Clam Chowder Bowls
Clam Chowder Bowls are made up of a creamy New England-style clam chowder that is served in a round sourdough bread bowl! The chowder is made with clams, cream, celery, leeks, potatoes, and bacon. A round sourdough loaf is also called a “boule,” (French word meaning “ball”), and I love to buy these bread loaves at Trader Joe’s.
Rich and delicious, you may have already tried our popular Best Clam Chowder that is full of sweet tender clams and potatoes, and super delicious with bacon. We adapted the recipe today for a quicker version–rich and creamy Clam Chowder Bowls! It’s perfect for lunch or dinner.
For a different style of serving clam chowder, you can also set it out in a big pot on an epic clam chowder dinner board. This is really great for the holidays or a dinner party with bread on the side. Such a lovely presentation!
Serving up warm clam chowder in sourdough bread bowls is a true San Francisco treat. Here’s my story from years ago. Living in Oregon my entire life, the San Francisco airport has been a popular connection for many flights; thus having enjoyed many meals there. My favorite memory was dining at a popular seafood restaurant where they served the best bread bowls filled with creamy chowder! I think of it to this day.
Do you eat the bread bowl after soup?
We’ve recreated this recipe idea with simple bread rounds, with the center scooped out and filled with chowder. Everyone asks, do you eat the bread bowl after the soup? It’s really up to you! I mean, how do you say no to delicious sourdough bread?
Gather these ingredients for clam chowder bowls
- Bacon: we use thick cut
- Dairy: Butter and half and half
- Veggies: celery, leeks, onion, garlic, red potatoes (you can also use Yukon Gold)
- Clams: use both clams from a can + clam juice
- Broth
- Spices: White pepper, onion powder, dried thyme, dried dill
- Cornstarch
- Sourdough bread bowls: we buy the bread at Trader Joe’s
- Fresh parsley and bacon bits for garnish
How do you make New England Clam Chowder?
- Fry the bacon until golden brown and crispy. Remove and chop.
- Using some of the bacon grease, melt the butter in same pot and add celery, leeks, and onion, sautéing until translucent. Stir in garlic, and saute.
- Add chopped potatoes, clam juice, broth, clams (keep the liquid), pepper, onion powder, thyme, and dill. Cover and bring to a simmer.
- Combine cornstarch with cream or half and half in a measuring cup and whisk until cornstarch is fully dissolved. Reduce heat to medium-low and slowly pour it into the chowder while stirring. Add in the crumbled bacon (reserve a few bacon bits for garnish at the end) and continue to cook until it returns to a simmer and thickens.
How to prepare the bread bowls
While the chowder is cooking, hollow out the bread bowls. Cut the tops off about ¼ of the way from the top, then cut the centers out, leaving a 1 inch rim and bottom of bread.
TIP: Brush the inside of the bowl with oil (avocado or olive oil) and bake at 450°F until slightly golden. This will prevent the bread from getting soggy.
Tips and substitutions:
- Optional to leave out the bacon, but it really adds to the flavor!
- You can swap out the bacon with pancetta.
- Buy the Moir Poix at Trader Joes (a mix of onions, carrots, and celery) if you are in a pink for time. You can leave out the leeks, but they really do add to the flavor.
- Don’t have cream or half and half? Use 2% milk.
- Almost all grocery stores carry these small round sourdough bread rounds. We love to get ours at Trader Joe’s.
- Skip the bowls altogether and just serve the soup in bowls with sourdough toast on the side. Easy!
How to eat clam chowder in a bread bowl
For serving, ladle it into the bread bowls and top with extra bacon bits, a sprinkle of dill, and a sprinkle of fresh chopped parsley to garnish.
What is traditionally served with clam chowder?
We love this soup served with an epic dinner party salad board with our homemade Thousand Island Dressing. For dessert? Our Lemon Curd Cake is quite lovely!
You can’t go wrong with bread, a salad, corn on the cob, and bacon-wrapped scallops. You can also served a side of oyster crackers for those who love the “saltine cracker” flavor added to each bite.
More chowder recipes you may want to try while you are here:
Get the Recipe:
Clam Chowder Bowls
Ingredients
- 4 strips bacon
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 1 cup celery, diced (about 2 stalks)
- 2 leeks, finely chopped
- 1 cup onion, diced (1 medium onion)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 cups red potatoes or Yukon gold), cubed into 1/2-inch pieces (optional to peel) (about 3 medium potatos)
- 8 oz. clam juice
- 1 ½ cups chicken broth
- 26 oz. cans of clams with their juice, (4) 6.5 ounce cans
- ½ teaspoon white pepper
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried dill
- 1 ½ cups light cream or half and half
- 2 Tbsp cornstarch
- 6 individual sourdough bread bowls
- Fresh parsley and bacon bits for garnish
Instructions
- In a large dutch oven, fry the bacon until golden brown and crispy.
- Remove bacon to paper towel and allow to cool; then chop it into bits and set aside.
- Remove the bacon fat from the pot, leaving about 2 Tbsp, including bacon bits.
- Melt the butter in same pot as the bacon grease over medium heat.
- Add celery, leeks, and onion, sautéing until translucent. Stir in garlic, and saute another 30-60 seconds.
- Add chopped potatoes, clam juice, broth, clams (keep the liquid), pepper, onion powder, thyme, and dill. Cover and bring to a simmer over medium heat, cooking until potatoes are tender.
- Combine cornstarch with cream or half and half in a measuring cup and whisk until cornstarch is fully dissolved. Reduce heat to medium-low and slowly pour it into the chowder while stirring. Add in the crumbled bacon (reserve a few bacon bits for garnish at the end) and continue to cook until it returns to a simmer and thickens.
Prepare the bread bowls:
- Meanwhile, while the chowder is cooking, hollow out the bread bowls. Cut the tops off about ¼ of the way from the top, then cut the centers out, leaving a 1 inch rim and bottom of bread.
- TIP: Brush the inside of the bowl with oil (avocado or olive oil) and bake at 450°F for 6-8 min until slightly golden. This will prevent the bread from getting soggy.
- Once the chowder is thick, season to taste for salt and pepper.
- For serving, ladle it into the bread bowls and top with extra bacon bits, a sprinkle of dill, and a sprinkle of fresh chopped parsley to garnish.
Hello and welcome to my home and table!
I’m Sandy—lover of food, family, cooking, THE BIG BOARD, travel, and bringing people together. Through great recipes and connection around the table, we become better, stronger, and more courageous people. Feasting on Life is real, and every time we do it, we grow a little more. Read more...
