National Homemade Soup day featuring quick & easy Manhanttan Clam Chowder

Thanks to @Foodimentary for tweeting me that today is NATIONAL HOMEMADE SOUP DAY!

Yippieeeee we love soup and this is just the right time of the year to have a huge tasty pot of something simmering on the stove for several hours!  I love the smell of soup cooking!  Best is when friends and family stop in and say wow something smells great!

We lived in Upstate New York for one year.  That is when I learned that there were two types of Clam Chowder.  There is New England (white) creamy chowder and then Manhattan (red) all chunky and brothy (I think I made up that word) chowder. We like both Chowders.   Here is my recipe for Manhattan Chowder.  Prep time 15 minutes and cook time 30 min.  You can easily make this is one hour!

Manhattan Clam Chowder

2 cans minced clams

8 slices bacon, cooked & crumbled
*1 chicken breast, cooked and shredded

2 c.chopped celery

2 c. chopped onions

36 oz of diced tomatoes

3 c. coarsely chopped potatoes, peeled

1 tsp. dried basil or marjoram, crushed 

1/2 tsp. fresh ground pepper

1 tsp. seasoning salt

*cooked shell noodles (optional)

*chunky bread

*oyster crackers

Strain cans of clam and reserve juice.  If necessary add water to equal 2 cups of liquid to the juice.  Set aside.  In large saucepan, cook bacon until crisp.  Remove bacon, reserve drippings.  Crumble bacon and set aside.  Cook celery and onion in bacon drippings over med. heat for 5 min.  Drain fat.  Stir in clam juice, tomatoes, potatoes and seasonings.  Bring to boil; reduce heat.  Cover and simmer for 20-25 min. or until veggies are tender.  Stir in clams (do this at the end of cooking time if not they will be extra chewy) and return to a boil.  Cook for 3-5 min.

* I don't always add chicken to this recipe.  I usually only add it if I have leftovers from the night before meal.

* I usually triple this batch when I make it.  We easily have some left overs for the next day!

*We use shell noodles to add individually to the soup bowls.  You can serve with oyster crackers or crusty bread!

Do you have a "go to" quick and easy soup that is homemade?  If so and you have blogged it please share your link!  If not share in comments!

Here are a few soups I have on my blog right now

*Quick and Easy Potato Broccoli Cheese Soup  

*Mexican and Tortilla Soups (meat and vegetarian)  

*Squash and Spinach Soup by Ciao Italia

*Pizza Soup

Yummy Cookbooks with Soup recipes I've tried recently.

Do you have a cookbook that you go to? Let me know what it is so I can check it out, too!