A healthier alternative to the classic New England clam chowder
Bringing you New England clam chowder from New England!
I’m from New England so growing up, I ate this pretty often in the summertime. However, the traditional New England white clam chowder is made with heavy cream so I’m bringing you a lighter version of the chowder that substitutes 2% milk for the heavy cream. I really don’t even know why they use cream in the original version; it’s perfectly creamy and tastes exactly the same with milk! Granted there isn’t a huge, huge difference between heavy cream and 2% milk, but hey, I said it was lighter, not the lightest 🙂
I haven’t tried making this clam chowder with skim milk, but you could definitely try! Maybe just add an additional tablespoon of flour to thicken it further. It would probably work and taste the same as well! The potatoes are really the key thickening agent in this chowder and contribute to the creamy, rich texture of this classic soup.
However, I don’t call this chowder “lighter” simply due to the substitution of heavy cream, I also omitted bacon from the recipe. The original New England clam chowder has bacon in it, but I personally don’t think it makes a big difference in the soup. If you want, you could add turkey bacon or a leaner meat as a healthier alternative to the bacon. However, if you’re really craving bacon, go for it! What’s once per summer anyway…
If you make this recipe, be sure to tag your creation with the hashtag #foodfinessa.
Lighter Cream-Free New England Clam Chowder
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium white onion, chopped
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 4 cups 2% milk
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 8 ounces clam juice
- 1-1/2 pounds russet potatoes, chopped into cubes
- 1 bay leaf
- 16 ounces shelled clams, chopped
- 3 tablespoons chives, chopped
- 1/2 cup oyster crackers
- In a large pot over medium heat, add olive oil and white onion. Sautée onion for 2 minutes, until fragrant and translucent. Add flour, and stir well until onions are coated in flour. Add milk, salt, pepper, clam juice, potatoes, and bay leaf. Allow mixture to simmer for 10-15 minutes, until potatoes are almost cooked. Add clams, and cook for another 7-10 minutes until clams and potatoes are fully cooked.
- Serve chowder warm with chopped chives and oyster crackers. Dive in!
