Soups & Stews

Serving

Manhattan Clam Chowder

Name: Manhattan Clam Chowder
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Soups & Stews
Ingredients: 4 slices bacon, diced; 1 yellow onion, diced; 2 celery stalks, diced; 2 carrots, diced; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes; 3 cups clam juice; 2 cups diced potatoes; 2 cups chopped canned clams, with juice reserved; 1 tsp dried thyme; 2 bay leaves; salt and black pepper, to taste; chopped parsley, for garnish

A tomato-based clam chowder loaded with vegetables, a lighter alternative to the creamy New England style.

50 minutes

Serves 6

Dinner

18 min prep

28 min cook

Contains common allergens

celery Seafood Shellfish

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Good to know

One-pot

Matched from this dish's own ingredients and timing. Browse more: one-pot dinners

Instructions

7 steps

1
Cook bacon in a large pot over medium heat until crisp; remove and set aside, leaving fat in the pot.
2
Sauté onion, celery, and carrots in the bacon fat until softened, about 6 minutes.
3
Add garlic and cook 1 minute.
4
Stir in crushed tomatoes, clam juice, reserved clam liquid, potatoes, thyme, and bay leaves; bring to a boil.
5
Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes until potatoes are tender.
6
Stir in clams and cook 3-4 minutes until heated through.
7
Remove bay leaves, season with salt and pepper, and serve garnished with crispy bacon and chopped parsley.

Manhattan Clam Chowder — plated and served — Serving moment. How Manhattan Clam Chowder looks plated and ready to eat — a representative photo, not a step in the recipe.

Listahan Family Score™

61/100

Works for many families

Allergen-friendly 70

Kid-friendly 55

Weeknight-easy 51

Budget-friendly 80

Great leftovers 87

Pantry-friendly 20

Score reflects how well this recipe fits a typical busy household. In the app, your Family Score is personalized to your household's allergens, kids, and pantry.

Nutrition

per serving

250

Calories

30 g

Protein

17 g

Carbs

6 g

Fat

Estimated per serving. Actual values depend on the brands and portions you use.

Listahan cooking guide

Chef notes & practical guide

Technique notes, ingredient swaps, serve-alongside ideas, storage guidance, and equipment for this recipe.

Cultural context

Manhattan clam chowder is the tomato-based branch of northeastern clam chowder, tied to New York harbor cooking and the vegetable-heavy soups brought by immigrant kitchens. It sits apart from New England chowder by using tomatoes and broth instead of cream, so the clams taste briny and the vegetables stay more distinct.

Listahan note

This version keeps the method straightforward: render bacon first, build a vegetable base in the drippings, then simmer the potatoes in tomato, clam juice, and reserved clam liquid. The clams go in at the end so they warm through without turning chewy.

Technique cues

Cook the bacon until crisp before removing it; the rendered fat becomes the first layer of seasoning for the onion, celery, and carrots.
Let the potatoes simmer fully before adding the clams. Canned clams only need a short heat-through, while potatoes need time to soften in the acidic tomato broth.
Taste after the bacon and clam liquids have had time to simmer together. They bring salt in different ways, so final seasoning is best done at the end.

Kitchen flow

Parallel prep: Dice the onion, celery, carrots, and potatoes while the bacon renders, then mince the garlic just before it goes into the pot.
Make-ahead: Cook the soup through the potato-simmering stage, chill it, and add the clams when reheating so their texture stays better.
Leftover move: Spoon leftovers over toasted sourdough or fold in extra potatoes for a thicker next-day bowl.
Cleanup rhythm: Use one large pot and a small plate for the bacon; rinse tomato from the can and spoon rest before it dries.

Ingredient brief

Role, handling, and swap guidance for each key ingredient.

Bacon

Smoky base

Purpose: The rendered fat seasons the vegetables and the crisp pieces add contrast at serving.

Handling: Dice before cooking so it browns evenly and releases fat quickly.

Adaptation: Pancetta gives a rounder pork flavor, while skipping it makes the soup leaner and shifts the focus toward tomato and clam juice.

Yellow onion, celery, and carrots

Vegetable foundation

Purpose: This trio gives the broth sweetness, aroma, and enough body to keep the soup from tasting thin.

Handling: Dice them fairly small so they soften in the same window and fit naturally on a spoon.

Adaptation: Leek can stand in for some of the onion, giving the soup a softer, sweeter base.

Crushed tomatoes

Tomato broth body

Purpose: They provide the color, acidity, and rounded tomato texture that defines this style of chowder.

Handling: Stir them in before the liquids so they loosen any browned bits from the pot.

Adaptation: Diced tomatoes make a chunkier broth; tomato puree makes it smoother and more concentrated.

Clam juice

Briny cooking liquid

Purpose: It gives the soup a clear clam backbone before the chopped clams are added.

Handling: Add it with the reserved clam liquid so the potatoes cook directly in the seasoned broth.

Adaptation: Seafood stock can soften the briny edge, but the soup will taste less directly clam-forward.

Diced potatoes

Hearty starch

Purpose: Potatoes make the chowder filling and absorb the tomato-clam broth as they simmer.

Handling: Cut them into even small cubes so they become tender within about 20 minutes.

Adaptation: Yukon Gold potatoes hold a creamy bite, while russets soften more and lightly thicken the broth.

Chopped canned clams, with juice reserved

Main seafood element

Purpose: They bring the signature clam flavor without needing a long simmer.

Handling: Reserve the packing juice for the pot and add the chopped clams only in the last few minutes.

Adaptation: Fresh chopped clams can be used, but they need careful timing so they stay tender.

Technique notes

Keep the heat moderate when cooking the garlic. It only needs about a minute, and burnt garlic will show up clearly in the tomato broth.
Simmer uncovered if the broth tastes thin after the potatoes soften; a few extra minutes will concentrate the tomato and clam flavor.
Crumble the bacon over each bowl instead of stirring it all back in if you want it to stay crisp.

Ingredient swaps

No-bacon path: Start the vegetables in olive oil and add a little smoked paprika with the thyme for a gentle smoky note.
Weeknight shortcut: Use refrigerated diced potatoes or small frozen potato cubes, then watch the simmer closely because they may soften faster.
Tomato texture choice: Use diced tomatoes for a more rustic spoonful or crushed tomatoes for a smoother, redder broth.

Serve alongside

Buttered oyster crackers
Toasted sourdough slices
Green bean salad with shallots
Roasted corn on the cob
Dry hard cider
Lemon iced tea
Pilsner

Serving suggestions only — check pairings for your household's allergens.

Storage & reheating

Refrigerate the chowder in a sealed container with the broth covering the potatoes and clams.
Reheat gently over medium-low heat, adding a splash of water or clam juice if the broth has thickened.
Freeze in portions for a brothier future bowl; thaw overnight and reheat without boiling hard.

Equipment

Large heavy pot or Dutch oven
Slotted spoon
Sharp knife and cutting board
Ladle

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