I spent summers in Maine as a child where clam chowder was a staple of our lives. I still love to make it, but it’s a tough one because it does not freeze well, so I have to make the right amount so that there won’t be more leftovers than we can eat. I recently made up a batch but was out of celery so I had to improvise. I also admit I regularly use flour to thicken and do not have the patience to wait for the potatoes to do the work. Yes, I’m a cheater, but you’d never know eating this. This soup is ready in about half an hour and will serve 4 for dinner with a little bit leftover for lunch the next day.

Before I share the recipe, I also have to comment on the clams. I’m a cheater so I’m not using fresh clams. You shouldn’t be surprised. For years I was using frozen clams, but I stopped using them because they were from China and I wondered what was actually in them. Now I use canned clams in juice that is from Maine. They taste much better, are more tender, and the juice adds flavor. This soup is always a big hit in my house and it’s perfect for a cold day.

Cheater Clam Chowder

 

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Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 4 slices bacon, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• ¼ cup flour (I used gluten-free)
• 1 tsp celery salt
• 16 ounces bottled clam juice
• 13 ounces canned clams with juice
• 2 cups skim milk (I used lactose-free)
• ¼ cup heavy cream
• 1 large carrot or 2 small, peeled and chopped
• 1 medium parsnip, peeled and chopped
• 1 medium potato, chopped
• ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
• ¼ teaspoon dried parsley
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Cook bacon in a large pot until crisp. Remove the bacon and leave the grease.
2. Add onion and cook over medium heat until translucent.
3. Stir in flour and cook for about a minute.
4. Add celery salt and clam juice, and stir, scraping the bottom of the pot.
5. Add clams, milk, cream, carrots, parsnip, thyme, parsley and salt and pepper.
6. Cook over medium high heat, keeping it just below a boil for about 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender and soup is thickened.

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