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Home » Recipes » Soups / Stews » Seafood Chowder

Seafood Chowder Recipe with Clams, Shrimp & Fish

Published January 22, 2016. Last updated January 16, 2021 by Judy Purcell 14 Comments

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Seafood Chowder with Clams, Shrimp and Fish - restaurant quality at home!

Creamy seafood chowder with an abundance of clams, shrimp, and fish for a hearty soup to please a crowd.

Restaurant quality seafood chowder at home with clams, shrimp and fish.

Now is the perfect time to start a big pot of Seafood Chowder with Clams, Shrimp, and Fish on the stove.

I suppose it would seem far easier just to open a can when the urge for chowder hits. But if you’ve ever been fortunate enough to have a bowl of chowder in Boston, you know anything poured out of a can hardly resembles it.

For me, the real stuff is well worth the effort. As it goes with food and fashion—to each his own. We like to mix up the vegetables here with celery root and parsnips in place of some of the potatoes. There is little difference in flavor, but it does add fiber.


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For those willing to dice a few vegetables and strip pesky thyme leaves (tell the kids it will be fun!), this dreamy soup with clams, shrimp, and white fish is a delicious reward.

Tender fish (we used Barramundi), smoky bacon, and cream deliver soup with soul and substance and may make a few uncanny converts in the process (pardon the pun).

The silky cream base cradles the seafood and vegetables in a subtle herb blanket, satisfying chowder cravings to the last bread-soaked drop.

We served ours with Sprouted Wheat Dinner Rolls, but crackers work for dipping too!

Are you all in for chowdah? Try this quick Salmon Dill Chowder too!

seafood chowder in a bowl
Restaurant quality seafood chowder at home with clams, shrimp and fish.
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Seafood Chowder with Clams, Shrimp, and Fish

Creamy chowder with an abundance of clams, shrimp and fish for hearty soup to please a crowd.
Prep Time1 hour hr
Cook Time45 minutes mins
Total Time1 hour hr 45 minutes mins
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American
Servings: 12 Servings
Author: Judy Purcell
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Ingredients

  • 3/4 pound bacon , chopped and cooked
  • 51 ounces canned chopped clams , retain juice (equal to 3 3/4 cups clam juice and 3 3/4 cups chopped clams)
  • 1 cup finely chopped sweet yellow onion (1 medium)
  • 1/2 cup chopped green onion (2 bunches) white and light green parts
  • 3 cups red potatoes (4-5 medium), scrubbed and unpeeled, cut into 1/2" cubes
  • 2 cups chopped parsnips , peeled, cut into 1/2″ cubes
  • 1 cup chopped celery (2 large ribs)
  • 1 small celery root (about the size of a large orange) — peeled, cut into 1/2″ cubes
  • 3 3/4 cups clam juice , from canned clams (juice amount is approximate and can be topped off with chicken or vegetable stock) *See notes
  • 5-6 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
  • 1 cup whole milk , as needed for desired thickness
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 1/2 tablespoon hickory liquid smoke flavoring
  • 1 pound white fish (halibut, Barramundi, cod) — cut into bite sized chunks
  • 1 pound shrimp , cut into bite sized chunks
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
  • 1 lemon , for finishing the soup, to taste
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Instructions

  • Cut bacon into 1/4 inch strips by cutting across the long strip, and cook in a soup pot over medium heat until fat is rendered and bacon is crisp. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate and retain the bacon fat.
  • While the bacon is frying, prepare all other ingredients before starting soup. To prepare the clams, drain the juice into a large measuring cup or bowl and then strain through a fine mesh sieve to trap any sand or debris. NOTE: If you don't have a fine sieve, line a colander with cheese cloth before straining the juice.
  • Saute all the onions in 2 tablespoons of the rendered bacon fat in the soup pot until tender, about 8 minutes.
  • Add the potatoes, celery root, celery, parsnips, clam juice, dried and fresh thyme, salt and white pepper. Simmer uncovered until vegetables are just fork tender, about 10 minutes.
  • In a blender, puree 1/4 of the raw shrimp with 1 1/2 cups of the cooked vegetables and liquid. Add the milk and blend again to thin the puree; add to the soup.
  • Stir in cream, liquid smoke, bacon, clams, fish, and the rest of the shrimp; gently simmer for 20-30 minutes to cook and meld flavors; stirring occasionally. Finish with a squeeze of fresh lemon, pepper, and salt, to taste.

Notes

YIELD: 4 quarts
TIPS & VARIATIONS:
  • Chopped clams & clam juice—each brand of canned clams is different and will have differing amounts of juice with the clams. The 51 ounce can of chopped clams from Sea Watch produces approximately 3.5 cups of clam juice. If the clams that you use do not have enough juice for the recipe, chicken, fish, or vegetable stock can be used to top off the amount needed. Separate clam juice can also be purchased as a backup.
  • Celery root—if (celeriac root) is not available, substitute with more celery, potatoes, or parsnips.
  • Bacon—for the best texture, cook the bacon until completely crisp so when it is added to the soup it doesn’t taste fatty.
  • Green onion and sweet yellow onion—while you can certainly use only one or the other, we like both types of onions in this soup for the different aspects each brings to the overall flavor. Green onions add a bright, fresh element while the sweet yellow onions add to the depth of flavor.
  • White fish—any mild flavor, quick-cooking fish will work in this recipe, though a more dense flesh like cod will hold its shape better than flakier fish like orange roughy.
Make-ahead Tips: Chowder freezes well, so if you have a stockpot, I recommend making a double batch.
The soup will be very thick once chilled or frozen but resist the urge to thin it until it is warmed through.
Thin with milk, chicken, or fish stock, if desired.

Nutrition

Calories: 413kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 90mg | Sodium: 622mg | Potassium: 698mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 897IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 116mg | Iron: 2mg
Learn how to make this and all recipes even easier!Check out our Monthly Meal Prep System!

More Seafood Recipes You’ll Love:

  • Shrimp & Prosciutto with Smoky Honey-Mustard Sauce
  • How to Make an Amazing Crab Leg Dinner at Home
  • Dill Sauce for Seafood
  • Barramundi in Brown Butter Sauce with Almonds
  • Tomato-Basil Salmon and the 5 Best Fish Grilling Tips
  • Shrimp Lo Mein
  • Crab Cakes with Mango Lime Sauce
  • Spaghetti Al Farouk
  • Scampi-Style Steak & Scallops with Roasted Asparagus: Romantic Dinner Recipe for Two

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Filed Under: Fish & Seafood, Main Courses, Recipes, Soups / Stews Tagged With: clams, cream base soups, Fish, seafood in soup, shrimp

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    Rating




  1. Laurentiu Radu says

    December 25, 2022 at 7:09 pm

    Does not say how many portions of soup you make with the quantity of ingredients you are using!?

    Reply
    • Judy Purcell says

      December 26, 2022 at 8:08 am

      Hi Laurentiu, the number of portions is under “servings”. In this case, it is 10, but you can adjust it to the number you need and the ingredient amounts will automatically change.

      Reply
      • Laurentiu Radu says

        December 27, 2022 at 12:07 pm

        Thanks Judy we are making it right now. It’s perfect after two days of Christmas food!

        Reply
  2. Donna says

    July 8, 2018 at 11:31 am

    Was wondering, would you do anything different if using just fisgmh to this recipe?

    Reply
    • Judy Purcell says

      July 8, 2018 at 8:25 pm

      Hi Donna, that’s a good question. If I weren’t using clams, I’d sub fish stock for the clam juice and increase the amount of fish in the recipe to equal the amount of clams and shrimp so the soup is still thick with pieces of fish. Then follow the rest of the recipe as written. If it’s hard to find fish stock, ask the person at the store where you purchase fish for “parts” to make your own–salmon heads work great. 🙂

      Reply
  3. Suzanne says

    April 29, 2017 at 7:51 pm

    I love this recipe particularly how you create interest with the parsnips and green and white onions, not to mention the celery root! I was curious if adding daikon or turnips would add to the interesting textures or take it away? I added parsley, dill and clams and this came out fantastic! So happy to finally make a great chowder at home, as I have been eating it out daily at $9.00 per cup! Thanks so much!

    Reply
    • Judy Purcell says

      May 1, 2017 at 8:15 am

      Hi Suzanne! Thanks for stopping by and letting me know you love the soup. 🙂 I have not tried adding daikon or turnips to this soup. I do know the bite of radishes diminishes when they are cooked and turnips can be bitter. If you try it, only add a small amount of the daikon to replace some of the potato and see how it goes. As for turnips, if you peel it down below the yellow outer ring, you shouldn’t have a problem with any bitterness. This blog explains it well: https://www.newlifeonahomestead.com/harvesting-turnips-bitter-turnip-tips-recipes/ Either way, start with a small amount and build from there. And PLEASE let me know if you try it and how it works for you!

      Reply
  4. ChgoJohn says

    January 25, 2016 at 9:52 am

    5 stars
    Aren’t chowders delicious, Judy? Love them on a chilly day and yours would really hit the spot right about now. That opening photo couldn’t be more appealing to me.

    Reply
    • Judy Purcell says

      January 25, 2016 at 9:57 am

      Yes, you are right John, I think the weather does make it taste even better. Thanks for the compliment on the photo — it’s been quite a steep learning curve, and I’m so pleased they are getting better!

      Reply
  5. John/Kitchen Riffs says

    January 23, 2016 at 10:07 am

    Really like seafood chowder, a lot. Had a ton of it when we were in Boston a few months ago, and I’ve been meaning to make some. Haven’t yet, but I’m sure it’s coming. 🙂 This looks excellent — thanks.

    Reply
    • Judy Purcell says

      February 5, 2016 at 1:11 pm

      Thanks John. If you’ve been to Boston, you know what good chowder is and making your own will be rewarding.

      Reply
  6. rsmacaalay says

    January 9, 2011 at 12:34 am

    This is also one of our favorite family recipes, I can take this dish the whole week without getting tired of the taste,

    Reply
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