Manhattan Clam Chowder is easy to make and a lot less expensive than ordering out at your favorite seafood restaurant.
Once you get the basic soup-making skills down, the world is your oyster, or at least your clam.
For years delicious soups were a regular fixture in homes across America, but with the modern age of convenience, many homemade foods fell by the wayside. It became a lot easier to open a can than prepare the ingredients you needed to make a soup.
It’s not like making soup is rocket science. In the days of home cooking, soups were made from leftovers. Even restaurants used soups to use up leftover ingredients. And talented cooks, at home or in a restaurant knew what to add to make a soup a meal.
My Manhattan Clam Chowder is definitely a meal and really only takes about 20 minutes to prep.
Ingredients to make Manhattan Clam Chowder
Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to make Manhattan Clam Chowder. In Chef Speak this is called the Mise en Place which translates into Everything in its Place.
Not only does setting your ingredients up ahead of time speed the cooking process, but it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.
WHAT KIND OF CLAMS SHOULD I BUY?
Little Neck clams are most often the type of clams you’ll find in supermarkets. This size clam is generally used in pasta dishes such as clams and spaghetti. And that’s because the larger the clam gets, the tougher and chewier it will be.,
A lot of supermarkets also carry Middle Necks (pictured above), Top Necks or Cherrystone.
- Pasta Necks (or Spaghetti clams) – smaller than Little Necks, they are tender and easy to digest. Their delicate flavor goes well in light sauces, pasta or rice dishes.
- Little Neck – small and tender they are usually steamed open or eaten on the half shell. Also good for pasta dishes.
- Middle Neck – rich, firm-textured meat has a salty and slightly sweet flavor. Great for steaming in a garlic sauce and for soups.
- Top Neck – typically eaten raw on the half shell, grilled open or as a baked clam appetizer such as clams casino or deviled clams.
- Cherrystone – eaten raw or most often used for baked clam appetizers such as clams casino or deviled clams.
- Chowder – the largest and toughest hard clams, usually winding up in chowders.
If you don’t see them ask the seafood person if the larger clams can be ordered.
Chef Dennis Tip:
If fresh clams are open, they’re dead and you don’t want to eat them. I would also be wary if there is a strong odor coming from the clams, while it could just be just one stray clam stinking up the whole bunch, you need to be careful. Its natures way of telling you to find something else to eat.
The first step is steaming the clams you’ll be using for the soup. Add one cup of water to a large pot over medium heat. Add the clams and cover. Steam the clams for 8-10 minutes or until they steam open.
**Don’t let the clams cook longer than it takes to steam open.
Do I have to use Fresh Clams to make Clam Chowder?
No you don’t. Frozen clams are also an option, although with just the clam meat, you’ll have to buy clam juice to add to the soup.
While they’re not quite the same as fresh clams, frozen is good alternative. Especially if you live in the middle of the country. And if all else fails there’s always canned chopped clams and clam broth.
**Use 8-10 ounces of frozen clams in making this soup
How do I make Manhattan Clam Chowder?
The first step is steaming the clams you’ll be using for the soup. Add one cup of water to a large pot over medium heat. Add the clams and cover. Steam the clams for 8-10 minutes or until they steam open.
**Don’t let the clams cook longer than it takes to steam open.
Once the clams have steamed open, remove them from the stove and allow to cool until you can safely handle the clams.
When the clams have sufficiently cooled, remove the meat from the shells. Don’t remove the little mussel that holds the clam to the shell, it will be tough and chewy.
**Discard the shells but make sure to save all the juice from the steamed clams.
Chops the clams into small pieces and refrigerate until needed.
In a 4- 6 quart soup pot cook the bacon until almost done (about 5-6 minutes). Reduce the heat to medium and add the onions, celery and carrots and continue cooking for 7-10 minutes.
The next step is adding the stock, tomatoes, potatoes and thyme. Bring to a boil and reduce to simmer. Let chowder simmer for one hour.
**Skim the oil off the top of the soup and discard
After the soup has simmered for an hour, add in the clams. Bring the chowder back to a boil, then reduce heat back to a simmer.
Serve this hearty soup with crusty bread and watch the smiles at your table! There’s nothing a like a good soup to warm your body and your soul.
MORE RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE!
- New England Clam Chowder
- Cream of Broccoli with Roasted Tomatoes
- Italian Wedding Soup with Tortellini
- Lobster Chowder
- Sausage and Bean Minestra
Manhattan Clam Chowder
Ingredients
- 36 large clams
- 3 cups clam broth from steaming the clams
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 3 slices bacon diced
- 2 large carrots diced
- 4 stalks stalks celery diced
- 1 medium onion diced
- 2 medium potatoes diced- skin on or off your choice
- 16 ounce diced tomatoes (canned)
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
- sea salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon parsley chopped (optional)
Instructions
- The first step is steaming the clams you’ll be using for the soup. Add one cup of water to a large pot over medium heat. Add the clams and cover. Steam the clams for 8-10 minutes or until they steam open.**Don’t let the clams cook longer than it takes to steam open.
- Once the clams have steamed open, remove them from the stove and allow to cool until you can safely handle the clams.
- When the clams have sufficiently cooled, remove the meat from the shells. Don’t remove the little mussel that holds the clam to the shell, it will be tough and chewy.**Discard the shells but make sure to save all the juice from the steamed clams.
- Chops the clams into small pieces and refrigerate until needed.
- In a large sauce pot, fry the bacon over medium-low heat until the fat renders and the bacon gets a little crispy, about 5 to 6 minutes.
- Add the onion, carrot and celery, reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 7-10 minutes.
- Add the stock, clam juice, tomatoes, potatoes and thyme. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 60 minutes.**Skim the oil off the top of the soup and discard
- Stir in clams and season with sea salt and pepper to taste. Bring back to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer.
- Add in chopped parsley(optional) and serve with your favorite crusty bread
Larry Huddon
This is the first time a make Manhattan chowder.- I hope it comes out good. Our clams here in Thailand are small ad look like a miniature Quohaug like in Rhode Island.
The double shell is around the size of a silver dollar.
John Schroeder
I made it and it was delicious. Better than any that come out of a can and it rivaled any I’ve had at a restaurant. Thanks.
Tish Gilmore
Hi Chef,
I love Manhattan clam chowder and I have several cans of clams. I know fresh is better but with inflation I would prefer to use up these clams. How many cans and do I include the juice from the cans?
Thank you so much. Every recipe I have tried of yours is very good.
Tish
Chef Dennis Littley
it depends on how big the cans are. Using canned clams is not a problem
Sylvie
This looks amazing. Will steaming the 36 clams with 1 cup of water yield the required 3 cups of clam juice listed under the ingredients? What if it doesnt?
Chef Dennis Littley
if it doesn’t you can supplement it with chicken stock.
Marlene Lapera
Where does the clam juice come into the chowder?
Chef Dennis Littley
add it in with the stock, step 7. Sorry for the confusion
Leon
Can’t wait to try this…
EW
Can’t wait to make this. However, you said that you could also use frozen clams but did not translate the 32 large clams into pounds of frozen clams. Is it possible for you to do that for all of us that are wondering. Thanks
Chef Dennis Littley
sure… look for 8 -10 ounces of frozen clams to make the chowder.
Connie
This hearty soup gives me all the feels of warm comfort while reminiscing my beachy days of eating clams.
Mama Maggie's Kitchen
This looks incredibly delicious. Yum!
FOODHEAL
Chef, there is much going in here, this chowder is phenomenal! It’s promising to be super tasty and I can almost smell the flavors from a distance.
Amy
It’s clam season here now. Can’t wait to make this soup!
Audrey
It is officially soup and chili season. I love clam chowder!
Leslie
Exceptional Clam Chowder Recipe!
Emily Flint
Another delicious seafood soup recipe from your site, I love this!! Thanks for showing us how to make this at home.
jill
I’ve never tried making Clam Chowder.I can’t wait to try your recipe. It looks delicious!
Sue
This is my favorite kind of clam chowder – can’t wait to give this a try!
Laura
Very tasty soup!
Ashley Judd
I love clam chowder soup as does my family, and am excited to try this recipe. The last recipe I tried was okay. Hoping yours is far better. From the feedback you’ve been getting, I already have a great feeling this will be my go- to recipe for clam chowder!
Dennis (old Chef also)
my favorite is Manhattan and very close to mine – difference is I use Italian stewed style tomatoes – crushed and chopped and garlic – I quit using bacon
Also did you mean to say a lot “less” not a lot expensive
Manhattan Clam Chowder is easy to make and a lot expensive than ordering out
Dennis (old Chef also)
I forgot I also sometimes add cabbage & leeks
Chef Dennis Littley
thanks for catching the mistake in the intro, and I think the italian stewed would make a great addition to the soup!
Larry
Looks delicious Chef and I believe it’s hearty enough to eat with a fork.
Chef Dennis Littley
It was a hearty soup Larry, thats how I like my chowders!