Clam Chowder... with mussels!

20 Reviews
94% would make this recipe again

A thick, chunky seafood soup, made healthier here than in the classic recipe by adding milk rather than cream.

It's the famous soup from New England, but its name comes from the French «chaudière», a caldron in which fishermen made their stews fresh from the sea.

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Preparation : 10 min Cooking : 30 min
380 calories/serving

Ingredients

paper towels
900 g mussels 60 units
2 potatoes 400 g
1 onions, finely chopped 200 g
4 slices bacon, chopped 80 g
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil 23 mL
3 tbsp butter, unsalted 40 g
3/4 cup milk, partly skimmed, 2% 190 mL
1/3 cup white flour (all purpose) 40 g
1 pinch salt [optional] 0.2 g
ground pepper to taste [optional]

Before you start

I most often use mussels rather than clams, because they are more widely available and less expensive than clams.

This recipe may seem like quite a few steps but they are neither complex nor long and some are done in parallel. The only drawback: the number of pots and pans to be cleaned…, but the result is worth the trouble.

Method

Cooking the potatoes:

  1. Prepare the potatoes, with the skin on, boil or steam about 12 min, without overcooking, since they will continue to cook in another step. Peel the potatoes then cut them into ½ cm thick slices.

Cooking the bacon and onion:

  1. Finely chop the bacon then fry in a nonstick pan until crisp. Set aside on a paper towel to absorb the excess fat.
  2. Clean the pan with a paper towel and put it back on the stove. Heat the oil in the pan over medium heat and cook the chopped onion, taking care not to burn it. Sauté 4 min then set aside.

Cooking the mussels:

  1. Carefully rinse and brush the mussels to remove any sand. Drain. Discard any mussels that stay open, even after being tapped.
  2. Put the mussels in a pot with about 1 cm of water. Cook over medium heat, covered, 7-8 min. All the mussels will be open. Take them out and set them aside. Filter the liquid through a sieve to remove any bits of shell and sand. Set the liquid aside.
  3. Put the pot back on the stove, add the butter and melt over low heat. Add the flour and cook 2-3 min stirring constantly so that the roux remains white. Slowly pour in the milk, with continuous stirring, then pour in the filtered mussel liquid. Cook and stir until a creamy consistency is obtained. Add the fried bacon, onion, and cooked potatoes, then cook an additional 5 min.

Final step:

  1. Take advantage of these last 5 min to discard most of the mussel shells, keeping some for decoration. Also remove and discard any unopened mussels. Put all the mussels back into the pot, then cook 4 min until heated through. Season with pepper and salt, if necessary. Serve hot.

Observations

This soup may vary in thickness after cooking, mostly depending on the amount of mussel liquid. If too thick, you may dilute it by adding some warm water. If too liquid, you may make and mix in some additional roux. (For example: in a small saucepan melt 1 tablespoon butter over low heat; add 2 tablespoons flour, mix well and cook 3 min; add 1/4 cup of the chowder, with constant stirring; then transfer this thickened amount back into the chowder)

Nutrition Facts Table

per 1 serving (260 g)

Amount

% Daily Value

Calories

380

Fat

16 g

24 %

Saturated 6 g
+ Trans 0.4 g

32 %

Cholesterol

60 mg

Sodium

400 mg

17 %

Carbohydrate

36 g

12 %

Fibre

2 g

10 %

Sugars

4 g

Net Carbs

34 g

Protein

23 g

Vitamin A

14 %

Vitamin C

38 %

Calcium

9 %

Iron

39 %
More info

DIABETES Exchange

1 serving of this recipe is equivalent to :
Food Group Exchanges
Starches 1 ½
Vegetables 1
Milk and Alternatives 0
Meat and Alternatives 2
Fats 2 ½
More info
Check out our Meal Plans for Type 2 Diabetes

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20 Reviews (20 with rating only) 94% would make this recipe again

My Notes

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  • I replaced oregano by rosemary and it turned out great
  • use my large pan with the copper bottom
  • leave under the grill 3 minutes instead of 1 to get a golden crust

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