New England Clam Chowder
Creamy, flour-free clam chowder with smoky bacon, tender clams and cauliflower standing in for the potatoes.
Nutrition per serving
1 cup- Net carbs
- 6.2g
- Calories
- 259kcal
- Protein
- 11g
- Fat
- 21g
- Total carbs
- 8.2 g
- Fiber
- 2 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for each ingredient (optional ingredients excluded). Brands vary — check your labels if you track closely.
Ingredients
Manhattan-style (tomato): The red, brothy New York version: tomatoes and green pepper instead of cream, with olive oil in place of butter, so it is dairy-free.
- Cook the green pepper with the onion and celery in the olive oil.
- Add the tomatoes with the clam juice and skip the blending, cream and xanthan gum — Manhattan chowder is meant to be brothy.
Seafood chowder: Chunks of cod and shrimp join the clams for a heartier, restaurant-style seafood chowder.
- After thickening the chowder, add the fish and simmer gently for 3 minutes, then the shrimp and clams for 2–3 minutes more, until the fish flakes easily and the shrimp are pink and opaque (145°F/63°C).
Turnip "potatoes": Diced turnips hold their shape and taste closer to potato than cauliflower does, for about 1 g more net carbs per serving.
- Simmer the diced turnips for 12–15 minutes, until tender. Skip the blending and mash a few cubes against the side of the pot for body instead.
- Nice to have (optional)
-
1 cup heavy creamleave out -
¼ tsp xanthan gumleave out - Also add
- Nice to have (optional)
- Also add
- Nice to have (optional)
- Nice to have (optional)
Estimated cost $10.76 for 6 servings ($1.79 each) · how we estimate
Instructions
-
Cook the bacon in a large pot over medium heat for 6–8 minutes, until crisp. Lift it out with a slotted spoon, leaving the fat behind.
-
Add the butter, onion and celery and cook 5–6 minutes, until soft but not browned. Stir in the garlic and thyme for 30 seconds.
-
Pour in the clam juice and the liquid reserved from the canned clams, add the bay leaf and cauliflower and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, covered, for 10–12 minutes, until the cauliflower is tender.
-
For body, scoop out about 1 cup of the cauliflower with a little broth, blend it smooth and stir it back in (or mash some florets against the side of the pot).
-
Stir in the cream and bring back to a gentle simmer. Sprinkle the xanthan gum over the surface while whisking and simmer 2 minutes, until the chowder coats a spoon.
-
Add the clams and heat for just 1–2 minutes — longer makes them rubbery. Discard the bay leaf, season with pepper and salt to taste and serve topped with the bacon and parsley.
Tips for success
-
Clam juice is salty, so taste before adding any salt at all. - Fresh clams make it even better: steam 2 lb (900 g) of littlenecks in ½ cup of water just until they open (discard any that don't), chop the meat and use the strained cooking liquid in place of some of the clam juice.
- Serve with cheddar garlic biscuits, or float a few almond flour crackers on top in place of oyster crackers.
Nice to have, not needed
- Freshly steamed littleneck clams make it even better — canned clams are the easy everyday choice.
Storage & meal prepMeal-prep friendly
- Keeps 3 days in the fridge
- Doesn’t freeze well
Reheat: Reheat gently over low heat, stirring, without boiling — boiling toughens the clams and can split the cream.
Refrigerate up to 3 days and reheat gently without boiling. Cream-based chowder can separate when frozen, so it is best eaten fresh.
Variations
3 variations, each with its own ingredients and macrosManhattan-style (tomato)
FlavorThe red, brothy New York version: tomatoes and green pepper instead of cream, with olive oil in place of butter, so it is dairy-free.
- butter → olive oil
- + 1 can diced tomatoes
- + ½ medium green bell pepper
- no heavy cream
- no xanthan gum
6.5 g net · 144 kcal · 10 g protein · 7.8 g fat · ≈$1.70 per serving (+0.3 g net carbs vs the original)
Seafood chowder
ProteinChunks of cod and shrimp join the clams for a heartier, restaurant-style seafood chowder.
- + 8 oz cod or haddock
- + 8 oz shrimp
6.2 g net · 322 kcal · 25 g protein · 22 g fat · ≈$3.42 per serving (same net carbs as the original)
Turnip "potatoes"
SwapDiced turnips hold their shape and taste closer to potato than cauliflower does, for about 1 g more net carbs per serving.
- cauliflower florets → turnips
7.3 g net · 261 kcal · 9.8 g protein · 21 g fat · ≈$1.63 per serving (+1.1 g net carbs vs the original)
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