Creamy chowder recipe with bay scallops, bacon, and corn. Make this scallop chowder when you need something comforting, yet light, and quick!
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.You know what a drab February needs? This lightened-up scallop chowder with bacon, corn (optional – but so recommended), and delicious tender sweet bay scallops. It’s an easy one-pot meal that can be prepared any day of the week. It has delicious yummy veggies, silky creamy broth, and tender scallops.
What is Chowder?
Chowder is a type of chunky thick soup usually made with a white sauce base of either milk or cream. In fact, there are many variations of chowders these days, such as corn, vegetable, chicken, seafood, clam, and so on.
I highly recommend this fresh corn chowder. It’s a readers’ favorite around here.
What Are Scallops?
In the simplest terms, scallops are a type of shellfish. The muscular tissue inside the scallop is the actual meat that we eat.
There are sea scallops and bay scallops. For example, sea scallops are large in size and have a chewier texture. Whereas bay scallops are much smaller in size, about half-inch wide, and sweeter tasting.
For this chowder recipe, you want to use bay scallops.
Ingredients for Chowder Recipe
- Olive oil
- Bacon
- Mirepoix – onions, celery, carrots
- Garlic
- Flour – all purpose
- Clam juice
- Half & half
- Chicken stock
- Potatoes – russet
- Bay scallops
- Thyme – dried or fresh
- Fresh parsley
- Optional: sweet corn
How To Make Chowder Recipe with Scallops
- In a large dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add bacon and cook until crispy, about 5 minutes. Do not pour off any of the fat.
- Next, add onions, celery, carrots, garlic, thyme, and few pinches of salt. Cook until soft, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in flour and cook for about 1 minute, stirring frequently. Add stock and bring to a quick simmer. The mixture will also slightly thicken.
- Add potatoes, clam juice, and half and half. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bring the mixture to a simmer, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook, partially covered, for 15-20 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.
- Lastly, stir in scallops and corn (optional). Cook until the scallops are tender, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in parsley before serving.
How Do You Tell If Scallops Are Done?
There are two easy ways to tell if the scallops are cooked through. First, the scallops should look opaque all the way through and second they should break easily with a fork. Overcooked scallops will be tough and chewy.
What to Serve with Scallop Chowder?
- Freshly baked rolls (love these whole wheat ones!)
- Kale Caesar Salad
- All Veggie Sandwich
If you try this scallop chowder recipe, let me know in the comments below. I would love your feedback, along with a rating.
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Scallop Chowder
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 40
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: Simmer
- Cuisine: American
Description
Creamy veggie chowder with scallops, bacon, and corn. Make this scallop chowder when you need something comforting, yet light, and quick!
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 2 slices bacon, chopped
- 1 cup each – onions, celery, carrots
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 tsp. dried thyme (or 2 tsp. fresh thyme)
- 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
- 1 cup chicken stock or seafood stock
- 1 lb. russet potatoes, peeled and diced
- 2 (8 oz.) bottles clam juice
- 1 cup half and half
- 1 lb. bay scallops
- Fresh parsley, chopped
- Kosher salt and fresh black pepper
- Optional: 1/2 cup frozen sweet corn
Instructions
- In a large dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add bacon and cook until crispy, about 5 minutes. Do not pour off any of the fat.
- Add onions, celery, carrots, garlic, thyme, and few pinches of salt. Cook the veggies until soft, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in flour and cook for about 1 minute, stirring frequently. Add stock and bring to a quick simmer. The mixture will also slightly thicken.
- Add potatoes, clam juice, and half and half. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bring the mixture to a simmer, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook, partially covered, for 15-20 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.
- Stir in scallops and corn (optional). Cook until the scallops are tender, about 3-4 minutes. Taste the chowder for salt before adding the scallops.
- Stir in parsley before serving. Serve with a sprinkle of red pepper flakes = delicious!
Notes
- You can substitute equal parts of chicken or seafood stock for clam juice.
- I found bay scallops in the frozen seafood section of my grocery store. You can use frozen or thawed out/fresh scallops. The cooking time is around the same.
- Corn adds slight sweetness to the chowder. I highly recommend it!
Keywords: seafood chowder, scallop chowder
Grandi says
Absolutely delicious!
I added some swordfish and used jumbo sea scallops ( I’m on Cape Cod!).
Louise Virr says
Fabulous recipe. I made 3 tiny additions and that was to include a pinch of saffron, 2 bay leaves and instead of onion I used half shallot, half leek. Couldn’t love it more! Thank you 🙏
★★★★★
Maureen says
This was a good recipe, thank you. My family enjoyed it. I made a few changes: I used a packet of frozen riced cauliflower for thickening instead of flour and blended up half of the veggies in my Vitamix making a nice thick stew. I only used a couple of potatoes. I also omitted the bacon. MY husband, who is not a fan of stews, loved it! I will share the recipe with my daughter. Thanks again for such a delicious recipe.
★★★★
Katya says
Thank you Maureen! I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed it.
Dana says
Could I make this recipe using vegetable stock and almond milk (or some other kind of non-dairy milk alternative) instead of chicken stock and dairy milk/cream?
Katya says
I can’t answer with certainty as I’ve never tried making it dairy free
Fabrice says
Yes you can. I frequently use oat milk instead of dairy
Lily says
Thank you for the great recipe! Super easy and delicious!
★★★★★
Diana says
I made a version without half and half or potatoes and only half the fat left by the bacon. I used turnips, rutabagas and parsnip, and almond “milk” instead. I did not use wheat flour, but arrowroot flour. I had to accommodate my diabetic hubby. It was delicious, but next time I would live the turnip out.
Hillary says
I found a bag of bay scallops in the freezer and wanted a new recipe to try with them. I used this recipe in the instant pot – sauted veggies, added herbs, then chicken stock, clam juice and potatoes, closed the lid and pressure cooked for three minutes. Quick release then added scallops to hot liquid. Once cooked, added half and half. It was DELICIOUS. Thank you!
Katya says
That’s so great! Thank you Hillary.
Mary Beth Einerson says
I keep scallops from Aldi in freezer for quick meals and this recipe was a mid-winter delight. I upped the amount of onion and corn and used whole milk instead of 1/2 & 1/2. The red pepper flakes (Aleppo for me) were a great touch.
★★★★★
Katya says
Thank you for your review Mary! So glad you enjoyed the chowder.
Jiki Dean-Adedeji says
I really loved this chowder. I didn’t have any bay scallops on hand so I used these huge U-10 scallops and cut them into quarters. I also used whole milk and added red pepper flakes to the broth while cooking. Delicious. Thanks.
Katya says
Thank you!
Lindsay says
I picked up some frozen bay scallops at the grocery store on sale and was looking for recipes for them. My husband is not a big seafood guy, but he DEVOURED this! This is going to be a winter staple in our house – I love how easy it was to throw together, I love the way the half and half made it not so heavy, and you’re right — the red pepper flakes added something extra.
★★★★★
Katya says
Thank you Lindsay! So happy to hear you enjoyed the chowder. I appreciate your review.
steve says
Great recipe. But added 4 bacon!
★★★★★
Katya says
Bacon sounds like a delicious addition. Thank you!
hunders says
Made this without the bacon and used shrimps and fish as the scallops where way too pricey, the resulting chaudrée was absolutely gorgeous, thank you so much for the recipe.
★★★★★
Katya says
That sounds fabulous! Thank you for feedback.