05/30/2026
For all my Clam chowder lovers out there! I broke down a recipe that I made up last night-
Literally enough to feed your friends.
If you serve wine - please go with a nice buttery Chardonnay
Healthy Girl 🥣 Smoky New England Power Chowder
Prep time: 25 minutes
Cook time: 35-40 minutes
Yield: 8-10 generous servings (Calculated at 9 servings)
Dietary Profile: Gluten-Free, High-Protein, Soy-Free
Nutritional Breakdown (Per Serving)
Baseline Profile (Without Butter)
Calories: ~390 kcalProtein: ~40 gCarbs: ~43 gFat: ~5 g.
Indulgent Profile (With 1 Stick of Salted Butter)
Calories: ~480 kcalProtein: ~40 gCarbs: ~43 gFat: ~15.5 g
🛒 Ingredients
The Flavor Base & Veggies
Bacon bits: 1/4 cup real cooked bacon bits (such as Hormel)
Butter (Optional)
1 stick (1/2 cup) real salted butter for classic New England depth
Onion: 1 medium, finely diced
Celery: 2 cups, diced
Garlic: 1.5 to 2 tbsp, finely chopped
Cremini mushrooms: 1 package (8 oz) sliced, coarsely chopped
The Liquids & Seafood
Chicken bone broth: 6 cups (preferably rich, homemade, and unsalted)
Clam juice: 1 bottle (8 oz)
Clam meat: 2 packages (8.8 oz each) cooked clam bellies (such as Sovereign Seas)
The Hearty Fillings & Thickeners
Butter beans: 3 cans (15.5 oz each), rinsed. (Note: Set aside 1 cup of these beans to pureé for natural starch thickening.)
Cottage cheese: 3 cups 4% milk fat cottage cheese, blended completely smooth
White potatoes: 3 small-to-medium thin-skinned potatoes (peeled and diced) OR 1 can (15 oz) whole potatoes, drained and diced
Sweet corn: 1 can (15 oz) sweet kernel corn, with its juice
The Herbs & "Smoky-Spicy" Spices
Bay leaves: 4 large,
wholeFresh Rosemary: 4 large sprigs
Fresh Thyme: 10 to 15 full sprigsGround sage:
1 tspOld Bay seasoning:
1.5 tspSmoked paprika:
1 tspBlack pepper: 20 twists from a fresh grinder (adjust up for extra spice!)
Fresh Italian parsley: 1.5 cups, chopped
Salt: To taste (add only at the very end!)
👩🍳 Step-by-Step Cooking Instructions
Step 1: Sauté the Aromatics in a large, heavy-bottomed stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat, add your bacon bits (and the optional stick of butter). Drop in the diced onion, celery, and coarsely chopped cremini mushrooms. Sauté for 6–8 minutes until the vegetables soften and the mushrooms begin to brown. Stir in the chopped garlic and cook for 1 more minute until fragrant.
Step 2: Build the Broth & Herb Infusion- pour in the 6 cups of chicken bone broth, 8 oz of clam juice, and the liquid from the can of sweet corn (set the corn kernels aside). Stir in the ground sage, Old Bay, smoked paprika, and fresh black pepper. Tie your fresh thyme and rosemary sprigs together with kitchen twine and drop them in along with the 4 bay leaves. Bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and let simmer for 15 minutes to marry the flavors.
Step 3: Add the Texture Carefully -drop your diced potatoes into the simmering broth. If using raw potatoes, simmer for about 10–12 minutes until fork-tender. If using canned diced potatoes, cook for just 5 minutes. Stir in the sweet corn kernels and 2 cups of the rinsed butter beans.
Step 4: Thicken and Cream while the soup simmers, use a blender or food processor to blend the remaining 1 cup of butter beans with a ladle of the hot broth until completely smooth. Stir this bean pureé directly into the pot to create a natural, starch-thickened texture. Turn the heat down to low. Slowly stir in your 3 cups of pureéd cottage cheese, mixing constantly until the base is uniform and creamy.
Step 5: Finesse the Seafood & Finish -gently fold in your cooked clam bellies and the fresh Italian parsley. Let everything heat through on low for 3–5 minutes—do not let the soup boil once the cottage cheese is added to prevent separation. Taste the broth and adjust with salt if needed.
Remove the bay leaves, rosemary stems, and thyme sprigs before serving.
🎨 Chef's Customization & Serving OptionsThe Fun Factor: Top your steaming bowl with shaved mozzarella cheese for an ooey-gooey pulling texture, or serve with classic gluten-free oyster crackers.
Super-Duper Hearty Variant: Stir 1/4 cup of wild rice into the broth during Step 2 to give the soup an even chunkier, earthier profile.
A Reheating Note: Because this recipe relies on a pureéd cottage cheese base, always reheat leftovers slowly on low heat over the stove while stirring frequently to avoid dairy separation.
