Clam Chowder

American food · soup · seafood

A creamy classic. Clam chowder is a thick, delicious soup that's been part of American cooking for hundreds of years. It's packed with tender clams, chunks of potato, and crispy pieces of salt pork all swimming in a savory broth.

Easy harvest choice. Clams became the star ingredient of this soup because they were super easy to find and catch along the coast. People didn't have to sail far out to sea to get plenty of them for cooking.

Simple ingredients. Besides clams, you'll find diced potatoes, onions, and salt pork in the pot. These ingredients were affordable and available to regular people, which made clam chowder a popular meal for working folks and sailors.

Cracker companions. Clam chowder is traditionally served with crunchy saltine crackers or small, six-sided oyster crackers. People like to crumble them into the soup or munch them on the side between spoonfuls.