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    Home » Seafood

    Easy Clam Chowder with Smoked Oysters

    Published: Nov 25, 2017 · Modified: Nov 20, 2023 · 23 Comments

    This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Jump to Recipe Save Recipe Saved!
    This easy clam chowder recipe is based on New England (Boston) style chowder. It's made with canned clams and smoked oysters for a soup you can make with easy to find ingredients!

    This rich and hearty Easy Clam Chowder with Smoked Oysters is made with potatoes and canned clams, and is the perfect way to warm up on a cold winter night. 

    Easy clam chowder in soup bowls with copper spoons and a blue towel
    Clam Chowder with Smoked Oysters

    When I was growing up, there was one soup that I looked forward to more than any other.

    It was a soup that seemed elusive, because it was only available at seafood restaurants or at the beach.  It's creamy, it's steamy-- it's clam chowder.

    More recently, I've decided that I NEED more clam chowder in my life.  Since I normally can't find fresh clams, and frozen clams are even harder to find-- I made a clam chowder for the landlocked!

    If you're landlocked, without access to fresh clams-- this easy clam chowder is for you! 

    If you AREN'T landlocked, and have easy access to fresh clams-- but find yourself on a budget, or snowed in, or simply don't want to leave your house-- this chowder is for you too!

    It's made with ingredients you probably already have on hand (or can easily get), and is EASY to prepare.  Before you know it, you'll be chowing down on a hot and steamy bowl of seafood yumminess.

    Gathering Ingredients

    First of all, to make clam chowder from canned clams-- you need to have.... canned clams!  You figured that out already didn't you?

    There should be several types of canned clams at your local grocery store.   Since most canned clams tend to be inexpensive, go ahead and try a few different brands and see which is your favorite!

    Most clam chowders include bacon; here, I've skipped the bacon, and added smoked oysters instead.  You can find smoked oysters right next to the canned clams.

    I like to use seafood stock for this soup, but if you don't have any, grab some vegetable broth and a bottle of clam juice.  You'll also need some potatoes, an onion, some herbs, a little white wine, and some celery.

    Want more canned fish tips? Check out this Ultimate Guide to Canned Fish.

    Making Easy Clam Chowder

    This soup starts out like potato soup-- you sauté onions with herbs and bay leaves, add wine, add broth, add the potatoes, and let it cook.  

    Just like when I make potato soup, I like to thicken it by scooping out about half of the chunky potatoes with a little bit of broth, and blending it in an immersion blender cup or stand blender.

    Next, I add celery and milk or cream.  

    Avoid adding the celery before using the blender.  It turns the soup green, and that's not necessarily a good look.

    The finishing touches to this easy clam chowder are the clams and the smoked oysters. 

    Toss them in right at the end, stir it all up, and scoop your steaming hot seafood soup into bowls.  Top it off with some more herbs (if you want to), and smile, because now you have clam chowder even though you're landlocked!

    Diced potatoes, canned clams, smoked oysters, celery, onion, and rosemary on a cutting board
    Clam Chowder with Smoked Oysters

    Want more SOUP recipe ideas?  Try these:

    • Vegetarian French Onion Soup
    • Vegan Split Pea Curry
    • Cream of Mushroom Soup with Asparagus

    Want more CANNED FISH recipe ideas?  Try these:

    • Fish Tikka Masala
    • Canned Mackerel Recipe: Niçoise Salad
    • Albondigas de Pescado: Fish Meatballs
    This rich and hearty Clam Chowder with Smoked Oysters is made with potatoes and canned clams, and is the perfect way to warm up on a cold winter night. (Clam Chowder NO BACON!)
    Print Recipe Save Recipe Saved!
    4.83 from 17 votes

    Easy Clam Chowder with Smoked Oysters

    This rich and hearty Easy Clam Chowder with Smoked Oysters is made with potatoes and canned clams, and is the perfect way to warm up on a cold winter night.
    Author: Sarah Trenalone
    Prep Time5 minutes mins
    Cook Time30 minutes mins
    Total Time35 minutes mins
    Course: Main Course, Soup
    Cuisine: American
    Servings: 4 people
    Calories: 389kcal
    Will It Keep?
    2 Days (Fridge)
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    Ingredients

    • 1 tablespoon butter or olive oil
    • 1 yellow onion, diced
    • 1 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
    • 2-3 sprigs rosemary
    • 2 sprigs thyme (optional)
    • 2 bay leaves
    • 1 cup dry white wine
    • 4 cups seafood stock OR 3 cups vegetable broth and 1 cup clam juice
    • 3 large baking potatoes, peeled (optional) and diced
    • ½ cup heavy cream
    • ½ cup milk
    • 3 stalks celery, sliced
    • 2 cans clams, chopped (about 6oz)
    • 1 tin smoked oysters, drained from oil (about 3oz)
    • fresh basil, as optional garnish

    Instructions

    • Heat butter in pan on medium, then add onion, salt rosemary, thyme, and bay leaves. Sauté until onions have softened, and add wine. Allow wine to cook about 3 minutes on medium. 
    • Add seafood stock (or vegetable broth and clam juice) and diced potatoes. Bring soup to a boil, and then allow to simmer about 10 minutes.
    • While soup is simmering, sauté celery in a small pan and set aside. 
    • Roughly chop oysters, and set aside.
    • After potatoes have softened, ladle about half the potatoes into a blender or immersion blender cup. Pour pureé back into the soup pot, and add milk, cream, celery, clams, and oysters.
    • Simmer 5 more minutes.
      Taste and add extra salt if desired.  Garnish with fresh basil if desired.
      Serve immediately, or refrigerate up to 2 days.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 389kcal (19%) | Carbohydrates: 38g (13%) | Protein: 12g (24%) | Fat: 17g (26%) | Saturated Fat: 10g (63%) | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 56mg (19%) | Sodium: 1521mg (66%) | Potassium: 1110mg (32%) | Fiber: 3g (13%) | Sugar: 5g (6%) | Vitamin A: 763IU (15%) | Vitamin C: 12mg (15%) | Calcium: 179mg (18%) | Iron: 3mg (17%)
    Tried this recipe?Leave a comment and rating below!

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    About Sarah Trenalone

    Sarah is the primary creator at Champagne Tastes. She's a photographer, food writer and traveler, and is certified in Backcountry Kitchen and Backcountry Navigation from the Colorado Outward Bound School and Identifying Wild Plants from Backpacker.

    4.83 from 17 votes (8 ratings without comment)

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    Comments

    All commentsI made thisQuestions
    1. Meghan Arnold says

      February 22, 2016 at 2:26 pm

      Is this what you made the other day for lunch? It looks so goooood!

      Reply
      • champagne-tastes says

        February 22, 2016 at 2:30 pm

        Yessss! I'm craving again!

        Reply
    2. Dawn - Girl Heart Food says

      November 27, 2017 at 8:48 am

      I've never had clam chowder before so clearly I've been missing out!! Looks super creamy....all I'd need is some crusty bread and I'd be one happy lady 🙂

      Reply
      • champagne-tastes says

        December 21, 2017 at 10:23 am

        What!! You need to try it! It's basically like a seafood potato soup 🙂

        Reply
    3. Gloria @ Homemade & Yummy says

      November 27, 2017 at 6:40 pm

      5 stars
      You know I never used to think I liked any type of "seafood" soup....but once I tried it....I LOVE IT. Sounds delicious and perfect comfort food for the cold winter months.

      Reply
    4. Julie says

      December 01, 2017 at 6:25 pm

      Do the smoked oysters give it the orangey color? I expected this to be a New York style clam chowder based on the color, but there are no tomatoes in the broth!

      Reply
      • champagne-tastes says

        December 01, 2017 at 6:27 pm

        It’s because I used my homemade seafood stock that has tomato paste in it! ☺️ So if you make it exactly like I did, it will have a red hue.. but if you use vegetable broth and clam juice it’ll be whiter!

        Reply
    5. Marisa Franca says

      December 04, 2017 at 8:13 am

      5 stars
      Clam chowder is absolutely one of my favorite soups. The taste is sublime and I love the creaminess of the soup. It certainly is easy to make. I like your variation.

      Reply
    6. Monica says

      December 04, 2017 at 6:59 pm

      5 stars
      This sounds amazing and makes me so excited to scout for some canned clams! I know I can find them at the US base about an hour from us, if not locally here in Brussels, so now I'm kicking myself for not having looked at this recipe before we went this weekend! Oh well - I'll have this pinned to remind me the next time I can pick some up, I can't wait to try it!

      Reply
      • champagne-tastes says

        December 21, 2017 at 10:24 am

        I hope you can find some!!! I like to stock up on canned clams 🙂

        Reply
    7. Daniel says

      January 24, 2018 at 9:04 pm

      5 stars
      A clam chowder were you can actually taste the seafood. This was awesome!

      Reply
    8. Edie says

      November 20, 2020 at 1:13 pm

      Looking forward to trying to make this for Thanksgiving. Something to make our humble little 3-person dinner a bit more special, I hope...

      Reply
      • Sarah Trenalone says

        November 20, 2020 at 2:01 pm

        Aw, I hope all three of you enjoy it. We're looking forward to being able to be with our families again in the future too, hopefully soon

        Reply
    9. Debbie says

      December 12, 2020 at 3:33 pm

      4 stars
      Can I freeze the leftover?

      Reply
      • Sarah Trenalone says

        December 12, 2020 at 3:38 pm

        Hi Debbie,
        I haven't tried freezing it! I personally probably wouldn't because I usually avoid freezing things with this much dairy. (Dairy sometimes thaws strangely)

        Reply
    10. Kelli in Idaho says

      January 27, 2021 at 10:53 pm

      5 stars
      I made this during 2021. In the interest of avoiding stores I used what was in my pantry and refrigerator. I had chicken broth powder, onions, celery, potatoes and half n half, lactose free. I shredded the onion and celery and celery leaves and used the oil from the smoked clams along with butter to soften the onion and celery. With chicken broth powder and water I cooked the potatoes. I followed as many of your steps and processes as possible. I substituted 2 tins of smoked clams for all the seafood and added it at the end. This was delicious and delightful. I am so glad I had tins of smoked clams that I wanted to use up. Great recipe even with variations.

      Reply
      • Sarah Trenalone says

        January 28, 2021 at 8:52 am

        Yay! I'm so glad you enjoyed it, and I'm all for using whatever you've got on hand to make it work. Especially right now!

        Reply
    11. Alisha Trenalone says

      November 01, 2021 at 11:21 am

      5 stars
      This was our first time making clam chowder, and it turned out really well! We left out the oysters, since we didn't have any, but everything else was easy to obtain, and it didn't take very long to put together. It was really tasty, and it will even last us for two meals--yay for leftovers!!

      Disclaimer: I am an employee of Champagne Tastes, but made this recipe on my own time and opinions are my own!

      Reply
    12. Shelley says

      April 09, 2022 at 4:30 pm

      5 stars
      Absolutely Delicious! I used a combination of red potatoes and russet, as the russet tend to stay a little firmer…. Will probably add more potatoes next time, as it didn’t thicken up too well! Loved the oysters in it! I had made my own fish stock as well! Great recipe!

      Reply
      • Alisha Trenalone says

        April 09, 2022 at 4:42 pm

        Glad you loved it so much! Thanks for letting us know!

        -Alisha at Champagne Tastes

        Reply
    13. Lori Spillman says

      December 20, 2024 at 5:19 pm

      3 stars
      This turned out okay. I followed the directions exactly as written. It tasted very salty. I did use the seafood stock as suggested in the ingredients. I added a little extra cream and milk in hopes of reducing the saltiness of the stew. My husband wondered if it might have turned out differently if I used the 3 cups vegetable broth/1 cup clam juice option.

      Reply
    14. Jane says

      March 18, 2025 at 11:58 am

      I made this dish last night & I 10/10 do NOT recommend, it was definitely not good at all. & I would never make this ever again!

      Reply
      • Sarah Trenalone says

        March 18, 2025 at 4:23 pm

        Hi Jane,
        Sorry it didn't work for you. If there's anything in particular that wasn't working, let us know and we'd be happy to help troubleshoot.

        Reply
    bio

    Hi, I'm Sarah! I'm a traveler who loves to eat.   Follow along to join me on my next adventure-- in food or on the road.

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