The flavor of this salmon chowder recipe is greatly enhanced by adding either fresh dill or dried tarragon: each herb lends its own distinctive flavor to the soup. To give this soup a thick, chowder texture, we use instant mashed potatoes, which eliminates the need for heavy cream or butter. Leftover mashed potatoes work too, but give a slightly less-velvety texture.
Salmon Chowder
The flavor of this salmon chowder recipe is greatly enhanced by adding either fresh dill or dried tarragon: each herb lends its own distinctive flavor to the soup. To give this soup a thick, chowder texture, we use instant mashed potatoes, which eliminates the need for heavy cream or butter. Leftover mashed potatoes work too, but give a slightly less-velvety texture.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- ⅓ cup chopped carrot
- ⅓ cup chopped celery
- 4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 1 ½ cups water
- 1 12- ounce skinned salmon fillet preferably wild-caught
- 2 1/2 cups frozen cauliflower florets thawed and coarsely chopped
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives or scallions or 1 1/2 tablespoons dried chives
- 1 1/3 cups instant mashed potato flakes or 2 cups leftover mashed potatoes
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill or 2 teaspoons dried tarragon
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add carrot and celery and cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables just begin to brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add broth, water, salmon, cauliflower and chives (or scallions) and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook, maintaining a gentle simmer, until the salmon is just cooked through, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove the salmon to a clean cutting board. Flake into bite-size pieces with a fork.
- Stir potato flakes (or leftover mashed potatoes), dill (or tarragon) and mustard into the soup until well blended. Return to a simmer. Add the salmon and reheat. Season with salt and pepper.
Notes
To skin a salmon fillet, place on a clean cutting board, skin side down. Starting at the tail end, slip the blade of a long, sharp knife between the fish flesh and the skin, holding the skin down firmly with your other hand. Gently push the blade along at a 30° angle, separating the fillet from the skin without cutting through either.
Instant mashed potato flakes is not a product that we typically use in our recipes, but we love how it gives creamy texture to soup without adding extra fat. Look for a brand that has the fewest ingredients possible (and therefore little to no artificial additives or flavoring). At our local market, the store brand was the best choice.
