When the Recipe Redux challenged us with creating a recipe that relied solely on what we have in our fridges or pantries, we jumped on it! With the recent cold and wet weather, my family and I were looking for something warm and comforting for dinner. Yet, I wanted something healthy that my kids would actually eat…. enter our version of clam chowder!
Clams are such a nutritious seafood. High in protein, iron, and omega-3 fatty acids, they are the perfect ingredient for a healthy comfort food recipe. Surprisingly, clams are also a great source of vitamin C and B-12 as well. Not to mention, they are the most potent natural form of zinc available. This mineral is linked to the enhancement of male sexual health as it’s a crucial nutrient in the production of testosterone and higher sperm counts. So, if you’re trying for a baby- serve up your partner a big bowl of our clam chowder!
Cozy, healthy and delicious, our lean clam chowder wil easily fill you up on the cold days. We didn’t have to make a special trip to the store since we had all the ingredients on hand.

Lean Clam Chowder
Our version of clam chowder is low in fat but high in flavor.
Ingredients
- 2 Tsp Canola oil (Or spray canola oil)
- 4 Slices Turkey bacon
- 1 Medium Onion
- 2 Stalks Celery
- 1 Tsp Dried thyme
- 1 Tsp Old bay seasoning
- 1 Medium Red potato
- 1 Each Bay leaf
- 3 Cups Low fat milk
- 1/2 Cup Fat free half and half
- 1/3 Cup Flour
- 1/2 Tsp Salt
- 2 6 ounce Cans Chopped clams Rinsed
- 2 6 ounce Cans Whole clams With juice
Instructions
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Oil your pan with canola oil and brown the turkey bacon until crisp. Remove two slices from the pan and cut into small squares to use as a topping later. Set aside.
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Chop onions and slice celery into bite-sized pieces. Cut up the two slices of bacon and sautée with onions, celery and thyme and old bay seasoning. Cook for about two minutes.
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Cube potoates. Add potatoes and bay leaf to pot. Simmer for 8-10 minutes until vegetables have softened.
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In a separate bowl, mix milk, fat-free half and half, salt and flour together. Add to pot and continue to simmer on medium-high heat until thickened.
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2 cans of clams with juice, and two cans of rinsed clams into pot and simmer for an additional 3 minutes.
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Remove bay leaf. Serve soup. Garnish with chopped turkey bacon and parsley, if desired. Enjoy!
For other Recipe Redux pantry staple recipes check out:

2 Comments
Sara
March 21, 2019 at 7:14 pmThis looks like the perfect comfort food for this rainy weather:)
Nelson Cherny
April 23, 2019 at 2:08 pmThank you, I have recently been searching for facts about this subject matter for ages and yours is the best I have discovered so far.