Savory Potato
Clam Soup
A comforting, easy-to-make soup featuring tender potato strips and fresh clams. The natural starch from the potatoes creates a silky, flavorful broth.
This homestyle potato and clam soup relies on a clever technique of stir-frying the potatoes with aromatics before adding water. By retaining the potato starch, you achieve a naturally thick and velvety soup base without needing heavy creams or thickeners. The clams are added shell-on, allowing their natural ocean-brine juices to infuse the broth for a deeply savory finish.
Ingredients
- 2 potatoes
- 200 g fresh clams
- 1 small bunch Chinese chives
- 1 tbsp cooking oil
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp oyster sauce
- to taste salt
Instructions
- 1Prepare the potatoes
Cut the peeled potato into thin strips. Do not wash the potato strips for potato soup, as keeping the starch allows the soup to be thicker.
Tip: Keep the starch on the potatoes to help thicken the final soup broth. - 2Slice the potatoes
Take the peeled potatoes and slice them into thin strips using a sharp cleaver. Do not wash the strips after cutting, as retaining the starch is essential to ensure the soup has the desired thickness.
Tip: Keep the potato strips uniform in size to ensure they cook evenly. - 3Prepare the Chinese chives
Carefully chop the fresh Chinese chives into small, bite-sized pieces on your cutting board. Set these aside to be added at the very end of the cooking process to maintain their vibrant color and texture.
Tip: Add the chives only once the soup is fully cooked to prevent them from becoming mushy and overcooked. - 4Stir-fry the potato strips
Heat oil in a wok and add the raw potato strips. Stir-fry them over medium heat until they begin to soften and take on a light color.
Tip: Ensure the wok is well-oiled to prevent the potato starch from sticking to the surface. - 5Season the potatoes
To the stir-frying potato strips, add soy sauce, a small amount of oyster sauce, and a pinch of salt. Mix well to ensure the flavors are evenly distributed across the potato strips.
Tip: Adjust the amount of salt and sauces to your personal taste preference. - 6Add the clams and broth
Add the fresh clams in their shells to the wok with the potatoes. Pour in enough water to cover the potatoes, allowing the natural clam juices to blend into the broth as they cook. You may add extra water and seasonings if you prefer a larger portion of soup.
Tip: Keep the clams in their shells to capture the best flavor for the soup broth. - 7Cook the potato and clam soup
Stir-fry the potato strips in an oiled pan with soy sauce, a little oyster sauce, and salt. Add the clams with shells on so the broth from the clams can blend into the soup. Pour water until it covers the potatoes. Add more water and seasonings to taste if a thinner soup is desired.
Tip: Adding the clams with shells on ensures the natural juices infuse the broth with deep flavor. - 8Final garnish
Once the soup is cooked, add the Chinese chives and serve immediately. Adding the chives at the very end prevents them from becoming overcooked.
Tip: Chinese chives cook very quickly, so add them right before serving to maintain their color and texture.
