Name: Pumpkin Clam Chowder: Fall Soup Recipe
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 5 strips of bacon, pork or turkey ((see blog post for tips if you want to omit bacon)); 1 large onion, peeled and chopped; 3 stalks celery, chopped; 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced or pressed through garlic press; 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg; 1/8 tsp ground cloves; 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon; 1/2 tsp ground ginger; 1/4 cup all purpose flour; 4 6.5oz cans of chopped clams, reserving their liquid ((liquid should come to about 2 cups)); 2 8oz jars of clam juice; 1 15oz can of organic pumpkin puree; 1 1/2 pounds yellow or red potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1/2 inch cubes (yields about 1 1/4 cups once cut); 1 cup chopped butternut squash or pumpkin; 1 bay leaf; 1 cup heavy cream or coconut cream; 1 tbsp minced parsley; 1 tsp table salt, plus more according to taste; fresh cracked pepper; OPTIONAL: 1-2 pounds of fresh clams, cleaned (See blog post )

Is this the best clam chowder recipe in the world? I think so! Creamy pumpkin is mixed with warm and earthy autumn spices and fresh seasonal vegetables for a fall soup recipe that is extra comforting and warm. You have the option to use canned clams, or fresh (or both), and it comes together in less than an hour.

Pumpkin clam chowder is definitely going to be your new favorite fall recipe! It can be made dairy-free with coconut milk as a substitution for the cream.

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A wooden bowl of pumpkin clam chowder being held by two hands wearing a white sweater, with bread and parsley at the top of the image and clam shells in the soup.

Don’t miss the video for how to make it above the recipe card!

Why You Will Love This Fall Soup Recipe

I don’t know about you, but I could eat soup every single day of the year. It’s my comfort food, and I don’t think there is a soup out there that I don’t like. That being said, this is one of the best soup recipes I’ve ever had, and here’s why:

Autumn harvest soup – You have the ability to use a variety of different fall harvest vegetables, like butternut squash, pumpkin, potatoes, corn, carrots, celery and onions from your local farm stand!
It’s quick to make – This quick comfort soup takes less than 45 minutes to make, yet the flavors are very developed and intricate.
It’s SO comforting – Every bite is warm and cozy, thanks to the cinnamon and cloves. There is just something about pumpkin in the fall that is so nostalgic. Every bite makes you want to curl up with a good novel and a chunky knit blanket.

A wooden cutting board filled with ingredients for a fall soup recipe, including pumpkin puree, butternut squash, clams, bacon, onion, celery and cream.

Pumpkin Clam Chowder Ingredient Substitutions

Before we get to the full recipe, here are a few ingredient substitutions that you have the option to make. I love to provide these because there is nothing more disheartening than being really excited to make a recipe, only to find out that you are missing an ingredient!

Canned Clams – You have the option to use all canned clams, all fresh clams, or a combination of both (which is what I do). I really like getting big chunks of clam in every bite, so adding canned clams is great for providing more clammy goodness. But going for a fresh clam chowder recipe with all fresh clams is also a great way to elevate the dish and make it more elegant.
Clam Juice – You’re going to want SOME clam juice in your clam chowder. It’s important for the flavor. Luckily, there are about 1.5-2 cups of clam juice in the 4 cans of chopped clams! So if you can’t find bottles of clam juice, just use the 2 cups that come from the canned clams, and substitute the rest with seafood stock or vegetable broth!
Butternut Squash – Feel free to use any hard autumnal vegetable, such as acorn squash, pumpkin or sweet potato! You also have the option to add corn, carrots or any other vegetables.
Bacon – If you don’t have any bacon, don’t sweat it. While it contributes to the depth of flavor, it isn’t necessary, and the soup will still taste great without it. Since we saute some of the veggies in the bacon fat, just swap it for regular olive oil. And if you do want to use bacon, feel free to use any kind! Turkey bacon is a healthier option, while thick cut pork bacon will yield more fat and flavor.
Heavy Cream – If you don’t have any heavy cream, or if you are just looking to make a dairy free clam chowder recipe, feel free to substitute it with equal amounts of canned coconut cream! It works just as well, and you might even enjoy the flavor of the coconut with the warm spice blend even more!

A wooden bowl filled with three clam shells in a yellow broth filled with potatoes, butternut squash, bacon and parsley.

How To Make This Fall Soup Recipe

It’s really straight forward you guys!

Make sure to scroll down to the recipe card for the full list of ingredients and instructions!

Bacon & Veggies – Saute the bacon until crispy, then cook the celery & onion in the bacon grease.
Aromatics & Spices – When the onion is translucent, toss in the garlic, ground cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon and ground ginger. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds, then add the flour.
Broth & Pumpkin – Pour in the clam juice & pumpkin puree. Mix well.
Potatoes & Butternut Squash – Add the cubed potatoes and butternut squash to the pot, along with a bay leaf. Cook 20 minutes until the potatoes and squash are just about fork tender.
Fresh Clams – If using fresh clams, add them to the pot, place the lid on, and cook until they all fully open, between 5-10 minutes.
Canned Clams & Cream – Toss in the canned chopped clams, cream, parsley.
Season – Don’t skip seasoning! Salt is extremely important in this recipe, and I recommend using between 1 tsp and 1 1/2 tsp of table salt. Make sure to test it and adjust accordingly.

A glass bowl filled with chopped canned clams, with pumpkin puree in the background.

How Long Is Clam Chowder Good For?

You can store this homemade clam chowder recipe in an air tight container in the refrigerator for 3 days. If using fresh clams, I would use leftovers within 24 hours. I don’t recommend freezing it, as ingredients like the cream and clams don’t tend to freeze well.

Is Clam Chowder Mediterranean Diet Friendly?

Is clam chowder healthy? Most people would say no, but here is why I say ‘sort of‘.

Let’s talk about the ‘unhealthy’ ingredients. Bacon grease is not considered healthy because it is a processed food that is filled with nitrates and nitrites, which can potentially cause cancer (read about it HERE). So even while turkey bacon is healthier from a fat content stand point, it is still highly processed, which is not recommended on a Mediterranean diet.

So if you are trying to make this MedDiet friendly, skip the bacon and use extra virgin olive oil to cook the vegetables in instead.

Really, the only other ingredient that isn’t necessarily recommended on a Mediterranean diet is the heavy cream. Dairy should only be consumed on occasion.

So this is where swapping the heavy cream out for coconut cream is a good option.

And while one could argue that coconuts aren’t traditionally found in the Mediterranean, I think it is an okay ingredient to use to swap out the dairy.

*But please note that I am not a doctor or dietitian, so please consult with yours with any questions and before making any changes to your diet!

A wooden bowl filled with three open clam shells in a yellow pumpkin soup broth, with a wooden spoon filled with clams and potatoes.

What TO Serve With Clam Chowder

Here are a few extra ingredients that you can serve along side this 5 star New England clam chowder recipe!

Bread Bowl – Get yourself a big, round sourdough bread, cut off the top, rip out the insides, and you’ve got a bread bowl fit for any chowder lover! ‘Feasting At Home’ has a great homemade sourdough bread recipe if you want to make it yourself!
Hollowed Out Pumpkin – You can get a bunch of small individual pumpkins to serve this soup in, or you can get one medium sized pumpkin to serve the pumpkin soup out of! It’s a great option for Halloween parties or fall birthdays.
Dipping Bread – You’re going to want to sop this up with something, and a piece of hearty whole grain bread really does the trick!
Oyster Crackers – Any good New Englander knows that ‘chowdah isn’t chowdah‘ without some oyster crackers tossed into the bowl.

@recipehippie
This recipe takes pumpkin spice to a WHOLE new level! #foodtok #fallvibes #pumpkinseason #pumpkinspice #souptok #clamchowder #recipes
♬ W.I.T.C.H. – Devon Cole

A close shot of a wooden bowl of pumpkin clam chowder being held by two hands wearing a white sweater, with bread and parsley at the top of the image and clam shells in the soup.

More Soup Recipes

Looking for some more simple, cozy soup recipes? Here are a few more of my favorites!

Creamy Yellow Squash Soup
Greek Lemon Soup With Chickpeas
Tomato Orzo Soup With Canned Tomatoes
No Cream Asparagus Soup

Did you make this recipe? It would mean so much to me if you would rate it below the recipe card and tag me in your creation on Instagram so I can admire your work! @emacnaughton

Pumpkin Clam Chowder: Fall Soup Recipe

Creamy pumpkin puree is mixed with warm and earthy autumn spices and fresh seasonal vegetables for a fall soup recipe that is extra comforting and warm. You have the option to use canned clams, or fresh (or both), and it can be made dairy free with the use of coconut cream.

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Prep Time 5 mins

Cook Time 40 mins

0 mins

Total Time 45 mins

Course Appetizer, Dinner

Cuisine American

Servings 4 people

Equipment

Dutch Oven or large stock pot

Ingredients

5 strips of bacon, pork or turkey (see blog post for tips if you want to omit bacon)
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced or pressed through garlic press
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 cup all purpose flour
4 6.5oz cans of chopped clams, reserving their liquid (liquid should come to about 2 cups)
2 8oz jars of clam juice
1 15oz can of organic pumpkin puree
1 1/2 pounds yellow or red potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1/2 inch cubes yields about 1 1/4 cups once cut
1 cup chopped butternut squash or pumpkin
1 bay leaf
1 cup heavy cream or coconut cream
1 tbsp minced parsley
1 tsp table salt, plus more according to taste
fresh cracked pepper
OPTIONAL: 1-2 pounds of fresh clams, cleaned See blog post

Instructions

Open the canned clams and drain and reserve their liquid in a separate container.
Heat a large dutch oven or stock pot over medium-high heat. Add the bacon strips and cook until crispy on both sides, about 5 minutes. Remove bacon from pot and set aside.
Toss in the chopped onion and celery. Cook until the onion is translucent, around 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Toss in the garlic, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon and ginger. Stir well and cook for 30 seconds before adding the four and cooking an additional 30 seconds, stirring the entire time.
Pour in the clam juice (the reserved canned juice and the bottles of juice should be between 4-5 cups), and mix in the pumpkin puree. Bring the mixture to a light boil before adding the chopped potatoes and squash to the pot, along with the bay leaf. Cook for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes and squash are just about fork tender.
IF USING FRESH CLAMS: Add the fresh clams to the pot, stir well and place the lid on. Allow to cook for 5-10 minutes, until all of the clams have fully opened. If not using fresh clams, skip this step.
Toss in the reserved chopped canned clams, cream, and parsley. Add your pepper and salt (don't skip this step, salt is very important in this recipe. Start with 1 tsp, and add more to your liking).
Chop up the reserved bacon and sprinkle it over the top of each bowl. I recommend serving with a side of bread. Enjoy!

Notes

To Store It:

You can store this homemade clam chowder recipe in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. If using fresh clams, I would use leftovers within 24 hours. I don’t recommend freezing it, as ingredients like the cream and clams don’t tend to freeze well.

Keyword creamy clam chowder recipe, Fall soup recipe, pumpkin clam chowder