Clam chowder is THE winter comfort food, but it can be quite an indulgence with all of its luxurious creaminess. There is a delicious alternative though!! This non-creamy clam chowder is equally comforting for a quarter of the calories! The potatoes thicken the texture and the taste is very similar to its creamy cousin, so sit back by a fire and dig in. Oh, did I mention it only takes 10 minutes of prep time and 40 minutes to cook?
Ingredients:
2 tbl olive oil
1 very large onion - diced
4-5 stalks celery - diced
5-6 red potatoes with skin - diced into about 1/2" cubes
at least 1 lb clam meat* (as much as 2 lbs works depending on how much you love clam meat)
clam juice*
thyme
fresh-cracked black pepper
salt
2 bay leaves
water
Heat the olive oil over medium heat until onions sizzle when you put them in. Add onions and celery and saute for about 5 minutes until they are soft and translucent. Add potatoes, clam meat, thyme and salt and pepper to taste, and saute for another minute. Add clam juice and bay leaves and enough water so that all of the ingredients are completely covered. Bring to a soft boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 40 minutes or until the potatoes are soft. It can be garnished with fresh chopped parsley or the leaves of the celery stalks if it is being served for a special occasion. It can be made a day before an event and reheated and the flavors are even better.
* A note regarding the clams. Frozen clams in their own juice work the best, but canned clam meat can also be used. In this case, I drain the meat and add a bottle of clam juice instead to avoid the "aluminum can" flavor.
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