Homemade clam chowder made with razor calms from the pacific ocean. This hearty soup is full of veggies, potatoes, and fresh clams. Serve in a sourdough bread bowl topped with crispy bacon and oyster crackers.
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The Pacific Northwest is home to some pretty cool beaches. And not just for play. The Washington coast is grounds for a very popular activity. Razor clam digging.
The thrill of digging in the sand only to pull out a large razor clam is a rush you have to experience! It's one that keeps people coming back year after year, rain or shine.
Only in Washington State will you see people endure sideways rain to bring home their limits of pacific razor clams. And it is all well worth it.
Want to learn more about clam digging in Washington? Check out the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife website to learn more.
Not only is razor clamming a fun way to spend the day, but they also make the best clam chowder! There is something so special about this experience for the entire family.
While I love a good New England clam chowder this version is slightly lighter and offers more depth of flavors. It's less creamy and filled with carrots, celery, and loads of potatoes.
This is a true ocean-to-table recipe and one my family and friends cannot get enough of!
Jump to:
What are the Types of Clam Chowder?
Did you know there are different types of clam chowder recipes? But what makes them different? Here are the three types of chowders and what makes each one unique.
New England Clam Chowder (or Boston Chowder): This chowder is a thick and creamy soup made from a milk base. It's a white color and on the heavier side.
It typically only uses onions and potatoes along with the clams. It's the most iconic of the three chowders. Here is a New England clam chowder recipe if this is more the kind you are looking for.
Rhode Island Clam Chowder: This version is often called the clear clam chowder. It's made the same as a New England chowder just leaving out all the dairy and replacing it with a stock which can be vegetable, seafood, clam or even chicken.
Manhattan Clam Chowder: This version has one ingredient that sets it apart from the other two. Tomatoes. Manhattan clam chowder will often have dairy but also some kind of tomato added as well.
I put together a smoked salmon chowder recipe that is very similar to this. It also tends to have more veggies and will often include peppers, carrots, and celery.
The clam chowder recipe I'm sharing with you is a blend of the three. So I'm calling it the Pacific Razor Clam Chowder.
While it does have milk, it's only a small amount and the rest is stock. It's also loaded with veggies. In my opinion, it's the best recipe and my family can attest to that.
It has great flavor and is an easy recipe to use with your fresh clams.
Ingredients
Here is everything you will need:
- Bacon: Optional but highly recommended.
- Olive Oil
- Yellow Onion
- Celery Ribs
- Carrots
- Yukon Gold Potatoes
- Fresh Garlic Cloves
- Butter
- All-Purpose Flour
- Dried Thyme
- Dried Rosemary
- Kosher Salt
- Ground Pepper
- Half and Half (or heavy cream)
- *Vegetable Stock (Can also use seafood or chicken stock)
- Chopped Razor Clams
Optional: Top with fresh parsley and oyster crackers.
In our house, it's always served with fresh sourdough but oyster crackers make a great topping as well.
*Stock. The recipe calls for 4 cups of vegetable stock. One way you can really enhance this chowder's flavor is to substitute part of it for clam stock or a little bit of clam juice.
For example, when I freeze my clams I keep them in water. Then when thawed I have about 1 cup of clam stock. I then substitute this for 1 of the cups of vegetable stock.
Clams don't have a ton of flavor so this is a great way to bring more of that flavor in.
Instructions
Start off by dicing and cooking the bacon. It can take a little while, so prepare all the other veggies and potatoes while the bacon is cooking.
Place a large Dutch Oven over medium heat. Add the diced bacon and cook until desired consistency. Stir often.
Carefully remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and place it on a plate with paper towels. Carefully remove the bacon fat and return the pot back to the stove.
Do not clean it out! The bits of bacon stuck to the bottom will only enhance the flavor of the chowder.
In a now empty pot, add in 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Then, add in the diced onion and sauté until soft and translucent. About 5 minutes.
Add in the diced carrots and celery and continue to cook for another 5 minutes, or until they start to soften.
Add in the minced garlic and potatoes and mix everything up. Then, add in the two tablespoons of butter and allow to melt.
Stir well so all the veggies are coated in the butter.
Add in the flour, spices, salt, and pepper, then mix until the veggies and potato mix is completely covered with the flour.
Allow the flour to cook for a few minutes. There should be no white left. It will be very thick.
Slowly pour in the half and a half into the potato mixture. Make sure to stir in while adding.
Now add in the stock, continuing to stir.
Stir everything until it's all completely incorporated, bring to a slight boil then reduce to medium-low heat and simmer. Allow to simmer for 5-10 minutes or until the soup starts to thicken.
Add in the chopped razor clam meat and let them warm up. Clams do not take long to cook so only allow them to simmer in the soup for a few minutes.
Remove from heat, allow to cool for a few minutes, top with the bacon bits, serve warm and enjoy!
Serve with some oyster crackers, cracker crumbs, or some fresh sourdough bread.
Substitutions
Manila Clams: This recipe can also be made with manila or little neck clams.
Chicken Broth: Chicken broth can be used in place of vegetable broth.
Milk: This recipe calls for half and half but heavy cream can also be used.
Fresh Herbs: Fresh thyme and rosemary can also be used. Substitute about a tablespoon of fresh herbs for each teaspoon of dried.
Equipment
Large Dutch Oven: I prefer to use a dutch oven when making any soups or chowders. A heavy pot like a dutch oven is efficient at retaining and distributing heat which is so important when making soups.
Cooking soups in a stainless or non-stick is just not the same.
However, if you do not have a dutch oven, any large pot will work.
Storage
This soup will keep in the refrigerator up to 5 days when stored in an airtight container. In fact, it is just as good leftover as it is on day 1. When it sits in the fridge overnight it get thicker and creamer which my family loves!
To reheat, transfer to a soup pot and warm up slowly over the stove. Stir often so the bottom doesn't burn.
Can you Freeze Clam Chowder?
Clam chowder is not freezer friendly. When dairy is frozen and then thawed it can separate which will give the soup a different consistency.
If you would like to freeze this soup, leave out the milk when making it.
Other Seafood Recipes:
Did you make it? Please let me know in the comments below and leave a 5-star rating on the recipe card. I love hearing from you! Subscribe to join my email list for recipes right to your inbox. We can also connect on social media via Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook.
Pacific Razor Clam Chowder
Equipment
Ingredients
- 8-10 Slices Bacon
- 1 Medium Yellow Onion
- 1 Cup Diced Carrots About 2 large carrots
- 1 Cup Diced Celery About 3-4 ribs
- 1.5 Pounds Yukon Gold Potatoes Peeled and diced into ¼"-½" cubes
- 2-3 Garlic Cloves Diced or Minced
- 2 teaspoons Dried Thyme
- 2 teaspoons Dried Rosemary
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
- ¼ Cup All Purpose Flour
- 2 Tablespoons Butter
- 1 Cup Half and Half
- 4 Cups Vegetable Broth Can substitute seafood or chicken *See Notes
- 10 Ounces Diced fresh or canned clams
Toppings
- Oyster Crackers
Instructions
- Start off by dicing and cooking the bacon. It can take a little while, so prepare all the other veggies and potatoes while the bacon is cooking.
- Place a large Dutch Oven over medium heat. Add the diced bacon and cook until desired consistency. Stir often.
- Carefully remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and place it on a plate with paper towels. Carefully remove the bacon fat and return the pot back to the stove.
- Do not clean it out! The bits of bacon stuck to the bottom will only enhance the flavor of the chowder.
- In a now empty pot, add in 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Then, add in the diced onion and sauté until soft and translucent. About 5 minutes.
- Add in the diced carrots and celery and continue to cook for another 5 minutes, or until they start to soften.
- Add in the minced garlic and potatoes and mix everything up. Then, add in the two tablespoons of butter and allow to melt.
- Stir well so all the veggies are coated in the butter.
- Add in the flour, spices, salt, and pepper, then mix until the veggies and potato mix is completely covered with the flour.
- Allow the flour to cook for a few minutes. There should be no white left. It will be very thick.
- Slowly pour in the half and a half into the potato mixture. Make sure to stir while adding.
- Now add in the stock, continuing to stir.
- Stir everything until it's all completely incorporated, bring to a slight boil then reduce to medium-low heat and simmer. Allow to simmer for 5-10 minutes or until the soup starts to thicken.
- Add in the chopped razor clam meat and let them warm up. Clams do not take long to cook, so only allow them to simmer in the soup for a few minutes.
- Remove from heat, cool for a few minutes, top with the bacon bits, serve warm and enjoy!
- Serve with some oyster crackers, cracker crumbs, or some fresh sourdough bread.
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