If you're looking for a quick dinner recipe, this healthy salmon chowder recipe is for you. It's quick and easy to prepare, taking less than 30 minutes.
For those who have never tried chowder, here are some interesting facts about the dish.
What Is Chowder?
Chowder is a hearty, creamy soup frequently made with clams and potatoes.
Seafood chowders are popular in the Northeast, with the most famous being New England clam chowder. Other seafood chowders substitute scallops, shrimp, lobster, crab, or even fish such as cod or smoked salmon for the clams.
Southwestern chowders, on the other hand, are typically spiced with Mexican ingredients and contain corn.
Due to the scarcity of seafood in this part of the country, these chowders frequently incorporate meats such as bacon, ham, chorizo, or chicken.
Naturally, meat and seafood are not necessary when making chowder. Combine hearty vegetables such as potatoes or sweet potatoes, carrots, parsnips, winter squash, or mushrooms to create a robust vegetarian chowder.
Is Our Recipe Healthy?
Yes, our salmon chowder recipe is healthy. Here is why:
Salmon is a high-protein food. The protein content of a 100-gram serving of raw salmon is 22.2 grams.
This protein content is comparable to a boneless skinless chicken breast (22.5g). As a result, salmon is an excellent choice for anyone looking to boost their protein intake and muscle development.
Main Ingredients
Here’s what we used for our crispy skin salmon recipe:
- Salmon: We used skin-on salmon filets. We removed the scales, cleaned, and patted the salmon dry with paper towels before cooking.
- Herbs and spices: The only seasonings we used for the salmon were salt and black pepper. To make the salmon chowder more aromatic, we added garlic and jalapeño peppers.
- Vegetables: We added potatoes and celery to the chowder. These vegetables will increase the volume of the chowder keeping you fuller for longer.
- Broth: We used unsalted chicken broth, but you can use water instead.
- Thickener: All-purpose flour is the main thickening agent in this recipe.
- Dairy: Heavy cream, unsalted butter, and whole milk will give the chowder a rich taste and thicker viscosity once simmered and reduced.
- French baguette: We cut the bread into thin slices and toasted them until slightly golden brown and crispy to serve with the chowder.
Tips for Cooking
Although this salmon chowder recipe is simple, there is one important thing to keep in mind: the size and shape of each ingredient.
Take a look at the ingredient picture. You can see that we cubed the potatoes, celery, and salmon — all to the same size.
It’s important to keep your ingredients uniform so they will cook evenly.
How Do You Thicken?
As mentioned, the main thickening agent for today’s salmon chowder recipe is all-purpose flour.
Can You Substitute Milk in This Chowder?
Yes, you can.
If you’re lactose intolerant, you can leave out all the dairy products in this recipe and replace them with the following ingredients:
- Nut milk, coconut milk, or simply water instead of milk.
- Coconut cream instead of heavy cream.
- Olive oil or other neutral, plant-based oil instead of butter.
If you’re using coconut products, of course, your chowder will have a rich, coconut-y flavor and aroma. Give it a try and tell us if you’re a fan of it in the comments below.
How to Store and Reheat the Leftover
Leftover chowder should be stored in an airtight container and placed in the fridge. Doing so should extend the shelf life for about 5 days.
To reheat the salmon, simply microwave it for about 2 minutes.
What to Serve with
Usually, salmon chowder does not come with a side dish. This can make it a little harder for home cooks to know what to serve with it. We have a few suggestions:
Falafel
These herbaceous, deep-fried chickpea balls make a great appetizer as you can serve them before any type of main course. What’s even better is that you can make them ahead of time, keep them in the fridge, and fry them just before serving for optimum quality.
Similar Salmon Ideas
If you love salmon chowder, this salmon soup of ours features very similar things: tender salmon chunks, tender vegetables, and creamy, savory broth. It’s got a shorter ingredients list as well, and yes, you can totally use canned, precooked, or frozen salmon for it.
It’s not a soup, but we guess you like gentle textures so here’s our poached salmon. Each filet has been cooked in plenty of aromas before simmered in that savory, rich sauce.
Salmon Chowder Recipe
This salmon chowder recipe will show you how to make this delicious and comforting seafood dish at home. Here is what you'll need.
- cook TIME 30 mins
- prep TIME 10 mins
- total TIME 40 mins
- COURSE Main Course
- CUISINE American
- SERVINGS servings
- CALORIES 489 kcal
INGREDIENTS
- 14 oz skinless boneless salmon (cubed)
- 10 oz potatoes (cubed)
- 4 oz baguette bread (sliced diagonally)
- 3 oz raw cured bacon (chopped)
- 4 oz celery (cubed)
- 4 oz white onions (diced)
- 2 oz canned sweet corn (drained and rinsed)
- 2 oz jalapeño pepper (deseeded, cubed)
- 1 cup whole milk
- 4 tbsp heavy cream
- 1 1/2 cup unsalted chicken broth
- 1 tbsp garlic (minced)
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp scallions (finely chopped)
INSTRUCTIONS
Cook the bacon: In a medium pot over medium heat, add 3 oz chopped bacon and cook for 2 minutes to lightly crispen the bacon and render the fat.
Sauté the spices and vegetables: Add 2 oz jalapeño pepper and 1 tbsp minced garlic to the bacon; stir a couple of times. Continue to add 4 oz diced white onions, 4 oz cubed celery, and 1 tbsp unsalted butter. Stir and sauté for 2 more minutes.
Add potatoes and sweet corn: To the pot, add 10 oz cubed potatoes and 2 oz sweet corn. Stir to combine everything.
Add seasoning and thickener: Add 1/2 tsp black pepper, 1 tbsp all-purpose flour, and 1/4 tsp salt to the pot. Stir to coat the flour evenly.
Add salmon and dairy: Add 14 oz boneless skinless salmon to the pot and stir around. Continue to add 1 1/2 cup unsalted chicken broth, 1 cup whole milk, and 4 tbsp heavy cream. Give everything a stir. Bring the pot to a boil. Once it starts boiling, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 25 minutes.
Toast the bread: While you wait for the chowder to cook, preheat the air fryer to 350°F for 5 minutes. Then add 4 oz sliced baguette to the basket of the air fryer and toast for 3 minutes. Remove from the air fryer and set aside. (If you don’t have an air fryer, you can alternatively use a toaster or oven.)
Garnish and serve: Transfer the chowder into 4 serving bowls. Sprinkle with chopped scallions and serve immediately with the toasted bread.
NUTRITION
Tuyet Pham
Head Chef, Culinary ConsultantLuna Regina
Writer, AuthorEmily Rogers, MPH, RDN
Nutrition Reviewer- PatriciaThis is a delicious and healthy option for a comforting meal.