Description

This Salmon Chowder is a creamy, comforting soup made with tender salmon, potatoes, aromatic vegetables, and herbs. It delivers rich flavor with a smooth texture while staying balanced and light. Perfect for an everyday meal, this chowder highlights fresh ingredients and gentle cooking to keep the salmon moist and delicate.

Ingredients

Olive oil or unsalted butter for cooking

Yellow onion finely diced or leeks or shallots

Fresh fennel bulb diced with fronds reserved

Celery thinly sliced

Garlic cloves roughly chopped

Fennel seeds optional

Dried thyme or fresh thyme leaves

Smoked paprika

Martinelli’s Gold Medal Apple Cider or Welch’s White Grape Juice

Fish stock or quality chicken stock

Baby potatoes thinly sliced

Fine sea salt

Bay leaf

Fresh salmon fillet skin removed and cut into chunks

Whole milk or a mix of milk and half and half

Heavy whipping cream optional

Fresh dill lemon wedges fennel fronds or tarragon for garnish

Instructions

Heat olive oil or butter in a large pot over medium heat and add onion fennel and celery cooking until softened and fragrant

Stir in garlic fennel seeds thyme and smoked paprika allowing the spices to bloom gently

Pour in apple cider or white grape juice and simmer briefly to develop flavor

Add stock salt and bay leaf then bring to a gentle simmer

Add sliced potatoes cover and cook until just fork tender

Lower the heat and stir in milk and optional cream without boiling

Add salmon pieces and let them gently poach in the hot liquid

Turn off heat and allow residual warmth to finish cooking the salmon

Flake the salmon into bite sized pieces and stir gently

Taste adjust seasoning and remove bay leaf

Serve hot with fresh herbs and lemon wedges

Notes

Keep the heat low once dairy is added to avoid curdling

Uniformly cut potatoes ensure even cooking

Salmon continues to cook after heat is turned off so avoid overcooking

Chicken stock can be enhanced with a small amount of fish based seasoning

For a dairy free version use full fat coconut milk

Potatoes can be replaced with cauliflower for a lighter option

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Category: Soup
Method: Stovetop
Cuisine: American