Instant Pot Clam Chowder

Try this Instant Pot clam chowder…you may never want to stop eating this creamy comfort food! Whether you call it New England Clam Chowder or Boston Clam Chowder, this classic is fantastic year-round.

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This hearty dish is flavored with bacon and fresh thyme and loaded with clams and chunks of potatoes. It’s wonderful as a meal paired with some crunchy bread (or a salad if you must 🙂 ), or as an appetizer or side for a bigger meal.

Clam chowder originated in the Eastern United States and was a common dish in the area by the 1700’s. It even made a cameo appearance in Herman Melville’s Moby Dick published in 1851. Clam chowder has also been a topic of controversy. In 1939 Maine introduced legislation to outlaw the use of tomatoes in clam chowder, presumably to keep the alternative tomato-based Manhattan Clam Chowder from creeping northward.

Want an even thicker finished soup? Add a slurry of 1 tbsp water mixed with 1-2 tbsp cornstarch to hot soup and stir to thicken.

You may never want to stop eating this creamy comfort food!

Ingredients:

• 2 6.5 oz cans chopped clams, drained and juices reserved
• 5 slices bacon, diced
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 3 tbsp butter
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1/4 tsp dried)
• 1 tsp celery seed (or 2 stalks celery, diced)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1 1/2 lbs gold potatoes, cut into 1/2” dice
• 1 1/3 cups half and half
• Snipped chives, for garnish

Instructions:

1. Drain clams, reserving up to 2 cups of clam juice. If needed, add enough water to clam juice to make 2 cups.
2. Add diced bacon to the Instant Pot. Using the display panel select the SAUTE function.
3. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the fat has rendered, but the bacon is not crispy.
4. Add onion, butter, thyme and celery seed or celery. Deglaze by using a wooden spoon to scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pot, then saute until onion is soft, 3-4 minutes.
5. Add garlic, salt, and pepper and cook for 1-2 minutes more.
6. Add clam juice and potatoes and stir to combine.
7. Turn the pot off by selecting CANCEL, then secure the lid, making sure the vent is closed.
8. Using the display panel select the MANUAL function*. Use the +/- keys and program the Instant Pot for 4 minutes.
9. When the time is up, let the pressure naturally release for 4 minutes, then quick-release the remaining pressure.
10. Using a slotted spoon, remove about half the potatoes to a bowl and set aside. Remove thyme sprigs and discard.
11. Use an immersion blender to process soup mixture until smooth. Return reserved potatoes to the pot along with the clams and half and half.
12. Cook and stir on the WARM function until chowder is heated through. (Switch to the SAUTE function if needed, but do not boil.)
13. Garnish with snipped chives.

*The MANUAL and PRESSURE COOK buttons are interchangeable.