The clam chowders that we love actually originated in response to the tradition of abstaining from meat during Lent which was a requirement for Catholics that they had to observe all throughout the year. Though the year round requirement was done away with after liturgical changes in Vatican II, the clam chowder is still enjoyed as a delicious sea food option for us. There are many variations of this dish. However, today we will concentrate on how to make red clam chowder soup or simply the red clam chowder, as it is popularly known.
Recipe # 1
Ingredients
Cook the bacon strips in a skillet over medium heat until they become brown. Drain the skillet, crumble the bacon strips and set them aside. Add vegetable oil in a large frying pan and slowly cook onions, carrots and celery in it for 5 minutes, till the vegetables become tender. Keep stirring the vegetables as you cook them. Now add crumbled bacon, potatoes, tomatoes, tomato sauce, clam juice, seasoning salt, garlic powder, white pepper, parsley, marjoram, mustard, thyme and Cajun seasoning. Add 5 drops of hot pepper sauce in the end. Then, reduce the heat and simmer the ingredients for 20 to 25 minutes till the potatoes become soft and well cooked. Now add the clams and shrimp. Cook this preparation for 5 more minutes and then serve it hot! (For those who would like their soup a little lighter, reduce the number of drops of hot pepper sauce from 5 to 3. Also before simmering it for 20 minutes, you can add 1 ¼ cup of hot water so that the soup is of thinner consistency.)
Recipe # 2
Ingredients
Cook bacon pieces in a larger pot till they become brown. Saute garlic and onion in olive oil till they become golden brown. Other than the clams, add all ingredients to this pan. Bring all the contents in the pan to boil and keep stirring the ingredients as you boil them. Now simmer it for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Then add clams and cook the soup for 15 more minutes. Serve the red clam chowder with bread and beer. This preparation will be sufficient to serve 10 to 12 people.
Those who are worried about calories, can reduce the amount of bacon used in the chowder soup recipes and believe me, this clam broth would taste just as delicious as when cooked with bacon!
Recipe # 1
Ingredients
- Bacon - 6 Slices
- Clams - 2 (6.5 ounce) cans, minced and drained
- Vegetable oil - 1 tablespoon
- Large potato - 1, diced and peeled
- Large shrimp - 1 (6.5 ounce) can, drained
- Carrots - 2, peeled and chopped
- Celery stalks - 2, chopped
- Clam juice - 2 cups
- Tomatoes - 1 (14.5 ounce) can, diced and drained
- Onion - 1, chopped
- Tomato sauce - 1 (15 ounce) can
- Hot pepper sauce - 5 drops
- Ground white pepper - ¼ teaspoon
- Garlic powder - ¼ teaspoon
- Dry mustard - ¼ teaspoon
- Dried thyme - ¼ teaspoon
- Dried parsley - ½ teaspoon
- Dried marjoram - ¼ teaspoon
- Seasoning salt - ¼ teaspoon
- Cajun seasoning - ½ teaspoon
Cook the bacon strips in a skillet over medium heat until they become brown. Drain the skillet, crumble the bacon strips and set them aside. Add vegetable oil in a large frying pan and slowly cook onions, carrots and celery in it for 5 minutes, till the vegetables become tender. Keep stirring the vegetables as you cook them. Now add crumbled bacon, potatoes, tomatoes, tomato sauce, clam juice, seasoning salt, garlic powder, white pepper, parsley, marjoram, mustard, thyme and Cajun seasoning. Add 5 drops of hot pepper sauce in the end. Then, reduce the heat and simmer the ingredients for 20 to 25 minutes till the potatoes become soft and well cooked. Now add the clams and shrimp. Cook this preparation for 5 more minutes and then serve it hot! (For those who would like their soup a little lighter, reduce the number of drops of hot pepper sauce from 5 to 3. Also before simmering it for 20 minutes, you can add 1 ¼ cup of hot water so that the soup is of thinner consistency.)
Recipe # 2
Ingredients
- Bacon - 4 strips, cut into 1 inch pieces
- Minced clams - 6 (10 oz.) cans
- Olive oil - 2 tablespoons
- Potatoes - 4 medium-sized, peeled and diced
- Onion - 1 large, chopped
- Tomato paste - 2 tablespoons
- Tomatoes (crushed) - 1 (28 oz.) can
- Kernel corn - 1 (10 oz.) can
- Carrots - 4 diced
- Celery stalks - 2, diced
- Garlic cloves - 4, minced
- Green pepper - 1, chopped
- Clam juice - 2 (6 oz.) bottles
- Water - 4 cups
- White wine - 1 cups
- Oregano - ½ teaspoon
- Freshly chopped parsley - 2 teaspoon
- Thyme - ¼ teaspoon
- Freshly ground pepper - ¼ teaspoon
- Bay Leaves - 2
Cook bacon pieces in a larger pot till they become brown. Saute garlic and onion in olive oil till they become golden brown. Other than the clams, add all ingredients to this pan. Bring all the contents in the pan to boil and keep stirring the ingredients as you boil them. Now simmer it for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Then add clams and cook the soup for 15 more minutes. Serve the red clam chowder with bread and beer. This preparation will be sufficient to serve 10 to 12 people.
Those who are worried about calories, can reduce the amount of bacon used in the chowder soup recipes and believe me, this clam broth would taste just as delicious as when cooked with bacon!
