Stews and Soups: Clam Chowder

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil
2 onions, diced
4 cloves garlic, diced
2 ribs celery, diced
4 sprigs thyme, chopped and stems removed
1 bay leaf
Salt to taste
4 medium potatoes, scrubbed and diced
2 cups half-and-half
2 (10-ounce) cans clams (drained and juice reserved)
2 (8-ounce) bottles clam juice
2 cups of frozen mixed veggies, thawed
1/2 teaspoon sugar
salt to taste
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions

Drain the canned clams over a measuring cup and reserve the juice. You will need 3 cups reserved juice in total, so add the 2 bottles of clam juice to make a total of 3 cups. Set aside the juice and the clams separately.

Heat a large pot over medium heat.

In a blender, combine 1 onion, 2 cloves of garlic, 1 celery to make a smooth paste. Add 3 tablespoons of olive oil to the heat pot and saute the paste until for about 3-5 minutes.

Add the potatoes, 2 remaining minced garlic cloves, 1 remaining chopped celery stalk, thyme, bay leaf, and salt. Saute until tender and fragrant, about 10 minutes.

Stir in the clam juice, bring to a boil, and simmer uncovered until the potatoes are fork tender, about 20 minutes.

Lightly boil half and half with garlic, onion, bay leaf, and thyme. Do not allow half and half to scald or bubble over.  Strain the milk of the seasoning.  Add the seasoned half and half and clams to the soup pot, and heat gently for a few minutes to cook the clams.

Add the thawed mixed veggies and continue to cook until heat through

Taste for salt and pepper. Adjust seasoning as necessary. Serve hot.