Cooking time: 25 minutesA warming bowl of soup as an appetizer not only prolongs the pleasure of a relaxing mealtime, but also may help you eat fewer calories for the remainder of the meal.
Preparation time: 25 minutes Cooking time: 25 minutes
1 slice bacon
2 teaspoons canola oil
½ cup chopped onion
½ cup chopped celery
1 teaspoon minced garlic
½ teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1½ cups diced Yukon Gold potatoes (½" dice)
1½ cups clam juice
½ cup water (optional)
1½ cups 2% milk, divided
1½ tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cans (6½ ounces each) minced clams, drained
¼ cup chopped parsley
Whole wheat crackers (optional)
1. Cook the bacon in the microwave, per package directions, until crisp. Crumble into small pieces and set aside.
2. In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium-low heat. Add the onion, celery, and garlic and cook for 5 minutes. Add the thyme and bay leaf and continue to cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened but not browned. Add the potatoes and clam juice. The liquid should just cover the potatoes, so add the water if necessary. Bring the chowder to a simmer and cook the potatoes for about 10 minutes, or until tender but not mushy.
3. In a small bowl, whisk ¼ cup of the milk with the flour until smooth. Add to the chowder with the remaining 1¼ cups milk and increase the heat to bring to a boil, stirring constantly, until the soup has slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and add the clams. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Divide into 4 bowls and sprinkle each serving with crumbled bacon and parsley. Garnish each serving with a crumbled whole wheat cracker, if using.
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
Per serving: 140 calories, 13 g carbohydrate, 10 g protein, 5 g fat, 1.5 g saturated fat, 25 mg cholesterol, 600 mg sodium, 1 g fiber
Carbohydrate Choices: 1
Dietary Exchanges: ½ milk, ½ vegetable, 1 meat, 1 fat
NOTE: To reduce the sodium in this soup, replace the bottled clam juice with no-sodium-added vegetable broth or half canned vegetable broth and half water.
