Bacon and Clam Chowder

This Bacon and Clam Chowder is such a great soup to make on the weekend. It can serve a dual purpose: as a delicious starter for Sunday night dinner and, because you'll have enough left over, as someone's lunch or late-night dinner later in the week. If you feel really industrious, you can double the recipe and put half in the freezer; it'll come in handy some night a few weeks from now, when you've completely run out of energy. Add some salad and a crusty whole-wheat roll and dinner's ready!
Bacon and Clam Chowder
Ingredients
4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, coarsely chopped
2 large red or yellow bell peppers, coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 ounces Canadian bacon, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
4 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
3 cups chicken broth
12 ounces new potatoes, cut into chunks
1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes, drained
1/2 cup dry white wine (optional)
1 1/2 cups water
12 littleneck clams, well scrubbed
Preparation
Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, bell peppers, and black pepper. Stir well, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 12 to 14 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.
Stir in the Canadian bacon, garlic, and thyme; increase the heat to medium-high, and cook and stir for 5 minutes, or until all the juices have evaporated.
Add the broth and potatoes; cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Stir in the tomatoes and wine (if using), cover, and simmer for 5 minutes more. Remove from the heat.
Bring the water to a boil in a medium skillet over high heat. Add the clams; reduce the heat to medium, cover, and cook, stirring often, for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the clams open.
With tongs, transfer the clams to a bowl, discarding those that haven't opened. Line a fine-mesh strainer with damp paper towels. Pour the clam broth through the strainer into a glass measure, leaving any sand behind. Add the broth to the soup. Reheat if necessary.
Remove the clams from their shells and chop coarsely. Add the clams to the soup; reheat briefly, and serve.
Makes 6 first-course servings.
Per serving: 169 calories, 20g carbohydrates, 14g protein, 5g fat, 25mg cholesterol, 4g dietary fiber, 770mg sodium