RHODE ISLAND CLAM CHOWDER WITHOUT BACON

Rhode Island Clam Chowder without Bacon image

This is my dad's famous clam chowder. He'd make 8 times the recipe because the whole family was waiting in line for their quart to take home.

Provided by Sue Gibbons

Categories Soups, Stews and Chili Recipes Soup Recipes Seafood

Time 1h20m

Yield 8

Number Of Ingredients 20

Ingredients

¼ pound salt pork, cubed
½ cup finely chopped onion
½ cup thinly sliced leeks
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
32 fluid ounces clam juice
3 cups 1/2-inch cubed potatoes
2 cups boiling water
½ cup chopped green bell pepper
½ cup diced carrot
¼ cup chopped celery
24 clams in shell, scrubbed
1 (16 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, undrained
⅓ cup ketchup
⅓ cup chopped fresh parsley
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

Steps:

Cook and stir salt pork in a 5-quart Dutch oven or heavy kettle over medium-low heat until crisp, 10 to 15 minutes. Add onion, leeks, and garlic to salt pork; cook and stir until tender, about 5 minutes.
Mix clam juice, potatoes, boiling water, green bell pepper, carrot, and celery into salt pork mixture; cover Dutch oven and bring liquid to a boil.
Separate necks from soft parts of each clam. Coarsely chop necks and add to salt pork-vegetable mixture, reserving soft parts. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer salt pork-vegetable mixture until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.
Stir soft parts of clams, tomatoes, ketchup, parsley, salt, thyme leaves, black pepper, and bay leaf into salt pork-vegetable mixture; bring soup to a simmer.
Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat; stir in flour until smooth. Spoon about 1 tablespoon liquid from soup into butter-flour mixture and stir until smooth; add to soup and stir. Cover and simmer soup until thickened, 15 to 20 minutes.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 254.5 calories, Carbohydrate 21.1 g, Cholesterol 42.3 mg, Fat 13.8 g, Fiber 2.8 g, Protein 12.3 g, SaturatedFat 5.2 g, Sodium 1298.3 mg, Sugar 5.4 g