Zuppa di Clams Bianco celebrates simple, fresh ingredients coming together to create a flavorful and comforting dish. This Italian clam soup is made with a fragrant broth of garlic, olive oil, and white wine. You only need a handful of ingredients, and the whole dish comes together in less than 30 minutes. It's a wonderful way to showcase fresh seafood without overwhelming it with too many flavors, letting the clams take center stage. Serve with crusty bread to soak up all that flavorful broth.
Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.4 tablespoon olive oil
Add the chopped onion and saute for 8 minutes until softened but not colored.1 onion
Add the sliced garlic to the pan and cook over low heat for a minute.8 cloves garlic
Add the clam juice/broth and white wine to a simmer. Cook for 5 minutes.2 cups clam juice or broth/stock1 cup dry white wine
Add the clams, black pepper, oregano, and ground fennel. Cover and simmer gently for 6-8 minutes until the clams have opened. If your clams are exceptionally fresh, they may take longer to open, so cook them longer if needed.3 lb small clams1 teaspoon black pepper½ teaspoon dried oregano½ teaspoon ground fennel
Taste your soup and add salt to your preference (it may not need any).salt
Discard any clams that haven't opened.
Serve immediately, sprinkled with the chopped parsley.2 tablespoon fresh parsley
Notes
You can buy bottles of clam juice from the tinned fish section at your local grocery store. Opt for a high-quality stock as an alternative if it's unavailable. You can use chicken, vegetable, or fish broth/stock.
Purge your fresh clams ready for the Zuppa di Clams Bianco:
Make sure all the clams are tightly closed. If any are open, give them a gentle tap on the countertop—if they don't close, discard them. Also, discard any that have chipped or broken shells.
Dissolve 1 tablespoon of salt per 2 cups of cold water and let the clams sit in this solution for about 30 minutes. They will expel sand and grit. Repeat the process with fresh salty water if you see a lot of sand at the bottom.
After purging, soak the clams in cold, unsalted water for 10 minutes to remove any excess salt.