Instant Pot Clam Chowder
User Reviews
5
-
Prep Time
10 mins
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Cook Time
15 mins
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Servings
8
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Calories
380 kcal
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Course
Main Course, Appetizer
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Cuisine
American
Instant Pot Clam Chowder
Description
This Instant Pot Clam Chowder starts with rendering bacon until crisp, which provides fat and savory crunch. Aromatics including onion and garlic are softened before adding canned minced clams with their juice, diced potatoes, celery, chicken broth, and seasonings like thyme, salt, and black pepper. The ingredients are cooked together under high pressure, cooking the potatoes until tender.
After pressure cooking and natural release, a mixture of heavy cream and cornstarch is added while sautéing in the pot to thicken the chowder. Sour cream is folded in for added creaminess and tang. Mashing some of the potatoes within the chowder yields a texture that balances chunkiness and smoothness.
The chowder is served hot garnished with the reserved crispy bacon and optional green onions, making a comforting and hearty starter or main course. This recipe allows for substitutions of canned clams with frozen clams and clam juice if available.
Practical tips include avoiding quick pressure release to prevent soup from spurting, prepping ingredients ahead to speed cooking, and adjusting thickness by adding more cream or mixing cornstarch with water. The recipe states that one serving contains 12 Blue Plan SmartPoints.
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp neutral cooking oil generic cooking oil
- 4 X 6.5 oz minced clams canned
- ½ lb Bacon chopped, 230g
- 1 onion diced, medium
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 3 potato pared and cubed, medium-large
- 2 cups celery diced, 450g
- 1 tsp salt
- ⅛ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp thyme ground
- 4 cups chicken broth low sodium, 950ml
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ cup sour cream 120 ml
- 2 Tbsp cornstarch
Instructions
- Turn your Instant Pot to sauté, heat oil and cook bacon in batches until crispy. Remove and set aside.
- Cook chopped onion for about a minute and garlic for about 30 secs.
- Add clams with juice to the pot. Add the bacon back to the pot with all the other ingredients except the sour cream, cream, and cornstarch.
- Cover and set to manual pressure / high pressure for 10 mins, until potatoes are tender. Allow for a natural pressure release.
- Turn the pot back on to sauté mode. In a separate cup, mix the cream and cornstarch until no longer lumpy and add to Instant Pot.
- Add sour cream to the pot and stir to combine.
- Use a potato masher to mash the potatoes in the chowder, leaving some lumps. Let simmer for a few mins.
- Turn off, garnish with bacon and green onions, and serve hot.
Notes
- Frozen clams with clam juice can be used if canned clams are unavailable.
- Prepare all ingredients before cooking to reduce total meal preparation time.
- For a thinner chowder, increase the amount of cream used.
- To thicken the chowder further, stir in a tablespoon of cornstarch mixed with water while simmering.
- Avoid quick pressure release to prevent hot soup from spraying out.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 8Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 380 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 380kcal | 19% |
| Carbohydrates | 23g | 8% |
| Protein | 23g | 46% |
| Fat | 23g | 35% |
| Saturated Fat | 13g | 65% |
| Cholesterol | 100mg | 33% |
| Sodium | 1445mg | 60% |
| Potassium | 584mg | 12% |
| Fiber | 2g | 8% |
| Sugar | 2g | 4% |
| Vitamin A | 750IU | 15% |
| Vitamin C | 7mg | 8% |
| Calcium | 80mg | 8% |
| Iron | 2mg | 11% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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