the creamy white version with milk or cream, while Manhattan is tomato-based and brothier. This recipe is the creamy New England style.
Which clams are best for chowder?
Cherrystone, quahog, or littleneck clams all work — larger quahogs give the most briny flavor and stand up well to chopping.
Can I make this chowder dairy-free?
Yes — full-fat coconut milk or cashew cream makes an excellent creamy base and is the AIP-friendly route the recipe outlines.
Is this chowder lower-carb adaptable?
Swap the potatoes for celery root as the recipe notes suggest. The texture is nearly identical and the carbs drop considerably.
Recipe Card
- 3 lb cherrystone, quahog, or littleneck clams, well rinsed
- 4 oz thick-cut bacon, cut into small dice
- 1 medium leek, white part only, cleaned and sliced into quarter-moons (about 1 cup)
- 1 cup diced shallots (about 2 large)
- ½ cup diced celery (about 2 ribs)
- Pinch of salt
- 1 lb Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into small dice
- ½ tsp minced fresh thyme
- ½ cup white wine
- 1 tbsp arrowroot starch
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cup heavy cream, full-fat coconut milk, or Cashew Cream
- 1 tbsp minced fresh parsley, plus extra for garnish
- In a large pot, bring 1 quart of water to a boil. Add the clams, cover, and cook for 5 to 10 minutes, until the clams open. Discard any clams that do not open. Transfer the clams to a rimmed baking sheet and set aside to cool. Strain the broth through a fine-mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth to catch any sediment. Reserve the broth.
- Once the clams are cool enough to handle, remove them from their shells and chop them into small pieces. Set aside.
- Rinse out the pot and return it to the stovetop over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until crisp, about 10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon to a plate. Remove all but 2 tablespoons of the fat from the pot.
- Add the leek, shallots, and celery to the pot along with a pinch of salt and cook until softened, 7 to 8 minutes, stirring often.
- Add the potatoes and thyme and cook for another 3 minutes. Turn the heat up to high and add the wine. Cook for another couple of minutes, until the liquid has mostly evaporated. Add the arrowroot starch and cook for 1 minute more, stirring constantly.
- Pour in the reserved clam broth and add the bay leaf. Bring to a simmer and cook, partially covered, until the potatoes are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in the clams, cream, and half of the bacon and bring just to a simmer. Set aside at room temperature for up to an hour to allow the flavors to develop.
- To serve, reheat the soup and stir in the parsley. Garnish with additional minced parsley and the remaining bacon.
