Chowder, any of a variety of soups featuring salted pork fat, thickened with a flour, heavy roux, crumbled biscuits or saltine crackers and milk, first materialized with Breton fisherman who migrated south to New England from Newfoundland. They would combine readily available ingredients in large soup pots to feed themselves, each other and their families. Clam chowder today comes in many different varieties with New England Clam Chowder being the most popular.

P.S. New England Clam Chowder Day is January 21st.

Ingredients:

8 potatoes, peeled
One 32-ounce can clams, drained
2 onions, finely chopped
1/2 cup fat free chicken broth
4 cups water
3 cans lite evaporated milk
1/8 cup butter buds
1/2 teaspoon pepper
8 fat free crackers
1/8 cup cold skim milk

Directions

Quarter potatoes and drain clams; set aside.

In nonstick skillet over high heat, saute onions in broth for 5 minutes or until tender.

In large nonstick saucepan, place potatoes, clams and onions. Cover with cold water and cook over medium heat for 30 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Drain half of the water from potatoes.

Return soup to high heat. Add milk, butter buds and pepper. Bring soup to boil; stirring constantly.

Reduce heat to low, add crackers softened with skim milk and heat though; about 5 minutes. Serve hot.

Recipe makes 6 servings New England Clam Chowder.

Per serving: 379 Calories, 1.3 Fat Grams

Nutrition Nibbles

Made well, clam chowder is a good source of Vitamin C, Iron and Selenium, and a very good source of Vitamin A and Vitamin B12. The downside is that it can be very high in sodium.

See also: Light Clam Chowder in our Fish and Seafood Recipe Collection, or consider a Low Calorie Clam Chowder.

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