Cindy's Awesome Clam Chowder

This is beyond awesome. I didn't have clam juice as Cindy recommended to cook the potatoes in, but I did have chicken broth. I had about four large celery ribs that needed to be used, so I just chopped it up along with the carrots and threw them in the bacon fat with the potatoes. (I had to add just a little more previously reserved bacon fat to the pan, only because there was more veg. I know I'm not the only one who saves bacon fat in the fridge!) I followed the recipe exact. I'm the only one who loves clam chowder in this house, which is fine with me. I'm NOT SHARING. I ate two bowls with homemade ranch oyster crackers. I feel better already! NOTE: Next time, I'll be sure to cook the potatoes with the clam juice. Good tip.

Yummm, I love this! Instead of cooking the potatoes in the water I use 2 bottles of clam juice. Makes it more clammy. I had submitted this about 7 years ago and I've changed it a bit since then. Still using the Knoor Brand Leek Soup mix.

I wish I could give this more than 5 stars! Here's why: First, it's SUPER easy to put together. Second, it's MUCH less expensive than buying the *gasp!* canned stuff. And third, EVEN I LIKED IT!! I should mention that I really don't like clam chowder at all, but of course the only stuff I've ever tasted was the canned stuff *gasp again!* My kids love clam chowder and fight each other for it if there's not enough to share, so I made this for them. As recommended, I used two bottles of clam juice instead of water to boil the potatoes and carrots in. I had promised the recipe's author on the Recipe Exchange that I would at least TASTE the soup and boy am I glad I did!! The kids almost had to fight ME for this. We'll definitely be having this soup again many, many times. Thanks for making me a clam chowder lover, Cindy!!

I will elaborate, but I think Hubs' remark as he ate his first spoonful says it all. "This is really good," he said. "Much better than most of the stuff I get at restaurants. Make it again." How's THAT for a compliment? I stuck pretty closely to the recipe, but I did substitute celery for the carrots (icky-I don't like them), and added some finely chopped onion. I also covered the potatoes with bottled clam juice (one 8-0z bottle for a half recipe) rather than water, which I think contributed significantly to its full flavor. I did find then, that I didn't need quite the full amount of half-and-half to achieve the right level of thickness. I didn't add salt to the soup, thinking there might just be enough in the leek soup mix, which proved to be the case. This is rich, full-flavored and satisfying in every way. We cleaned up every drop.

This chowder definitely lives up to it's name! It is not too milky, or too clammy, it's just right! Very hearty and easy soup to make. I used chicken broth in place of water to cover my potatoes, may try using extra clam juice next time. I also added in an onion with the potato and carrot, just because I had one and I felt like it should be in there . I did only use one package of the leek soup mix merely because I am a dork and only grabbed one at the store. I think one did the soup just fine though : ) Served it up in some sourdough breadbowls (wish I could have made those too!) and it was to die for! My man couldn't stop saying how good it was, best we've ever had. Thanks for the awesome recipe Cindy!

This is a savoury chowder. I followed the directions exactly as written by Cindy. (I did buy minced clams by mistake but I actually like the smaller pieces).Even if you do not like clam chowder I think you would like this one, it does not taste clamy at all. I made it in the morning, planning on reheating it for dinner in a double boiler but it was so flavoursome I ended up eating a bowl for breakfast. Served with oyster crackers one night and Cheddar Bay Biscuits the next night. Will with out a doubt be making this all winter long. Awesome recipe Cindy, thank you

Very easy and very tasty! I followed the recipe as written, using fat free half and half. I did add about a teaspoon of thyme because I think it adds a richness to the clam flavor. I served this with homemade Caraway Rye from this site and a green salad. Turned a gloomy wet day right around. Thanks Cindy, this is a keeper.

This totally lived up to its name. It was AWESOME and so easy to make. Followd recipe exactly but husband allergic to half and half so used milk instead

Holy guacamole, my craving has been quenched! This chowder was just Terrific! I did add chopped onion. That was only thing I changed. Very flavorful, the ff half and half was just the ticket, save some calories but did not sacrifice the flavor. My kind of chowder! I served it with sour dough bread. Thanks for this delish dish Cindy!!

This was great! We had this today with Cheddar Bay Biscuits for a simple Christmas Eve dinner. I personally would not take the suggestion of others to use additional clam juice for the potatoes--the soup tasted plenty clammy as it was. Thanks for sharing--another favorite in our house.

This is OMG good !!! Followed the recipe, using clam juice instead of water for the potatoes. Only change made is my method of cooking. I don't have a stove, so I made it in my electric pressure cooker, set to brown. Thanks so much for sharing this one, Cindy !!!! My new clam chowder recipe, for sure !!! :)

Just made this chowder - AWESOME! Made it exactly as directed. Might add another can of clams next time. Used Fat Free Half & Half (creamy and no loss of taste). Thank you for sharing the recipe!

AMAZING.. i added green onion, corn, yellow onion and bay scallops to this...the bacon adds a smokey taste..combined with chunky clams and scallops.. the leek soup mix thickens this chowder lovely.. i actually used only a pint of half and half and added whole milk.. this recipe is WONDERFUL!!!

Where was the clam taste???? The soup was decent for a cream of potato soup but I have another great recipe for that! Very disappointing. I followed the exact recipe and thought I must have done something wrong but I didn't...

I just made this again! Sooo delicious! Husband and son could not get enough!! THANK YOU CINDY

excellent! i forgot the carrots and didn't have the leek soup mix. this is what i did-- i doubled the clams with juice, used halve a red onion, and some green onions cooked with bacon.then proceeded with directions. moose brought a buddy of hers over ( she doesn't like clams or oyster stew) they ate 2 jethro bowlfuls. a piece. i'm sure glad her buddy didn't like it! :) great recipe ya give this a shot!

Outrageously delicious soup! I didn't make the bread bowls. The soup stands alone. (We probably couldn't have refilled the bread enough times anyway!) GREAT recipe, Cindy.

I've been eating and making clam chowder for more years then a care to say,my mothers recipe i thought was the best,but yours i have to say is just awesome..The dry leek soup mix puts it over the top..Thank you for sharing!! If this went to six stars i would gladly award it...

Omg Cindy you are a rockstar!! This is SO good I could hardly put my spoon down! Yum! I only made a couple changes: added 1/4 of an onion and 2 cloves garlic with the veggies. Wow this is good!

Just Awesome Cindy!! Loved this recipe...made a few changes...I used turkey bacon, and fat free 1/2 and 1/2. I also added chopped celery and vidalia onion.... used all clam juice and no water to cover all the veggies and potatoes. A touch of dried thyme added a lot of flavor too. A great and hearty soup....ohhhh I also used 6 cans of clams!!! Love chunky soups....so I bulked this up with extra veggies and way more clams. Will make again. Thanks!!

After reading all of the great reviews, I was a little disappointed in this recipe. It is way too heavy on the potatoes and too light on clams for our taste. I only used 2 1/2 potatoes, and it was still too much. However, I think the base for the chowder is very good. Next time, I'll use a bit less potatoes and at least one more can of clams. Using fat free half and half did not detract from the flavor and richness of the soup, so don't be afraid to try that! With some tweaking, I'm sure I'll try this chowder again.

Great chowder and so easy. I did follow Cindy's recommendation and used 2 bottles of clam juice to cook the potatoes and carrots. Loved this recipe....thanks Cindy! One more thing, I used only 3 potatoes and diced them into fairly small cubes and I will probably use another can or two of clams.

My husband and son love this so much I pretty much have to make it every week! It is the most requested recipe for clam chowder that I get...just wonderful! Thanks for sharing this!

This was awesome!!! My husband being from Florida said it was the best he's ever eaten and he is a picky eater. I could not find the leek pkg's so I used a large box of potato soup with leek and only 1/2 of the half and half. I am making it again tonight.

Awesome is the right description!! I couldn't find the dry Leek soup in our town but used dry Vegetable soup instead. I will keep looking for the Leek soup for next time---and there WILL be a next time! Thanks Cindy

Not "clammy" enough for me although everyone else loved it. I made it exactly as written except omitted the carrots--in my mind carrots do not belong in clam chowder. Does not need any additional salt. And for some reason it was overly sweet; don't know why. I think I'll add a 3rd can of clams next time and some celery. UPDATE: I've made this twice since the original review. I doubled the clams and sauteed some celery with the potatoes. First time--still too sweet. Third time is the charm I guess. I used regular half & half instead of the non-fat and voila--the sweetness was gone. Wonderful chowder.

AWESOME! I did cook the potatoes in clam juice but other than that did not change a thing.

Didn't taste very clammy, even with the addition of clam juice. The five potatoes called for were way too many. This turned out more like a potato/bacon chowder. It was still good- just didn't taste like clam chowder. Omitted the carrots. Took 90 minutes to prepare and cook.

Really good! The bread bowl was fun. My boyfriend made this and we both enjoyed it but did agree that it needed afew more clams, or potatos if you prefer to thicken it up a bit. Great for a rainy day with a good beer!

Good stuff. I might try to tweak it a little bit. It tasted a bit too salty to me. Beside that it was delicious.

OMG! Family swears this is the best recipe for clam chowder EVER! I add a tad of caynne just cause i love a kick.

My boyfriend and I absolutely love this. The first time, it was too salty when I made it. So this time I added a little extra clam juice and left out the additional salt all together. The salt from the bacon and Leek soup mix was more than enough. I added about a tablespoon of pepper though and it was perfect. Served with Italian bread for dipping. My boyfriend asked me to put in extra bacon next time, and I will be adding celery as welll to make it thicker.

Easy and excellent.

I'm going to rate this before my family even tries it. Why? Because I don't CARE what they think! LoL It's just perfect, exactly as the recipe is written. I am so impressed with it that, if my husband and boys don't care for it, I will still be making it for myself. I was concerned over the amount of clams (too much?), the amount of soup mix (way too much?), and the amount of potatoes (not enough?) but I stuck to the recipe and I'm so glad I did. Sheer perfection. Oh, and the Knorr Leek Soup mix came from Meijer!

UNBELIEVABLE!!!!! You nailed this. There is no problem with flavor or thickness when you follow the directions exactly. PLEASSSSE PEOPLE, do not rate this or any other recipe according to calories, wanting it less fattening or what "YOU" deem healthy. I do not know about you but recipes are about "TASTE" not calories!!!! We all have our preferences to taste and you can adjust accordingly.This is her recipe! Leave it alone! Keep on keepin on with your recipes Cindy!!

This recipe was ok. I have others I prefer. :) but thanks for sharing.

Can't say enough about this! Delicious! Definitely a new winter favorite in this house. We made it just like the recipe called for.

Delicious and comforting.

Best clam chowder EVER!!! So easy and sooo tasty!! The only thing I did different was replace the water with clam juice. Can't wait to make again!!

I use an extra can of whole clams and I also use fat free half and half but we love this recipe and have used it several times now.

This was tasty, and certainly easy, but I've made better. This one just didn't have the taste I associate with clam chowder. That being said, I think this would make an excellent Ham and Potato soup...sub ham for clams, chicken broth for clam juice, etc. Thank you very much for the recipe, it was fun trying it out.

After reading all of the stellar reviews I knew I just had to try this soup, however, after checking out the recipe I was a little taken aback that it included a pre-packaged boxed leek soup mix. If your blood pressure is extremely low or if you're one to pay no mind to sodium, then this recipe is for you. However, I have a problem feeding my family over 1400 mgs. of sodium per serving so my solution was to make a healthy leek soup and then proceed with the recipe. Having eaten lots of New England clam chowder, I found this to be a bit thin so I mashed up a couple more potatoes and added them in. With these changes my gang loved it Cyndi and I thank you for a great starting point!

Cindy, my DH says I could make this at least once a week! Nothing complicated about it. Just good eats. This one goes to the top of the class!

WOW! This is soooo good! Restraunt Quality Chowder. I used the two jars of Clam Juice to cooke the potatoes/carrots plus the juice from the cans of clams and the flavor is outstanding. I will absolutley make this again. Thanks for sharing, Cindy!

So amazing! For myself I would leave out some bacon, but everyone else love love loved it. This was the first course for my Thanksgiving feast, and the only thing I changed was the soup mix. I couldn't find leek, I used a pack of Vegetable Side Mix and a pack of onion soup mix. So easy and delicious! Thanks for a great recipe!

Absolutely delicious and so tasty! Very easy to make! The hardest part about this recipe was finding the leek soup as it is no longer sold near me. I finally found it 4 hours away when I was bringing my dtr to college, I looked in Wegmans super market and found some, so I bought 4 packets and made the soup twice. I also used clam juice to cook the potatoes in, just all in all a tasty soup that we all loved. I knew I wouldn't be disappointed once I found the leek soup mix. Thanks so much for sharing, Cindy! Will be making more of this!

OMG!!!!!! Mmmm Mmmmm good has NOTHING on this! I followed the rec. but added 1 more can of clams and used celery and onion instead of the carrot. I can't get my husband off of me now. Thanks alot! Really though this is wonderful! About an hour of work total and well worth it. Make sure you use the leek soup mix and not the veg. you won't get these great results if you don't. What other goodies you got up your sleve cindy?!! Thanks!!!!

Wow Cindy, this recipe was awesome. I really enjoyed it and the only change I made was to use evaporated milk instead of half-n-half. And I used cut up razor clams. Very good should be able to give this one more stars! Good job and thanks.

This clam chowder has become a hit with the entire family.My ("picky eater") 8 year old grandson tried eating some but only after I bribed him. Now he wants to come over for dinner whenever I make this clam chowder.

Great soup, easy to make. My house smelled wonderful while it was cooking. everyone loved it! I too also used all clam juice and no water and a few extra veggies, we like our soup thick and hearty! I may never go back to my old recipe! Thanks for making me look like a great cook!

This soup is delightful! Liked everything about it. The veggies and bacon are a wonderful part of the soup. It is the perfect creaminess. I read a lot of the reviews, including Cindy's, and did the following: Added 2 stalks of celery, 1 extra can of clams, and used 2 bottles of clam juice to cook the potatoes, celery, and carrots in. Thanks for sharing, Cindy!

O M G it's sooo good! That's all I have to say...thank you.

This is easily one of the best soups I have ever had! 1 of the top 5. It has so much flavor and is so simple to make that my 13yr old did it by herself. The only change I made was I only had 6 slices of bacon and not 1/2 pound. The combination of leeks, bacon and onions was incredible! This soup is a keeper! Thanks Cindy!!

I didn't care for this. Something was just off with the flavor. Will not make again.

Very good, and relatively easy to make. My wife found the leek taste a little overwhelming. We resolved that problem by deleting the water in step 2, and using 2 (8 oz.) bottles of clam juice instead. The taste is then wonderfully balanced. Red potatoes work best. Leaving the peel on not only adds to the nutritional value of the chowder, but also adds visual appeal. The hardest part of this recipe might be simply finding the leek soup mix (knorr brand) - there's really no substitute. To make this a vegetarian dish, omit the bacon. Melt 3 TBSP of butter, heat until fragrant, then add the potatoes and carrots .

This was really good, if a bit salty for my taste. The second time I made it, I halved the leek soup mix and added a couple tbsp flour for thickening, and it came out fabulous. I used turkey bacon in this recipe once, it did NOT work out well, and I won't be doing that again. Thanks for the great recipe!

This is a very hearty chowder, really warms the soul! And Cindy, you're right...the whole family adored it! I would recommend that you don't add any salt...the bacon and the soup mix make it plenty salty, wait until serving to taste test then add salt if needed. I put in one package of soup mix, blended it and added part of the other, I guess about a half, until it tasted right to me. Thank you Cindy for posting this delicious and easy clam chowder!

This was AWESOME!!!!!! I did use the clam juice as Cindy recommended and used whole baby clams because thats what I had on hand. I served this in bread bowls and it was just fantastic! Even DH ate a bowl and ENJOYED it and he is the "I don't like Clam Chowder" person in my house. I cannot wait to make this again. Thanks for sharing a truly awesome clam chowder recipe with us Cindy!!

I had to use vegetable soup mix bc I couldn't find leek soup mix. I had to thicken with cornstarch at the end and I mashed some of the potatoes to help thicken. My secret ingredient is Cajun seasoning and a dash or two of cayenne. Also a splash of red wine vinegar is yummy too.

Hi Cindy! I tweeked this for personal preference only. Used 3 regular sized potatoes and 4 rashers of bacon, 1/2 tsp thyme, one envelope of leek soup and 20 oz. 1/2 and 1/2. It's just my husband and me to feed so I scaled your recipe down to fit our needs. Have leftovers for lunch. Excellent! Thank you!

my first review and i use a lot of the recipes here but Cindy THANK YOU! my family loves this, i mentioned yesterday i had the stuff (shop day) to make the chowder and hubby said when TONIGHT LOL, hes already been into it and 1st thing my JV footballer said when he was picked up today from practice was DID YOU MAKE IT...they call it MOMS chowder and i admit i let them ;) I do modify a little but this is AWESOME thanks! i use 2 quarts half n half one reg one fat free and only 2 leek soup pkgs due to salt issues (hubby) and i add 12-16 oz bacon, lots taters diced onion, carrots and celery its very hearty for the 4 of us and we pray for leftover ...

One of our favorites. Perfect consistency, easy & delicious. My husband asks for this every week. My 16 year old son claims "this is like REAL chowder" (not thick/floury canned stuff). Thanks so much for sharing! Would give 10 stars if I could.

So yummy! cooked potatoes in clam juice, added celery, used knors leek, and a little less bacon just because I do not love it.

I won a cookoff with this recipe and have had hundreds of people ask for the recipe. I added a couple of things to really spice it up. Cream cheese and diced jalapenos made this a huge hit.

Excited by all the great reviews, I couldn't wait to try this. Although it was good, with every mouthful I tasted a "chemical" taste. Knowing it had to be the dry leek soup mix, I checked its ingredients. It contains chemicals like sulfites, monosodium glutamate, disodium guanylate and disodium inosinate. Many people have adverse reactions to sulfites and MSG. As someone who tries to eat a healthy, natural diet and avoid chemicals as much as possible, I will make my clam chowder from scratch and not use this recipe anymore. Just couldn't get past the underlying chemical taste this had.

Really great recipe, and easy! I'll never buy canned again :D

It was an easy recipe to make ..a different clam chowder taste but good all the same. I didn't change anything except longer cook time for the carrots to soften. I don't change any recipe on my first try but may add dry onions or fresh scallions next time rather than the soup mixes..two of them were rather overpowering the soft taste of the clams.

This is positively DELISH!!! If you haven't tried it, stop waiting and do it. I too used the clam juice and made no other changes as none were necessary. Fabulous! Thanks Cindy!

Ok, amazingly delicious and simple. I followed the recipe exactly and it turned out perfectly. My husband said it was possibly the best he ever had and my (8 year old) son had 4th helpings and wants what little remains for breakfast tomorrow. Thanks Cindy for sharing.

My family loved this chowder! I served it in bread bowls made from the San Francisco Sourdough Bread recipe on this site. The soup was easy to put together, and oh-so-good! I will definitely make this one again. Thanks, Cindy! It was awesome!

Made this to take to the beach for a weekend. LOVED by all! Oh...my...God...it is delicious! I particularly like the velvety-ness of the soup base. It doesn't 'break' or curdle like some recipes. Ohhhh....I need to make some more....!

Good soup but didn't taste like clam chowder. I omitted carrots because I've never had clam chowder with them. the leek soup just took over on flavor. Maybe using clam juice to cover the potatoes instead of water will give it more clam flavor. I tried it but it just isn't for us.

Excellent!! Couldn't find the leek soup mix so used Lipton onion soup mix. It was absolutely an easy fantastically good tasting recipe. Thanks

Excellent! Made it the other night - absolutely loved it! So did my boyfriend - super easy - super quick and absolutely delicious!!!! Might try the 2 bottles of clam juice - but don't really see the need to change this recipe!

It really is awesome clam chowder. I must say though I had a hard time finding the leek mix. I almost used the vegetable soup mix that so many suggested but I just didn't think vegetable soup mix went with clam chowder so at the suggestion of CCL I did a search on the Knorr site and came up with the only grocery store in the area I had not gone to so I get in the car and trek on to the store only to almost be disappointed because all I could see was vegetable mix. I pushed some of the packets over and low and behold there were the only two packets of leek mix in the back so I scoffed them right up and went home and made my soup. I'm so glad cuz I don't think it would have been as good with the veg mix. I used three cans of clams and cooked the potatoes with two bottles of clam juice as well as the juice from the clams as Cindy suggested. I think next time a may use a forth can of chopped clams just because we like it chunkier. SO freakin simple and so freakin good. Awesome job Cindy.

This recipe was pretty fantastic. I will definitely be making it again, but next time I don't think I will be using quite as much bacon. Thank you for sharing!

This was very good! My husband L-O-V-E-D it! I think the proportions were a little off for me - too many potatoes and bacon and not enough clams. Next time I will only use 4 medium red potatoes, use less bacon and cut it smaller, and add another can of clams. Knorr Leek Soup Mix is hard to find, but worth it! The flavor of the broth was sensational!

I don't eat seafood, but I made this for my husband and he gave it 5 stars for taste. I give it 5 stars for being so quick and easy. Thanks Cindy for an awesome recipe!

Cindy - this truly was Awesome as the title implies. My family really enjoyed it and all had second helpings. I was a little uncertain about how many potatoes (mine were rather small, new potatoes). It was wonderful made exactly as the recipe directs. Thanks for this one!

very good and fairly easy for a week night- may add more clams next time

I have been looking for a clam chowder recipe. This one is the best. My family and I love it. I have made it several times and its a winner every time.

This was so tasty but I cheated...instead of peeling potatoes I added one can of Campbell's potato soup, oops! Took me less time to make, but sooooo good.

Yummy! This was my first time making clam chowder and it turned out awesome! Unfortunately I couldn't find the Leek Soup Mix. So I added garlic, onions, celery and a bit of cayenne to kick it up a notch and add some extra flavor. It seemed a bit thin so I added some potato flakes and that thickend it up nicely. I also used fresh razor clams and bought a bottle of clam juice rather than canned clams. I will use this recipe agin and try it with the Leek Soup mix next time since I have since found a store that carries it.

My family loved this recipe. It tasted more like potato soup than clam chowder maybe it was the bacon. I will definetly make again.

I hesitate to rate this soup because I couldn't find the Leek soup and substituted Knorr's Spring Vegetable medley and don't really know how that altered the taste from the original recipe, but the result was very yummy. The vegetable medley had leeks in it, but also mushrooms and bell peppers. As a chowder goes, this one was not overly clammy and so was perfect for the crowd I was feeding because some of them don't really like clams and this was more of a potato soup than a chowder with the soup mix that I used. I think the recipe would have been equally good if I had put chicken or ham in it. Super easy, the bacon was a nice touch, and I will definitely make it again. Thanks Cindy.

My son's "Culinary Careers" class was assigned to create a restaurant complete with floor plan, decor, theme, menu, etc. They had to present their restaurant to the class (and some faculty!) including one sample dish from the menu. This was the sample dish we provided. I figured that since it was seafood, I might have plenty of leftovers at the end of the day...WRONG! The slow cooker it put it in to keep warm was practically licked clean!! I got several requests for the recipe, including from the kids in my son's group that created the restaurant and the culinary careers teacher. It was super awesome!!

Made exactly as written. Hard to find leek soup, but worth the search. Don't try to substitute. Soup mix MADE the flavor. I am not a big fan of clam chowder, but this one changed my mind. It was beyond AWESOME. Hubby loved it too. Next time will double for more leftovers.

I tried this chowder the other night and just had to tell you Cindy this is the best chowder I have ever tried.I really don't like clam chowder but this has really changed that...I had to go out the night I made it so I wasn't home when my husband tried it,when I phoned him later he told me it was the best chowder he ever ate,I only used one pkg. of the leek soup mix and the next time I probably won't use as much bacon,but other than that excellent in taste and texture great

This was very good. I added salt and pepper while potatoes and carrots were cooking, but this was a little bit too salty. I would eliminate that step next time. I am lactose intolerant, so used lactose free milk instead of the half and half. It was still wonderful.

My family loved this recipe. I added a bit of sherry to it.

Was great for the rainy day we had! I added in some onion, and some flour to thicken it up, it was a little runny. Tasted great, and I have lots of leftovers!!

This was AWESOME. I am throwing away my old recipe (sorry Grandma) and using this, going forward. It was so quick and easy...loved that I didnt have to make a roux, yet it still thickened really nicely. Like other people, I added celery, onion and thyme. I also had some frozen shrimp in my freezer, so I tossed those in as well. The only thing I would not add is additional salt. The soup mix was salty enough. The salt I added (maybe 1 1/2 tsp) pushed it to borderline "too salty"...but still totally edible! Thanks for posting such a keeper, Cindy!

Love this very easy recipe!

I followed this recipe for the most parts to make my first batch of clam chowder. I am fairly new to the kitchen and wouldn't even go so far as to call myself any sort of cook BUT my chowder was A-mazing! This recipe is delicious and easy and it also gives room to let each individual personalize to his/her own liking.

This won me rave reviews from my Oregon coast neighbors! One of them is a champion chowder contest title holder, and he begged me for the recipe. :)

Made this as is except I used celery also (had to use it up). The only thing I did slightly differently is add about 3/4 lb of bacon. Great and delicious recipe!

This was just ok for me. Not great not bad. The leeks from the leek soup stayed tough and was like biting into straw. Maybe I didn't have enough water leftover before adding it? The texture was off for me too. It was kind of grainy. I will look for another clam chowder recipe.

AMAZING clam chowder! Served it to our friends one night and one of them said "Only because of family reasons I cannot say this is the best clam chowder ever" I knew he meant this is the BEST ever! (but I can't say it) :) I highly recommend this soup.

I live in a part of the world (Yap, FSM) where I am unable to buy half and half, or even fresh milk. Nor can I buy leek soup mix. The only milk we can buy is UHT (Ultra High Temperature) milk in Tetra Paks. But the recipe sounded so good, I thought I would give it a go... I was pleasantly surprised by the outcome. I used celery, onions, fresh garlic, and chicken bouillon cubes to make up for the lack of leek soup mix. I used a bit of flour in the bacon fat to create a roux and aid with the thickening. I was fearful of the strong flavor of the UHT milk, so I used less milk and more water, and added some Italian seasoning, bay leaf and a little freshly ground salt and pepper. The result was a delicious, thick, and creamy clam chowder, as good as any I have tasted in New England. I can only imagine how delicious this would be with real cream!