Manhattan Clam Chowder

About This Recipe

Manhattan clam chowder is the tomato-based, brothy cousin of the creamy New England version. Built on a base of bacon, onion, celery, carrot, and bell pepper, it simmers diced potatoes and crushed tomatoes into a bright, herbaceous broth before fresh chopped clams are folded in at the very end. Unlike its dairy-rich rival, this chowder stays light and tangy, with thyme and a hint of red pepper lifting the brine of the clams. It is hearty enough for a main course yet clean-tasting, the kind of soup that tastes even better the next day once the flavors marry. Serve it with oyster crackers or crusty bread.

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 4 slicesbacon(diced)
• 1 largeyellow onion(diced)
• 2 ribscelery(diced)
• 1 mediumcarrot(diced)
• 1 mediumgreen bell pepper(diced)
• 3 clovesgarlic(minced)
• 1 28 oz cancrushed tomatoes
• 3 cupsbottled clam juice
• 1 lbYukon Gold potatoes(diced)
• 2 tspfresh thyme leaves
• 1 pinchred pepper flakes
• 24 ozchopped clams(with their liquor)
• 2 tbspfresh parsley(chopped)

Instructions

1. 1

   Render the bacon

   In a heavy pot over medium heat, cook the diced bacon 6-8 minutes until crisp and the fat is rendered. Leave the bacon and about 2 tablespoons of fat in the pot for flavor.

   Smoked bacon adds depth that mirrors traditional salt pork.

2. 2

   Sweat the vegetables

   Add onion, celery, carrot, and bell pepper. Cook 8 minutes over medium heat until softened and the onion turns translucent, stirring often so nothing browns too hard.

3. 3

   Build the base

   Stir in garlic and cook 1 minute until fragrant. Add crushed tomatoes, clam juice, potatoes, thyme, and red pepper flakes, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.

4. 4

   Simmer

   Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook uncovered 20-25 minutes until the potatoes are fork-tender and the broth has thickened slightly and concentrated in flavor.

   A simmer, not a boil, keeps the potatoes intact rather than mushy.

5. 5

   Add the clams

   Stir in the chopped clams and their liquor. Cook just 3-4 minutes until the clams are heated through; longer cooking turns them rubbery and tough.

6. 6

   Season and finish

   Taste and adjust with salt and black pepper, remembering clam juice is already salty. Stir in fresh parsley off the heat and serve hot with oyster crackers.

Variations

• •

  Add a splash of white wine when building the base for extra brightness.

• •

  Stir in a cup of corn kernels for a sweeter, fuller-bodied soup.

• •

  Use linguica or chorizo in place of bacon for a smoky, spicy edge.

Storage

Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 3 days; the flavor deepens overnight. Reheat gently so the clams do not toughen, and avoid freezing as the potatoes turn grainy.

Frequently Asked Questions