Love this healthier version of my favorite decadent soup > Low Fat Clam Chowder
Clam chowder is a big favorite in my family. Everywhere we travel, we have to try the clam chowder. The first question is always, “Do you make your clam chowder homemade?” If the answer is “yes,” then we definitely place an order. It can be made so many different ways. The best is when it’s thick and creamy, has plenty of clams and is not overwhelmed with potatoes.
Ingredients needed:
- turkey bacon (or regular)
- onion
- celery
- salt, dried thyme and bay leaf
- garlic
- fresh or canned clams
- potato
- clam juice
- skim milk
- all purpose flour
Sprinkle each serving with the bacon.
Even though this is a low fat clam chowder, it’s still creamy and has plenty of clams. I used canned clams, and it always turns out wonderful. Using skim milk mixed with a little bit of flour helps to thicken the chowder instead of using rich cream.
This recipe calls for using turkey bacon. Turkey bacon is not for everyone. It has a much different flavor than regular bacon. You can certainly choose to use regular bacon for this recipe, if you’d like. The turkey bacon lightens it up, but if you just use a smaller amount of regular bacon, I’m sure all will be fine with the result and it will still be in the realm of a low fat clam chowder. Enjoy!
The Best Chowder Recipes:
- Easy Chicken Corn Chowder
- Seafood Chowder
- Bacon Shrimp Corn Chowder
- Salmon Chowder
- Corn and Crab Chowder
If you happen to be following the Weight Watchers WW plan, you’ll find a link to the WW Points on the recipe card below.
Low Fat Clam Chowder
Ingredients
- 2 slices turkey bacon (can use regular bacon, if desired)
- 1 cup chopped onion
- ¾ cup chopped celery
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 medium garlic clove, minced
- 1 pound chopped fresh or canned clams, undrained
- 2½ cups peeled and diced potato (white or red)
- Two 8-ounce bottles clam juice
- 1 whole bay leaf
- 1½ cups skim milk
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven sprayed with baking spray, cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove the bacon from the pan, leaving any drippings in the pan. Crumble the bacon and set aside. Add the onion, celery, salt, thyme, and garlic to same pan; cook for 4 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
- Drain the clams (reserving the liquid). Add the clam liquid, potato, clam juice and bay leaf to the pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 15 minutes or until the potato is tender; discard the bay leaf.
- In a medium bowl, combine the milk and flour, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Add the flour mixture to the pan; bring to a boil. Cook for 12 minutes or until thick, stirring constantly. Add the clams; cook 2 minutes. Sprinkle each serving with the bacon.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Is there no pepper in this soup?
You can add pepper!