This is by far the BEST Gluten-free Clam Chowder recipe that tastes just like any New England restaurant's clam chowder. Thick, creamy and hearty, serve this delicious soup with a side salad or a piece of bread for the most satisfying lunch (or dinner!).
New England Clam Chowder
I recently came across a recipe in Cook's Country magazine for a "Woodman's-Style Clam Chowder". I guess famous for a variety of seafood dishes, this seafood restaurant sits on the Essex River on the North Shore of Massachusetts.
Now, I think you can agree that a clam chowder recipe straight out of Massachusetts has to be as close as possible to the real "New England" clam chowder. So I decided to give this recipe a try.
Was it good...Absolutely! But was it great? I definitely thought there was some room for improvement for both taste as well as saving some time and money!
Gluten-free Clam Chowder
A couple of things I changed from the original New England Clam Chowder recipe was the type of clams used. The original recipe called for some whole baby clams as well as some chopped clams.
In order to save money, I do a lot of my shopping at big box stores such as Costco. I found a 6 pack of chopped clams on sale for $8. Whole clams are typically double the price so I switched the recipe to using chopped clams as opposed to half chopped and half whole.
Next, I decided to decrease the onion flavour just a little and instead of using 2 cups of finely chopped onions, I used 4 green onions, both the white and the green parts. Green onions have a more mellow flavour and I wanted to star ingredient, the clams, to stand out.
The original recipe also called for light cream which I never have on hand. Plus, since light cream is simply heavy cream watered down, I opted for a nice, rich and creamy heavy cream. Since I like my soup on the thicker side, I reduced the original amount by ¾ of a cup.
Lastly, I added 2 teaspoons of honey which may seem odd but it REALLY helped to round out the salty flavour. Also, to keep this recipe gluten-free but to ensure that it was nice and thick, I added some instant potato flakes.
Easy on the budget, easy to make and so delicious to eat, this is by far the BEST Clam Chowder recipe I have ever made or tasted!!!
The BEST Clam Chowder Recipe Main Ingredients
Chopped Clams - I found a 6 pack at Costco. You will need at least 39 oz of clams and the juice in the cans. Half the clams will be used to infuse flavour into the potatoes and the other half will be added at the end of the recipe.
Potatoes - I used russet potatoes and unlike the original recipe, I opted not to peel the potatoes. The three reasons that I did not peel the potatoes are: 1) it takes time, 2) most of the potatoes' nutrients are found in the skin, and 3) it produces unnecessary waste (even though I would have put the potato skins in my compost !)
Heavy Cream - I used 1 ⅓ cup of cream as I like my gluten-free clam chowder to be nice and thick. You can use light cream or add some almond milk or other milk if you want to make it a thinner consistency.
Potato Flakes - By using potato flakes instead of flour, this New England Clam chowder becomes a gluten-free clam chowder. Most New England clam chowder recipes rely on flour as a thickening agent but potato flakes work just as well and help to enhance the potato flour in this soup recipe.
How to Make Easy Gluten-Free Clam Chowder
- Bring the potatoes to a boil and then simmer until the potatoes are al dente (you should feel resistance when poking the potato with a pairing knife).
- Add 3 cans of chopped clams and their juice, onion and 1 teaspoon salt and pepper to the potatoes and stir to combine - Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to overnight.
- When ready to cook, drain the remaining clams in a fine mesh strainer set over a bowl reserving clam juice (you should have at least 1 cup to 1 ⅓ cup of clam juice -if not, add additional water )
- Combine the potato mixture, reserved clam juice and remaining 1 teaspoon of salt in a large saucepan and bring mixture to a simmer
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring often and adjusting heat to keep chowder just below a simmer, until the potatoes are mostly tender about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the remaining clams, cream and honey (or sugar if using) and increase the heat to medium and cook stirring often, to keep the chowder just below a simmer, until potatoes are fully tender and chowder is hot throughout about 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir in the potato flakes.
- Season with salt and pepper if needed.
Tips for making the BEST Clam Chowder Recipe
- To keep the clams from becoming rubbery, do not let the chowder ever come to a strong simmer, much less to a boil
- Letting the potato mixture marinate in the refrigerator for at least an hour allows the flavours to meld together.
- You can omit the potato flakes but they add a little thickness to the soup and also enhance the potato flavour
- Use decent clams for this recipe or fresh clams if you can find them
- Never bring the mixture to a boil as the cream can curdle
- Although the honey is optional as well, I found that it help round out the flavours. If you don't have honey, you could use white sugar instead.
- If you accidently add too much salt, simply add some additional heavy cream, milk or almond milk to tone down the salty flavour.
- PS - If you LOVE the spoon with my blog name, you can get your own custom wooden spoon along with a TON more customized items from this online store - Rach from Winsconsin.
More Easy Gluten-Free Recipes
- Easy Funfetti Sprinkle Candied Popcorn - 3-Ingredient Gluten-free Party Snack
- Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookie Cups - Vegan, Plant-Based and Paleo Options
- Easy 3-Ingredient Chocolate Peppermint Cookies - Gluten-Free
- Easy Sweet Cranberry Pie Cake - Gluten-Free
- Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Banana Oat Muffins - Easy and Healthy
- Easy Triple Layered Mousse Cake - Gluten-Free
The BEST Clam Chowder New England Style
This is by far the BEST Gluten-free Clam Chowder recipe that tastes just like any New England restaurant's clam chowder. Thick, creamy and hearty, serve this delicious soup with a side salad or a piece of bread for the most satisfying lunch (or dinner!).
- Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 2 pounds russet potatoes, cut into ½-inch pieces
- 6-6.5 oz canned chopped clams (or 39 oz total)
- 4 green onions, sliced thinly
- 2 teaspoon salt, divided
- 2 teaspoons pepper
- 1 ⅓ cup heavy cream
- 2 tsp honey - optional
- 4 tablespoons instant mashed potatoes
Instructions
- Place the potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water by 1-inch. Brin to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until potatoes are aldente and paring knife inserted into them still meets some resistance, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and allow to cool (about 30 minutes)
- Add 3 cans of chopped clams and their juice, onion and 1 teaspoon salt and pepper to the potatoes and stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to overnight.
- When ready to cook, drain the remaining claims in a fine mesh strainer set over a bowl. Place clam juice to the side ( you should have about 1 cup - if not, add additional water )
- Combine the potato mixture, reserved clam juice and remaining 1 teaspoon of salt in a large saucepan. Bring to a bare simmer over medium heat, stirring often (this may take 10 minutes to get to bring mixture to a simmer).
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring often and adjusting heat to keep chowder just below a simmer, until the potatoes are mostly tender about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the remaining clams, cream and honey (or sugar if using). Increase the heat to medium and cook stirring often to keep the chowder just below a simmer, until potatoes are fully tender and chowder is hot throughout about 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir in the potato flakes. Season with salt and pepper if needed.
Notes
- see post for more detailed instructions
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Marinating: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Main Meals, Soups
- Method: Stove-top
- Cuisine: American, Fall, Holidays, Winter
- Diet: Gluten Free
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 389
- Sugar: 4
- Fat: 12
- Carbohydrates: 38
- Fiber: 2.4
- Protein: 31
Keywords: gluten-free, clam chowder, easy recipe, soup, New England, Woodman's Essex
Barbara says
This was the easiest recipe and so tasty...definitely a keeper!
★★★★★