Chopped clams, aromatic vegetables and creamy potatoes blended with low-fat milk and just a half cup of cream gives this chunky New England-style clam chowder plenty of rich body. Serve with oyster crackers and a tossed salad to make it a meal.

Makes 6 servings, generous 1 cup each

ACTIVE TIME: 45 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 45 minutes

EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy

2 teaspoons canola oil
4 slices bacon, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
1 medium red potato, diced
1 8-ounce bottle clam juice (see Makeover Tip)
1 bay leaf
3 cups low-fat milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
12 ounces fresh clam strips (see Shopping Tip), chopped, or 3 6-ounce cans chopped baby clams, rinsed
2 scallions, thinly sliced

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add bacon and cook until crispy, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer half of the cooked bacon to a paper towel-lined plate with a slotted spoon. Add onion, celery and thyme to the pan; cook, stirring, until beginning to soften, about 2 minutes. Add potato, clam juice and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook until the vegetables are just tender, 8 to 10 minutes.
2. Whisk milk, cream, flour and salt in a medium bowl. Add to the pan and return to a simmer, stirring, over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring, until thickened, about 2 minutes. Add clams and cook, stirring occasionally, until the clams are just cooked through, about 3 minutes more.
3. To serve, discard bay leaf. Ladle into bowls and top each serving with some of the reserved bacon and scallions.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 253 calories; 13 g fat (6 g sat, 4 g mono); 59 mg cholesterol; 20 g carbohydrate; 16 g protein; 1 g fiber; 585 mg sodium; 392 mg potassium.
Nutrition bonus: Iron (50% daily value), Vitamin C (23% dv), Calcium (21% dv), Vitamin A (17% dv).
1 Carbohydrate Serving
Exchanges: 1/2 starch, 1/2 low-fat milk, 1 lean meat, 2 fat

TIP: Makeover tip: Check sodium carefully when using clam juice because the amount of sodium can vary dramatically between brands. We use Bar Harbor clam juice with only 120 mg sodium per 2-ounce serving.

Shopping tip: Look for fresh clam strips at the seafood counter.

My teenage boys love clam chowder and when I told them I was thinking of making a "healthy" version for dinner they both said "don't bother, those recipes never taste good". Well, were they ever surpised! This is a keeper for a lighter yet incrediably tasty clam chowder. I had 2 ears of corn in the crisper and cut the kernals off and added them with the clams - adding both summer sweetness and a crispy bite to this wonderful soup! And it was as quick and easy to make as noted.

Margie, Portola Valley, CA

I modified this recipe by replacing bacon, clam broth, clam strips and heavy cream with 1T olive oil, low sodium vegetable broth, crabmeat and half & half and it was WONDERFUL! Next time will add fresh corn, too ~ thanks for the suggestion!

Barbara Anastasia, La Jolla, CA

This was delicious--very creamy, which is hard to come by in "light" recipes. My mistake was using minced clams, they just disappeared in the soup. If you can't get the strips, chop some whole clams into big chunks yourself. It's worth it.

Erica, Reading, PA

This is the best clam chowder recipe I have ever made.

Stacie, Columbus, OH

I would like to know if you can add recipes for people with diabetes where we can count calories and cholesterol and fat and etc etc.

Freddy, North Hollywood, CA