Creamy Clam Chowder Sourdough (Printable Version)

New England-style chowder with clams, bacon, potatoes, and cream served in a sourdough bread bowl.

# What You'll Need:

→ Seafood

01 - 2 cans (6.5 oz each) chopped clams, drained, juice reserved
02 - 1 cup bottled clam juice or reserved clam juice

→ Vegetables

03 - 2 cups peeled and diced russet potatoes
04 - 1 cup finely chopped yellow onion
05 - 1 cup finely chopped celery
06 - 1 cup finely diced carrots
07 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
08 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

→ Meats

09 - 4 slices diced bacon

→ Dairy

10 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
11 - 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
12 - 1 cup whole milk

→ Pantry

13 - 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
14 - 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
15 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
16 - 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
17 - 1 bay leaf

→ For Serving

18 - 4 small round sourdough bread boules (approximately 6-inch diameter each)

# Directions:

01 - Slice the tops off sourdough boules and hollow out centers, leaving a 1-inch thick shell; set aside.
02 - In a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, cook diced bacon until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
03 - Add butter to the pot; sauté onion, celery, carrots, and garlic until softened, approximately 5 minutes.
04 - Sprinkle flour into the vegetable mixture and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes to form a roux.
05 - Gradually whisk in reserved clam juice and bottled clam juice until the mixture is smooth.
06 - Add diced potatoes, dried thyme, bay leaf, salt, and black pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.
07 - Stir in chopped clams, cooked bacon, whole milk, and heavy cream. Simmer gently for 5 minutes without boiling. Remove bay leaf.
08 - Adjust seasoning to taste and stir in chopped parsley.
09 - Ladle the hot chowder into prepared sourdough bowls and serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • One pot, one bread bowl, and you've got dinner that tastes like you spent the whole day cooking.
  • The clams stay tender because you add them at the very end, a trick that changes everything about texture.
  • Bacon fat makes everything better, and this recipe knows it.
  • You can absolutely make this on a weeknight and feel like you did something ambitious.
02 -
  • Never boil the chowder after you add cream—I learned this the hard way when a moment of distraction turned my silky soup grainy, and I had to start over.
  • The roux step is not optional; it's what prevents your chowder from tasting floury and keeps the texture velvety instead of thin.
  • Draining the clams properly means you control the liquid balance—canned clam liquid is salty, so taste before you add more salt.
03 -
  • Keep your clam juice cold before adding it to the roux—adding cold liquid to hot fat is what creates a smooth liaison without lumps.
  • Save some of the sourdough you hollow out, toast it in a dry skillet until golden, and use it as a crunchy topping instead of oyster crackers.

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