New England Clam Chowder

From EatingWell: September/October 2008 — Subscribe Now!

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.

READER'S COMMENT:

"Delicious and easy "

6 servings, generous 1 cup each

Active Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Nutrition Profile

High calcium | View Complete Nutrition Guidelines»

Ingredients

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

Preparation

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.
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.
To serve, discard bay leaf. Ladle into bowls and top each serving with some of the reserved bacon and scallions.

Tips & Notes

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.

Nutrition

Per serving: 253 calories; 13 g fat (6 g sat, 4 g mono); 59 mg cholesterol; 20 g carbohydrates; 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