Creamy Clams Potatoes Soup (Printable)

Comforting creamy soup blending clams, potatoes, bacon, and herbs in a smooth, flavorful base.

# What You'll Need:

→ Seafood

01 - 1 lb fresh clams or 2 cans (6 oz each) chopped clams, drained, juice reserved

→ Vegetables

02 - 2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
03 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
04 - 2 celery stalks, finely chopped
05 - 1 medium carrot, diced (optional)
06 - 1 clove garlic, minced

→ Meats

07 - 3.5 oz bacon, diced

→ Liquids

08 - 2 cups clam juice (from clams or bottled)
09 - 1 cup whole milk
10 - 1 cup heavy cream
11 - 1 cup water

→ Other

12 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter
13 - 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
14 - 1 bay leaf
15 - ½ tsp dried thyme
16 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
17 - 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)
18 - Oyster crackers, for serving (optional)

# How to Make It:

01 - If using fresh clams, scrub and rinse thoroughly. Place in a pot with 1 cup water, cover, and steam over medium heat for 5–7 minutes until clams open. Discard unopened clams. Remove clam meat from shells, chop coarsely, and strain reserved cooking liquid through a fine sieve.
02 - In a large pot or Dutch oven, cook the diced bacon over medium heat until crisp. Use a slotted spoon to remove bacon and set aside, leaving the rendered fat in the pot.
03 - Add unsalted butter to the pot. Sauté onion, celery, carrot (if used), and garlic for 5 minutes until softened but not browned.
04 - Sprinkle all-purpose flour over the sautéed vegetables, stirring constantly for 2 minutes to form a roux.
05 - Gradually whisk in clam juice combined with reserved clam liquid. Add diced potatoes, bay leaf, and dried thyme. Bring to a simmer and cook for 12–15 minutes until potatoes are tender.
06 - Stir in whole milk and heavy cream. Add the chopped clams and cooked bacon if desired. Heat gently over low heat for 5 minutes without boiling until warmed through. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
07 - Remove the bay leaf. Ladle chowder into bowls, garnish with fresh parsley and reserved bacon. Serve with oyster crackers if desired.

# Expert Hacks:

01 -
  • It's pure comfort in a bowl—creamy, hearty, and deeply satisfying without feeling heavy or overdone.
  • You get tender clams and bacon in every spoonful, which means real flavor and substance that makes you feel genuinely nourished.
  • The recipe is forgiving enough for weeknight cooking but impressive enough to serve to guests who think you're far more skilled than you actually are.
02 -
  • Never let the soup boil once you've added the cream—it will break and look grainy instead of silky. Keep it to a gentle simmer and your texture will be perfect every time.
  • If your soup ends up too thin, you can mash a few cooked potatoes against the side of the pot to release their starch, which naturally thickens everything without adding flour or cream.
  • The quality of your clam juice makes an enormous difference. If you're using canned clams, save every drop of that liquid—it's pure flavor concentrate.
03 -
  • If you can find fresh littleneck clams at your market, they're worth the extra effort—their flavor is cleaner and brighter than canned, though either works beautifully.
  • Make this soup a day ahead and reheat it gently over low heat—the flavors actually deepen and marry together overnight, and you'll have one less thing to worry about when guests arrive.
  • Keep those oyster crackers on hand but also consider serving with crusty bread for soaking up every last bit of chowder from the bowl.

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