Chesapeake Bay Clam Chowder with Bacon
A creamy chowder featuring fresh clams, smoky bacon, and a touch of heat from cayenne pepper. This American-inspired soup recipe, ready in about 70 minutes, pairs clams, bacon, onion for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 350 calories and feeds 6, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs (shucked) clams
- 4 slices bacon
- 1 onion
- 2 stalks celery
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 medium potato
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp flour
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp thyme
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
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Equipment for this recipe
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Instructions
- Step 1: Cook 4 bacon slices in a pot until crispy. Remove and crumble. Sauté 1 diced onion, 2 diced celery stalks, and 2 minced garlic cloves in the bacon fat until softened.
- Step 2: Add 1 diced potato and cook 2 minutes. Stir in 2 tbsp flour, 1 tsp thyme, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper. Gradually add 4 cups clam juice (from clams) and 1 cup water. Bring to a simmer.
- Step 3: Add 2 lbs clams and 1/2 cup heavy cream. Cook 5-7 minutes until clams open. Stir in crumbled bacon and 1/4 tsp cayenne. Simmer 2 minutes before serving.
