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New England Clam Chowder {Gluten-free}

This is another first for me. I have only had clam chowder once and it was in Michigan in 2001. It was more potatoes than clams and that was just fine with me because I was a little afraid of that smell of seafood way past its prime. I wanted a big bowl of potatoes and herbs with a cream base and a few clams thrown in just to justify the name. That is exactly what I got!

Fast forward 11 years and I wanted to try my hand and making a clam chowder that Ina Garten, who lives smack dab in the middle of “New England” proud. This time of year, I get crazy with the soups, stews, and chowders. We spend 9 months trying not to melt away so I like to take advantage of all the available chilly nights that are begging for a hot bowl of soup! This recipe was easy and used only 1 pot. I did make a couple of modifications from the original.

clamchowder

  • 4 slices bacon, diced
  • 1 1/2 cups chopped onion
  • 2 stalks of celery
  • 1/2 cups of celery, diced
  • 2 1/2  cups chicken broth (check for GF!)
  • 4 cups cubed potatoes
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • ground black pepper to taste
  • 2 cups half-and-half
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 2 (10 ounce) cans minced clams

Directions

  1. Place diced bacon in large stock pot over medium-high heat. Cook until almost crisp;
  2. Add onions, celery, and carrots and cook 10 minutes.
  3. Stir in broth and potatoes, and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, and cook uncovered for 15 minutes, or until potatoes are fork tender.
  4. Pour in half-and-half, and add butter. Drain clams, reserving clam liquid; stir clams and 1/2 of the clam liquid into the soup. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until heated through. Do not allow to boil.