Rhode Island Clam Chowder

Along with my mozzarella avocado tomato sandwich from Hale and Hearty today, I also tried a new soup (new to me, anyway) - Rhode Island "clear" clam chowder. Back in undergrad, I had known this clear variation as "Boston" clam chowder from our dining hall labels instead of "Rhode Island" but wikipedia tells me it is commonly known as Rhode Island clam chowder. I love all the types of clam chowder that I've had - New England, Manhattan, and Rhode Island/Boston - so I opted for this instead of the Italian wedding soup I originally went to get.


Hale and Hearty's Rhode Island clam chowder consists of clear broth, minced clams, hearty vegetables, fresh herbs and bacon. (The Boston clam chowder I had in college did not have bacon, if I remember correctly.) The clams were a little chewy but not too bad. Some of the pieces like the one near the top of this cup looked like shrimp at first. The vegetables consisted of carrots, celery, onions and something crunchy which I thought was water chestnuts (but don't have an ingredient list to confirm). I liked the crunch and also how packed the soup was with vegetables. Healthy to counter the bacon! As for the bacon, it was relatively light and didn't overwhelm the flavor of the chowder which was nice. I would get this again.