Clam chowder with kabocha for extra creaminess and richness!
INGREDIENTS (+ SUBSTITUTIONS)
This is a basic list and explanation of the key ingredients. For full list and measurements, please scroll down to the recipe below!
- ☆ Manila clams
- Ideally with the shell, but just the meat works as well! If you use clam without the shell, it should be around 200g. Additionally, you can use pre-cooked and frozen clams as well.
- ☆ Bacon
- This is optional, but it goes really well with the chowder! You can omit this if you like.
- ☆ Onion
- ☆ Garlic
- ☆ Kabocha squash
- If you don’t like kabocha, you can use potatoes instead! Kabocha adds a nice sweetness to the chowder, but that taste might not suite everyone, so please make it how you like!
- ☆ Unsalted butter
- ☆ Water
- ☆ Consomme cube
- Or bouillon cube. The ingredients of bouillon or consomme powder vary by the brand, but for the most part it contains: salt, herbs, seasonings, maltodextrin, and monosodium glutamate. Not all consomme or bouillon use MSG if you’re worried about that for some reason. I used chicken bouillon so it also had dehydrated chicken stock and fat.
- ☆ Milk
- I used whole milk, but any milk works!
- ☆ Heavy cream
- This is to add extra creaminess and thickness to the chowder. You can use any heavy cream alternative you have.
- ☆ All-purpose flour
- Flour is mixed in with the ingredients that were cooked in the butter to create a paste like roux. It helps the chowder become thicker when we add the milk. Any kind of flour works here.
- ☆ Salt and pepper
- ☆ Toasted bread cubes
- I cubed a slice of bread and toasted it on a pan. But I guess these are technically croutons, so you can use that instead too? LOL
TIPS FOR MAKING CLAM CHOWDER
- ☆ If you use pre-cooked frozen clams, let them thaw for about an hour while you prepare the rest of the chowder. You can thaw it in a bowl of water to purge any sand that may remain and make sure the shells open. Whether you use fresh or frozen clam, when cooking make sure they all open their shells. If there are any that don’t open, please discard them.
MORE SOUP RECIPES! ♡
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If you recreate this Clam Chowder recipe, please let me know by tagging me or leaving a comment on Instagram @maruryouri or TikTok @atsuryouri. I’d love to see your creations and hear your feedback!
Clam Chowder
Clam chowder with kabocha for extra creaminess and richness.
Ingredients
- 300 g manila clams in shell
- 80 g bacon optional
- ½ onion
- 1 garlic clove
- ⅛ kabocha squash
- 20 g unsalted butter
- 300 ml water
- 1 consomme cube
- 300 ml milk
- 100 ml heavy cream
- 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Parsley for garnish
- Toasted bread cubes for garnish
Instructions
- Let the clams sit in water for about an hour to remove sand. While the clams sit, prepare the vegetables and other ingredients.
- Cut the kabocha into cubes about 1.5cm in size, then mince the onions and garlic. If you are adding bacon, cut the bacon into slices about 1cm wide.
- In a large pot, melt the butter and cook the bacon, onion, and garlic. Once the fragrance of the garlic is strong, add the kabocha and lightly stir fry together.
- Once the ingredients are lightly fried, add the flour and mix evenly. Then, add the water and consomme cube. Stir around gently to dissolve the consomme cube, then cover with a lid and let simmer for about 5-10 minutes or until thick. It’s okay if the consomme isn’t fully dissolved at this point.
- When the liquid has thickened, add the milk and cream and season with salt and pepper to taste. Give it a stir and let it continue simmering until thickened. While this is simmering, cook the clams by boiling them in a separate pot of water. The clams don’t take very long to cook and are fully cooked when they open. Once cooked, drain and set aside for now. If there are any clams that have not opened no matter how long you’ve cooked them, discard them as this means they were dead before you began working with them.
- Once the soup has thickened, add the clams and mix evenly. Ladle the chowder into bowls and top with toasted bread cubes and parsley, and the clam chowder is done! 完成です！