Chowder! (Manhattan-style 10-minute recipe)

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Forget the long lines at the clam shack…or, worse, the disappointment of finding that they are closed for the season!  If you’ve been looking for a fast Manhattan-style Chowder recipe, without having to scroll down forever just look at it, you’ve arrived!

This quick Manhattan-style chowder can be put together in the time it takes to open a few cans, stir it together, and heat it through.

Without further ado, here’s my Instant Chowder recipe (a more compact, printable version appears below):

Instant Manhattan-style Chowder: Ingredients

  • 1t. dried onion 
  • 1T. butter
  • 1 can tomatoes, 28 oz. size
  • 1 can of water (28 oz.)
  • 12 oz. bottled clam juice
  • 1t. chicken bouillon powder 
  • 1/4t. black pepper
  • 1t. dried rosemary
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 4 cans clams, undrained, 6 1/2 oz. size
  • 2 cans carrots, drained, 15 oz. size
  • 2 cans potatoes, drained, 15 oz. size

How to Make Chowder

  1. Hydrate onion by placing it in a small heatproof cup, barely covering with water, and heating very briefly in the microwave. It will bubble up suddenly, after just a few seconds, so be ready to shut it off. Give it a few minutes to absorb the water, while you gather the rest of your ingredients. 
  2. Add the onion to a soup pot with the butter. Heat gently on low, while you open cans. Do not cook it beyond a golden color. 
  3. Stir in the rest of the ingredients, EXCEPT for the carrots and potatoes.
  4. Bring to a boil, and turn to low. At this point, you can either move on to the next step, or let it simmer on very low for up to 30 minutes. 
  5. Add carrots and potatoes, and return pot to boiling.  
  6. Remove from heat, and serve.

Chowder Printable Recipe

Quick Manhattan-style Chowder

This quick Manhattan-style chowder can be put together in the time it takes to open a few cans, stir it together, and heat it through.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American
Keyword: chowder, chowder soup, clam chowder, manhattan clam chowder, quick clam chowder
Servings: 16
Calories: 120kcal
Cost: $13

Ingredients

  • 1 t. dried onion 
  • 1 T. butter
  • 28 oz. canned tomatoes
  • 28 oz. water
  • 12 oz. bottled clam juice
  • 1 t. chicken bouillon powder
  • ¼ t. black pepper
  • 1 t. dried rosemary
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 4 cans clams, undrained 6 1/2 oz. size
  • 2 cans carrots 15 oz. size
  • 2 cans potatoes, drained 15 oz. size

Instructions

  • Hydrate onion by placing it in a small heatproof cup, barely covering with water, and heating very briefly in the microwave. It will bubble up suddenly, after just a few seconds, so be ready to shut it off. Give it a few minutes to absorb the water, while you gather the rest of your ingredients. 
  • Add the onion to a soup pot with the butter. Heat gently on low, while you open cans. Do not cook it beyond a golden color. 
  • Stir in the rest of the ingredients, EXCEPT for the carrots and potatoes.Bring to a boil, and turn to low. At this point, you can either move on to the next step, or let it simmer on very low for up to 30 minutes. 
  • Add carrots and potatoes, and return pot to boiling.  Remove from heat, and serve.

Chowder Tips for Success

  • A quality soup pot will cook this chowder with even results. I like this heirloom quality pot (view here)
  • Want the best way to store potatoes? View helpful article here. 
  • To make in the Crockpot, skip browning the hydrated onion.  Simply add it in with the pat of butter and all the other ingredients and cook it on HIGH for 1 hour or LOW for 3 hours.  If you want the pot to cook longer, hold off on adding the potatoes and carrots until the last hour, so they don’t get mushy.
  • Butter may be used in place of the bacon fat. 
  • Skim off any foam that forms on the chowder’s surface, for a more digestible food.  These are impurities which can cause unpleasant digestive issues. 
  • A great way to increase this easily is to add 1 can of condensed Manhattan chowder plus a can of water.  Each time you do this, it adds two more servings.  It will also add more depth of flavor to your chowder.

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By Gail McGaffigan

Gail was raised in a traditional, one-income family. She and her family have been living happily on one income since 2004.