A delicious and creamy Boston Clam Chowder packed with veggies and served in homemade bread bowls. The ultimate way to enjoy something comforting any day of the year and better still you can eat the bowl and use it for dunking.
What Is Boston Clam Chowder?
New England clam chowder, occasionally referred to as Boston or Boston-style Clam Chowder, is a milk or cream-based chowder, and is often of a thicker consistency than other regional styles like Manhattan clam chowder that is tomato based. Boston Clam Chowder features potatoes and a rich creamy white base.
What Do I Need To Make Boston Clam Chowder?
For this recipe you will need:
- 2 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 4 carrots
- 3 celery ribs
- 1 leek
- 4 reb potatoes
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 8oz bottles clam juice
- 2 6.5oz cans chopped clams with juice
- ½ cup butter
- ½ cup flour
- 1 quart half and half
- 2 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- fresh cracked black pepper
Incase you weren't familiar with a leek, this is a leek. It's basically a larger green onion that when heated, kinda melts into the soup, where green onions generally hold their shape better. I love the melty leeks...
This calls for clam juice, and YES, I shudder a little when I hear that too, but it really boosts the flavor without being fishy. I promise. You won't even know. It should be right next to the canned clams.
How Do You Make Clam Chowder From Scratch?
1. Dice your veggies.
2. Heat olive oil is a 5qt dutch oven.
3. Add carrots and saute until tender crisp.
4. Add in potatoes, leeks, celery, and garlic.
5. Pour in clam juice and diced clams along with liquid and simmer until potatoes are fork tender.
6. Meanwhile in a medium saucepan prepare a roux by melting ½ cup of butter.
7. Whisk in ½ cup of flour and cook about 1 minutes.
8. Slowly whisk in half and half.
9. Stir roux into soup.
10. Add in seasoning and simmer to combine.
11. Serve in bread bowls if desired.
Chower Q & A
What's The Best Way To Thicken A Chowder?
The best way to thicken this Boston Clam Chowder is by making a roux. It's a base of butter and flour that is cooked for a minute or so before slowly adding milk to create a thick white sauce. The important part is to constantly whisk the roux as you're slowly adding the milk to avoid any lumps forming.
What's The Difference Between New England Clam Chowder and Boston Chowder?
The simple answer is there isn't a difference between Boston Clam Chowder and New England Clam Chowder. Chowder basically means a soup that is made with a roux base (as explained above) and there are SO many chowders out there.
Take Manhattan chowder for example it's made with a tomato broth base and it's really delicious. The Boston happens to be our family favorite, what's yours?
Why is is called Boston clam chowder?
One of Boston's oldest and most famous restaurants, Union Oyster House has been serving clam chowder since its beginnings in the 1850s. They've stuck to the same recipe, because why mess with something that's survived decades? Featuring fresh clams and plenty of history, this bowl is rich and creamy, a true classic.
What are the two types of chowder?
Many regional variations exist, but the three most prevalent are New England or "white" clam chowder, Rhode Island or "clear" clam chowder, and Manhattan or "red" clam chowder.
I Love Soup Season! Do You Have Other Recipes?
Yes! Check out our:
What Should I Serve With Boston Clam Chowder?
Try Our:
- Bread Bowls
- Dinner Rolls
- Harvest Apple Salad
- Pear Salad
Keep In Touch
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Boston Clam Chowder
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 carrots
diced - 3 celery stalks
diced - 1 leek
diced - 4 red potatoes
diced - 3 cloves garlic
minces - 16 ounces clam juice or "broth"
- 13 ounces cans chopped clams with juice
- ½ cup butter
- ½ cup flour
- 1 quart half-and-half
- 2 teaspoon salt
- ¼-1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes {optional}
- fresh-cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Chop all the veggies.
- Saute the carrots in the olive oil until slightly softened. Add in the rest of the veggies, the clams and the clam broth. Simmer until potatoes have softened.
- In separate saucepan, melt butter, then whisk in flour to make a roux.
- Slowly whisk in the half-and-half until mixed thoroughly.
- Add this mixture to the veggies, heat on low without simmering or bubbling, as you want to keep the half-and-half from curdling. Add spices. Serve in cut-out bread bowls.
Andrea Wise says
Super easy, amazing flavors with the convenience of cheap ingredients! Even the kids loved it!
Emily Kemp says
Wow this truly is the ultimate comfort food, it looks incredible!
Penelope Corcuera says
I can't wait to try it. My son is not a good eater but he is so creative and appreciates art. Every time I find something out of the box (like snails, caviar in nori and thins like that) he will eat it just fine. And the best part of all is that I will put mineral supplements in the food because the heat doesn't alter them at a molecule level... We have try this in San Francisco and loved it... Do you have any other creative yet simple recipe to share?... and tell us the little story so we can come up with dinner and entertainment (we love stories like the thing about your grandma's secret recipe) He is 9 so he wants to feel like powerful for knowing some secret that his friends do not know... Well, he loves attention also, that helps!
Pamela J Ochsner says
My kids eat what's on the table. Period. It's my job, not only to produce healthy, but also tasty and appetizing. The whiniest is the adult male, bion. 50+ other people would drop a daily schedule to come eat at my table, and he's definitely not one of them. It's simmering. He's whining and having a tantrum. Now we wait and see. Hugs, it looks, smells, tastes delicious!!!!