Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil (30 ml)
  • 1 large onion, finely chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
  • 2 carrots, peeled and diced (about 1 cup)
  • 2 celery stalks, diced (about 1 cup)
  • 1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced (about 1 cup)
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional, for heat)
  • 4 cups (950ml) clam juice
  • 1 (28 ounce/794g) can crushed tomatoes
  • 1 (15 ounce/425g) can diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 2 medium red potatoes, peeled and diced (about 2 cups)
  • 1 bay leaf
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 4 pounds (1.8 kg) fresh littleneck clams, scrubbed (or 2 (10 ounce/283g) cans chopped clams, drained)
  • 1/4 cup (60 ml) dry white wine (optional)
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
  • Lemon wedges, for serving (optional)

Instructions:

  1. Sauté onion, carrots, celery, and bell pepper in olive oil until softened. Add garlic, thyme, oregano, and red pepper flakes (if using). Cook until fragrant.
  2. Add clam juice, crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, potatoes, and bay leaf to the pot. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat and cook until potatoes are tender.
  3. Steam clams in a separate pot with white wine (optional) until they open. Discard any clams that don't open. Remove clams from shells, coarsely chop, and reserve cooking liquid. If using canned clams, skip this step.
  4. Stir chopped clams (and reserved cooking liquid from fresh clams, if using) into the chowder. Heat through. Do not boil.
  5. Remove bay leaf. Ladle chowder into bowls. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve with lemon wedges (optional).