Smoked Salmon Chowder
Updated October 24, 2023
Marcus Nilsson for The New York Times; Food Stylist: Suzanne Lenzer. Prop Stylist: Theo Vamvounakis.
- Total Time
- 1 hour 10 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium leek, cleaned, trimmed and thinly sliced
1 medium carrot, peeled and diced
1 rib celery, trimmed and diced
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
1 large, starchy potato, peeled and cut into small cubes
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
¼ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup dry white wine
1 ½ cups chicken stock, either homemade or low-sodium
1 bay leaf
2 cups whole milk
4 ounces smoked salmon, flaked
¾ cup heavy cream
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Fresh chives, minced, for garnish
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 to 6 servings)
22 grams carbs; 53 milligrams cholesterol; 314 calories; 6 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 10 grams saturated fat; 19 grams fat; 2 grams fiber; 275 milligrams sodium; 10 grams protein; 8 grams sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Melt the butter with the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot set over medium heat. Add leek, carrot and celery, and cook until the vegetables have softened, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic, potato and thyme, and cook until the garlic is fragrant, an additional 2 or 3 minutes.
- Step 2
Sprinkle the flour over the vegetable mixture and stir to combine, then cook, stirring often, for approximately 5 minutes, making sure not to scorch the bottom of the pan.
- Step 3
Add the wine, chicken stock and bay leaf, and bring mixture to a simmer. After 10 minutes or so, stir in the milk, and return to a simmer. Cook until the potatoes are tender, approximately 25 minutes. Add the salmon and stir gently, allowing the fish to warm but making sure that the mixture does not boil.
- Step 4
Remove the bay leaf and discard. Add the cream, then stir to combine and heat through. Season to taste with pepper. Garnish with minced chives.
Private Notes
Comments
I served this recipe at a New Years soup party this year. This is a ruthlessly competitive annual event, where a bunch of friends spend all year secretly planning what they'll submit. My soup was "Bagels and Lox," this recipe for salmon chowder served with roasted caper-pumpernickel croutons. Came home with lots of hardware - medals for seafood, chowder, most original, and trophy for #2 best overall soup. Thanks, Sam!
Lacking a few ingredients but inspired by Chopped, I substituted half of a large chopped onion for the leek; a chopped parsnip for the carrot; 2 ribs of celery instead of one; seafood broth instead of chicken; and leftover grilled salmon in lieu of lox. Oh, and leftover mashed potatoes instead of a raw one.I also sprinkled some packaged mashed potato flakes to thicken a bit more. Added more salt and pepper and herbs. Delicious!
This recipe is really delicious. It, and a little salad with a simple vinaigrette with pears and gorgonzola on the side, makes for a perfect meal. And it pairs beautifully with chardonnay. But, and this is a biggie: Old Bay seasoning. It brings everything together really well. Night one: no Old Bay, and it was delicious comfort food. Night two: reheated, added some Old Bay, and it was pretty spectacular.
Made this last night. Homemade salmon stock. Just the backbones, some old bay, and a cup of white wine. Cooked till reduced for 4-5 hours. Strained the broth, then rest of soup per recipe. I did just use a cupish of half and half instead of milk and cream. I finished with a little sherry. Delish!
Excellent. I used chicken bone broth and blended 1/2 cup low fat cottage cheese with the remaining 1/4 cup heavy cream to add some protein. I will say serving size seems off...three of us devoured the whole pot for dinner. I guess we were hungry...
I cooked it with wild Alaskan salmon that we smoked. I had some skin left over from a more formal presentation of the salmon that we'd given, so I threw it in with the bay leaf. It disappeared when cooked. Absolutely amazing!