I grew up eating a lot of clam chowder because my mom is obsessed with it, and this creamy, comforting Clam Chowder with Leeks is my take on the recipe we always used!
Everyone has their own clam chowder preferences, and this Clam Chowder with Leeks is my chowder dream come true: creamy yet a little brothy and lightened up with white wine and fresh herbs. Yum!
And listen, don’t come at me for this but I truly don’t think fresh clams are necessary to make a killer clam chowder. For this Clam Chowder with Leeks, I use canned, chopped clams to keep it easy breezy. Fresh clams are great for looks, but over many years of perfecting this recipe, I’ve decided that the juice really isn’t worth the squeeze, and canned clams work great!
Ingredients:
- Bacon
- Unsalted Butter
- Leeks
- Garlic
- Kosher Salt
- Fresh Thyme
- Fresh Parsley
- Dried Sage
- White Pepper
- Dried Oregano
- All-Purpose Flour
- Dry White Wine
- Seafood Stock
- Clam Juice
- Yukon Gold Potatoes
- Bay Leaf
- Heavy Cream
- Canned Chopped Clams
- Crusty Bread or Oyster Crackers optional
Step-by-step:
step one: cook the bacon
Heat a large heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the diced bacon and cook, stirring, until the fat has rendered and the bacon is crisp, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cooked bacon to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside.
step two: cook the leeks
Add the butter, leeks, garlic and salt and cook, stirring, until the leeks are softened, about 7 minutes.
step three: create the herb mixture
Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine the thyme, parsley, sage, white pepper, dried oregano, and flour. Stir to combine.
step four: toast the flour and herb mixture
When the leeks are tender, add the flour and herb mixture to the pot and stir to combine and toast, stirring, for about 2 minutes.
step five: add the liquid ingredients
While stirring, pour in the white wine until well combined and there are no clumps of the flour. Stir in the seafood stock and clam juice and bring to a rapid simmer.
step six: add the potatoes and simmer
Once simmering, add in the potatoes, the bay leaf and continue to cook, allow the soup to simmer uncovered and stirring often allowing the soup to thicken and the potatoes to soften, about 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to a light simmer, cover, and continue to cook until the potatoes are tender, about 5 more minutes.
step seven: incorporate the cream, clams, and bacon
Stir in the cream, the chopped clams, and the reserved cooked bacon. Bring back to a light simmer, then remove from heat. The chowder should not come to a boil.
step eight: finish and serve!
Serve immediately with oyster crackers or crusty bread. Garnish with fresh parsley.
Recipe FAQs:
I sure am! I’ve made this recipe with both, and while fresh clams look great, canned clams taste fantastic and make this recipe a lot more accessible! Of course, if you prefer fresh, you can always substitute!
Any dry white will do, but I typically use Chardonnay!
This chowder is best served immediately, and I love to eat it with either oyster crackers or some yummy, crusty bread.
I hope you love this Clam Chowder as much as my family does! I can’t wait to hear what you think of it.
Looking for more delicious soup recipes? Try these!
Clam Chowder with Leeks
Ingredients
- 4 strips bacon diced small
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 small leeks tops removed, halved lengthwise and cleaned well, then sliced thinly into half-moons (4 cups)
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 2 teaspoons Kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves plus more for garnish
- ½ teaspoon dried sage
- ½ teaspoon white pepper sub freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour can sub gluten-free 1:1 flour or omit
- ½ cup dry white wine I use chardonnay
- 2 cups seafood stock
- 8 ounces clam juice
- 3 cups small-diced Yukon gold potatoes or 3 large potatoes
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 ½ cup heavy cream
- Two 6.5 oz cans chopped clams, drained
- Crusty bread or oyster crackers optional for serving
Instructions
- Heat a large heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the diced bacon and cook, stirring, until the fat has rendered and the bacon is crisp, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cooked bacon to a paper towel lined plate and set aside.
- Add the butter, leeks, garlic and salt and cook, stirring, until the leeks are softened, about 7 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine the thyme, parsley, sage, white pepper, dried oregano, and flour. Stir to combine.
- When the leeks are tender, add the flour and herb mixture to the pot and stir to combine and toast, stirring, for about 2 minutes.
- While stirring, pour in the white wine until well combined and there are no clumps of the flour. Stir in the seafood stock and clam juice and bring to a rapid simmer. Once simmering, add in the potatoes, the bay leaf and continue to cook, allow the soup to simmer uncovered and stirring often allowing the soup to thicken and the potatoes to soften, about 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to a light simmer, cover, and continue to cook until the potatoes are tender, about 5 more minutes.
- Stir in the cream, the chopped clams, and the reserved cooked bacon. Bring back to a light simmer, then remove from heat. The chowder should not come to a boil.
- Serve immediately with oyster crackers or crusty bread. Garnish with fresh parsley.
Nutrition
Food Photography and Styling by Eat Love Eats.
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