Quick, easy to prepare and delicious

This is a surprisingly quick and easy soup to make, and everybody loves it. Often called Boston clam chowder. In centuries past, clam chowder tended to be a “Friday” dish when Christians abstained from eating meat one day each week. The tradition of serving clam chowder on Fridays thus remains.

The chowder is made from simple garden ingredients. Onion, garlic and potatoes constitute the vegetable standards, though diced carrots and celery are often added for flavour or colour.

This recipe comes together quickly, and has the advantage of being made from a can of clams with a long shelf life, and using vegetables likely already in the fridge if you arrive home and need a quick meal using whatever happens to be on hand.

Ingredients

• Start about an hour before serving;
• Serves 4 to 6, depending on portions. The recipe can be easily scaled up. The soup refrigerates well for a few days, though is at its best if eaten fresh from the stove.

Ingredient	Quantity
Chopped bacon	Three slices
Chrushed garlic cloves	Two
Chopped onion	125 mL (Half-cup)
Undrained baby clams	1 regular can (about 400 mL)
Diced, peeled, raw potatoes	250 mL (one cup)
Fresh dill	Chop and add to taste
Flour	30 mL (Two tablespoons)
Evaporated milk (regular or 2%)	One can

Preparation

1. Cook the bacon in a large saucepan until crisp. Drain off excess fat;
2. Add onion and garlic to pan, and cook until the onion is transparent;
3. Drain the clams, and keep the liquid. Add water to the liquid to make about 400 mL. Stir into the bacon-onion-garlic mixture;
4. Add the diced potatoes and dill, and heat gently to boiling. Cover and simmer 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender;
5. Mix the flour with a small amount of the evaporated milk to make a paste. Then blend in the remaining evaporated milk. Add to saucepan;
6. Heat at medium and stir until the mixture comes to a boil. Once the mixture thickens, add the clams and stir. Garnish with chives or croutons, and serve immediately