Though Spring is here, it is still a good time to make some soup! Soups are good year-round, right? This tomato-based Manhattan clam chowder is light and bright; it is packed with incredible flavors. I used frozen cooked clams in the recipe because frozen clams are generally easier for everyone to get in the store. You can certainly add fresh clams to the soup toward the end of cooking if fresh clams are available. The fresh clams will sure give a nice and pretty presentation.

I remember the first time I tried Manhattan Clam Chowder was in college, and I loved it instantly. The soup was sold on campus at the Coffee House, which was basically a food court. The Coffee House was where many students would congregate, eat lunch, and study. I spent many hours there in the Coffee House over the 4 years I was there. Whenever it was Manhattan Clam Chowder day, I would get myself a bowl. The large bowl was too expensive for me so I got medium. That was the life of a poor college student. Today, I have made a big-o-pot of Manhattan clam chowder, which is an extra-extra-extra-extra large!

When making this soup, it is important to refrain from adding too much salt during the early stages of the cooking process. Clams are very salty so they are your “salt.” I salted the broth lightly before adding the potatoes so the potatoes could pick up some flavors. That was the only time I added any salt to the soup.

Another way to help avoid making the soup too salty is to use fish broth. Many recipes call for clam juice as the base, but I find using fish broth helps balance out the saltiness in the clam juice. Using fish broth will give you more control over seasoning the soup. The clams we add toward the end of cooking will give you more than enough clam flavor in the soup. So don’t worry we are only using one cup of clam juice in this recipe.

Print Recipe

Manhattan Clam Chowder

Cook Time1 hour hr

Course: Main Course, Soup

Cuisine: American

Keyword: clam chowder, seafood recipe

Servings: 6

Ingredients

• ½ lb frozen cooked clam meat ¼ lb chopped and ½ lb whole
• 2 to 3 slices of bacon chopped
• 1 cup diced yellow onions
• ½ cup diced carrots
• ½ cup diced celery
• 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
• 4 cups fish broth
• 1 cup clam juice
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 pound waxy potatoes cubed
• A sprig of thyme
• 1 to 2 bay leaves
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

• In a large pot, fry the bacon until they are crispy. Transfer the crispy bacon onto a plate and set aside.
• In the same pot, add the onions and cook over medium heat, until they are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the carrots and celery, and sweat for 5 minutes, or until soft. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about a minute.
• Add the fish broth and clam juice. Deglaze if needed and stir well. Add the tomatoes and season with ground black pepper. Bring to a boil then add the herbs. Simmer over medium-low heat for 10 minutes.
• Taste the broth. The broth should have a hint of salt from the fish broth and clam juice. If the broth lacks that hint of saltiness, add more salt.
• Add the potatoes and cook over medium-low heat for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the potatoes are cooked through.
• Add the clams and simmer over medium-low heat for 5 to 10 minutes.
• Return the crispy bacon to the pot. Adjust seasoning and finish with chopped parsley. Serve hot.

Video

Notes

The recipe yields 4 to 6 servings. To give the soup an extra boost of flavor, drizzle some EVOO over each bowl.

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