New England Clam Chowder Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What makes New England clam chowder different? ›

Also referred to as “Boston-style” clam chowder, New England chowder is milk or cream-based, making it significantly thicker than other regional styles. It's often made with milk, butter, potatoes, pork, onion, and clams and accompanied by oyster crackers.

This clam chowder recipe should produce perfectly rich soup. If you'd like your chowder a little thicker, though, you can thicken it with a cornstarch slurry. Simply stir cornstarch into a small amount of cold water (or another liquid, such as wine or stock), then stir the mixture into the simmering chowder.

Manhattan Clam Chowder is lower in calories and fat. It is more nutritious thanks to its vitamin-rich tomato-based broth and abundance of veggies. New England clam chowder is higher in calories and fat because of its heavy cream-based broth.

New England Clam Chowder

This soup is very popular in the Northeast and is often served or thickened with oyster crackers.

Maine and Massachusetts may be the two states most associated with the cream-based clam chowder. In fact, it is known as one of Maine's most iconic dishes and is considered a classic in Boston's historic neighborhoods.

San Francisco is famous for many iconic dishes, and clam chowder is among our favorites. Whether you need something to warm you up as the fog rolls in or you want a hearty meal before exploring the city, you can't go wrong with clam chowder.

Manhattan clam chowder has a red, tomato-based broth and unlike New England clam chowder there is no milk or cream. Manhattan-style chowder also usually contains other vegetables, such as celery and carrots to create a mirepoix.

Fresh clams are a thing of beauty, but canned clams should have a place in your pantry. They are healthy, affordable and can take that plain pasta from drab to fab.

A 1-cup serving of chowder contains 18 mg of cholesterol and 688 mg of sodium, or almost 30 percent of the total daily recommended sodium intake for healthy adults.

You see, cham chowder is quite rich, and so it has to be balanced with something light. Consider either a Kale salad, Caesar salad, or coleslaw. Shy away from action-packed salads with things like nuts, cheese, avocado and other fatty ingredients since they compete with the heaviness of the clam chowder.

Can you eat clam chowder everyday? ›

Although clam chowder is not a low-calorie food, it does provide you with some essential nutrients, and you can still include it – in moderation – in a healthy meal plan. But overindulging in clam chowder, especially New England clam chowder, can cause you exceed your daily calorie allotment and gain weight.

But West Coast clams, as I discovered, are very different than their Eastern brethren. Some sources describe them as more delicate and buttery than burlier, juicier East Coast clams. To compensate for their milder flavors, some chowders in Oregon and Washington incorporate bacon to add savoriness.

If you order clam chowder in New England, you will get a creamy, thick broth, whereas the dish served in Rhode Island is a clearer broth. In San Francisco, the area of Pier 39 clam chowder is a version of the original recipe found on the east coast but served in a sourdough bowl.

That ingredient is tomato. New England clam chowder is white, made with cream or milk and absolutely no tomato. Manhattan clam chowder has as its basis a red broth thoroughly flavored with tomato.

Either Nova Scotian, French, or English settlers first introduced clam chowder to people in New England, and it gained popularity for its savory flavor.