New England Clam Chowder
I love New England Clam Chowder, and while the Healthy Request has only 220 Cal in a can, it’s about $3 a can. I was looking for a way to make it at home and still keep the calories low, and I found a delicious potato soup recipe that I modified:
- 5 medium potatoes
- 2 medium onions
- can of clams, reserve liquid (approx ½c)
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 Tbs butter or vegetable oil
- ¼c flour
- ½tsp each: dried thyme, garlic powder and onion flakes
- 1 Bay leaf
- 1 box of fat free/low sodium chicken stock (900 mL)
- salt and pepper to taste
Wash and dice the potatoes (I don’t peel them but you can). Finely chop onions and garlic.
Saute garlic and onions in butter over low heat for about 5 min or until soft and translucent. Don’t let them brown. Add flour to the onions, cook 1 minute and keep stirring. Add 1 cup of stock in ¼c increments, stirring thoroughly to soften the roux. Slowly pour in the remaining broth, stirring after each increment to ensure it’s mixed thoroughly. Bring to a boil.
Add potatoes, clam liquid and spices. Cook over med-low heat for about 20 minutes or until very, very tender. Stir regularly to keep the roux from burning on the bottom. Remove bay leaf.
Mash the potatoes thoroughly (I got a Cuisinart Hand Blender for our wedding and it works great but don’t get carried away and puree them to much).
Cut up clams, add along with frozen vegetables. Cook another 5 minutes to heat through. If you need to thin down the soup, stir in skim milk to give it more of a soup texture, rather than “buzzed” potatoes.
Serve with a sprig of parsley and freshly cracked black pepper. Serves 8
I made this on Sunday and then tested it on my friend Kerry. She may have just been being polite, but she said she liked it and she doesn’t even like clams.
The serving size may vary but is only 180 Calories per serving. If you leave it over night, it might be thick the next day – worry not! Heat it up and it will regain it’s constitution or you can thin it down with a bit more stock or milk.
