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I made it last week and it was so good that I prepped it again today for dinner this week š
Syrine
You guys.
Smoked salmon chowder. With smoked salmon, like the fish. The pink one. But it’s smoky and rustic and making me feel all moutainy and wild.
WHO AM I RIGHT NOW.
Mmk well, for starters, I am right here and now a vacationer in Seattle after 15-something hours driving up the coast in a cute little Prius, and I am love-love-loving it. We just arrived tonight and we, uh, haven’t been anywhere besides the hotel, but I can just sense that I love everything already – is that allowed? Also, we have breakfast reservations all set to go for bright and early tomorrow morning because I can’t not think about these things, you guys. I am currently staring down a box of Portland’s finest Voodoo Doughnuts on my little hotel desk here that I’m sure would make a fine Oreo-and-peanut-butter-encrusted leftovers breakfast, but it somehow feels like a waste not to eat out as much as possible in this food paradise of a city.
Which reminds me, thank you x100 for your restaurant recs on Facebook. I am studying them like some sort of foodie travel manual and they are what led me to tomorrow morning’s breakfast which I’m already drooling over. Going to bed excitedly thinking about when I get to wake up and eat breakfast is the number one clichĆ© of my life right now.
Secondly (we were answering the question WHO AM I RIGHT NOW in reference to Smoked Salmon Chowder, in case you lost track back there in all the wordssss), I am a devoted customer to a sweet little restaurant called Cafe Latte in Saint Paul. Can I get a shout out from anyone who shares my adoration on this one? The turtle cake? The chicken chili? Most recently I am an eater of Cafe Latte’s smoked salmon stew-like-chowdery-delicious-creamy-soup-in-a-bowl. Wow, friends. Run yourself over there right now if you live in the Twin Cities. This stuff is heaven-sent.
The thing you should know is that I am not the sort of person who would just up and choose a creamy smoked salmon soup over chili or even a white bean and kale Tuscan-y type thing. No. That’s just not my life. How-ev-er, the guy serving me my food from behind the counter on the salmon soup day described it to me as something you’d eat just before curling up with a blanket and taking a nap. <— read that again. The man knew my food love language and he gave it to me straight on.
For this recipe, I got my smoked salmon from my neighbor who works part of the year in Alaska and gets lots of fresh seafood when he comes. *best kind of neighbor ever* And the funny thing is that even though I don’t usually have smoked salmon in MN other than the times when my neighbors are extra awesome, now here I am sharing this little post with you while I am in Seattle, the place of smoked-salmon-chowdery deliciousness. Coincidence? Or food fate?
Ultimately the guy behind the counter was totally right. This is the kind of comfort food that says Snuggley Naptime.
These big bowls of comforting chowder start with butter, carrots, onions, and celery. Breathe in the smells, feel their warming and therapeutic powers, and transport to a happy place. Then: a splash of white wine. Stock and potatoes. Thyme and cream and milk. Then flaky, smoky salmon that will make the whole thing altogether sing with both subtlety and richness.
Please locate a slice of crusty white bread for yourself right at this very moment. You will need it. Go Go Go.
Smoked Salmon Chowder
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
Description
This Smoked Salmon Chowder is like a hug in a bowl. So cozy and comforting with butter, onions, carrots, thyme, white wine, potatoes, and smoked salmon.
Ingredients
- 3–4 tablespoons butter
- 1 onion, chopped (about 2 cups)
- 5 carrots, peeled and diced (about 2 cups)
- 3 celery stalks, sliced into small pieces (about 2 cups)
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 6–7 new potatoes, washed and diced
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 4 cups broth (I used chicken broth but veg would work)
- 2 cups milk
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1 cup cream
- 12–16 ounces smoked salmon (mine was hot smoked salmon which has a jerky-like texture and is already fully cooked)
Instructions
- Heat the butter in a large pan over medium high heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery. Saute until fragrant and soft. Add the white wine to deglaze the pan and get all those yummy browned bits up in the mix.
- Add the potatoes, thyme, and 2 cups of the broth. Simmer until the potatoes are fork tender. Whisk the flour into the milk and add to the pan (this helps it thicken up a little bit – more flour = more thickening). Add 1 cup of broth and simmer for 5-10 minutes or until the soup starts thickening just slightly.
- Add the cream and smoked salmon just before serving. If you let the salmon simmer with the soup for too long, it will get mushy. Taste, adjust, and add the last cup of broth to thin out the consistency of the soup as desired. Season with salt and pepper.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Category: Dinner
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: smoked salmon chowder, salmon chowder
I’ve been making this for 10 years and it is BY FAR one of the best recipes I have in my arsenal. It’s my go-to for Christmas Eve dinner or entertaining, or just a regular Sunday. I use oven-roasted salmon with a splash of liquid smoke – not pre-smoked salmon. 10/10
Made the Smoked Salmon Chowder as per recipe except I used the cold smoked salmon which I had on hand. This could not be made any better and it is on my lunch menu for today. Great recipe to use for clam chowder and I am going to switch from mine, but use clam juice instead of chicken broth. Definately deserves 5 * rating!
This has become my staple chowder recipe! I live in Alaska and enjoy harvesting and smoking my own salmon each year. In the heart of winter this recipe nourishes many souls! I follow the recipe closely, but if I use all 4 cups of chicken broth I put an added teaspoon of flour into the broth.
This is the best ever! Made it four times doing it again Tuesday! Everyone loved it!!
And Iām from Washington state across the pond from Seattle this is the best recipe, If I donāt have small shrimp I cut up a couple of prawns raw,it works always yummy!! Thanks so much for this
I made it last week and it was so good that I prepped it again today for dinner this week š
We love hearing that, Syrine!
OH YEAH! I made this and LOVED IT! I wanted to make a clam chowder but couldn’t get enough clams, so I tried this smoked salmon chowder recipe and OH MY GOD it was soooo good and everybody was happy.
I enjoyed making this recipe! Soups anytime of year are so comforting! But especially in the winter months! I added 1/2 tsp less thyme and a couple shakes of dill and lemon pepper. Also blended a portion to add the creaminess instead of flour. Thank you for sharing this recipe. My family thought it was over the top!
Looks Yummy- I can’t wait to try the soup.
I made your Salmon chowder last night. I made some successful substitutions such as almond milk for milk, frozen stew veggies and coconut canned milk for cream. I also added extra flour to thicken. Great COVID victuals, thx. ( guiltily we also crumbled in cheddar bay biscuitsš)!
Sounds delicious with those biscuits! š
I LOVE this recipe and have used it just the way it says. Perfect every time. But for the love of god, who can chop an onion, peel and chop 5 carrots, 3 celery stalks, 1 onion and 6-7 new potatoes in 10 minutes? Not me, my friend. Great recipe though!
So glad you’ve been enjoying the chowder!
What kind of white wine would you recommend using for this recipe?
Pretty much any white wine will work here, but we think Pinot Grigio would be good!
We’ve made this a few times. It is great. Personally, I think russets make for a more rustic feel and that is also helped by hot smoked salmon (we smoke our own). Overall, a fabulous recipe!
Would not make this again. Very little flavor.
Hi Lindsay. We are a smoked salmon company from Canterbury, New Zealand! Would you mind if we included this recipe on our website? We will credit it to you obviously. Look forward to hearing from you.
Made this chowder last night and it was amazing. The only change I made was swapping out the carrots for leeks. I used thin sliced, fresh smoked salmon and it was perfect. Not a thick chowder but I prefer it that way!
Off on our first fall (sorta, almost) camping trip this weekend to a whopping 7200 feet in elevation. Thinking this chowder has hot dinner by the campfire with a fat slice of sourdough bread to dunk written all over it. Thanks for the inspiration!
Ah! That sounds amazing! š
I missed where the 4th cup of broth goes- or is it just 3?
Hi Steve! The 4th cup is in the last step – you can used it to thin out the chowder as needed.
I made this recipe with the following adjustments:
I skipped the wine. Used half and half instead of the milk, and omitted the cream (didn’t have milk or cream).
Used smoked salmon lox – turned out great!
Used fresh dill instead of thyme. (about 2-3 T)
The recipe turned out great – tastes just like Cafe Latte’s current Smoked Salmon Stew… Yum! Thanks for sharing this!
Just saw this – LOVE Cafe Latte’s different soups.. Just a note: Their current smoked salmon stew has dill in it – delicious! Thanks for this recipe!
Is there a way to modify without milk and cream?
Hi, Lacy! Are you hoping to make the recipe dairy-free? We have never used anything else for a liquid base, but you could certainly try a non-dairy milk like plain almond milk. Without the cream, you’ll likely have a little runnier soup but I think it would still taste good!
This an amazing recipe and definitely company worthy. It seems that Seattle inspired this recipe and I just so happened to have a nice sized piece of smoked salmon that we brought back from Pike’s Market Place several weeks ago. My husband and I had this for dinner tonight with a crusty French bread and wine: I had a Washington Poet’s Leap Riesling and he a Napa Valley 1994 Cosentino Cab Franc, both excellent with this hardy chowder. I made one small addition…I chopped a green pepper in with the vegetables – saw it in another recipe and thought why not? I’m sharing some with my daughter and there is plenty for another satisfying tasty meal.
I know what you mean about Seattle, I loved the place; if I didn’t already live in an absolutely one-of-a-kind place of Napa Valley and that my daughter and grand-daughters live just a half hour from me… I’d seriously consider moving. Seattle certainly competes with San Francisco and surrounding areas for restaurants. Next time in Seattle, may I recommend Lola’s for breakfast – a bit pricey, but worth it every penny.
Thanks for this keeper recipe.
That’s awesome! I’m so happy to hear that. Thanks so much Rita!
Hi Lindsey: I made this recipe last week and it got two thumbs up from everyone! Good show! However, as a suggestion, for this and all your recipes, it is most helpful to your readers if you can quantify the amounts in standard measures (cups, tablespoons, etc). You did that really well on this recipe except for the potatoes. As you know, new potatoes vary quite a bit in size, so your directions for “6-7 new potatoes” would be much clearer if you also put “about 2 cups” in parentheses as you did with other ingredients. That would ensure that your many followers would know exactly what you intended. Thanks!
Thanks for the feedback Tim!
Just made this for my housemates and loved it! Great recipe x
That’s so awesome! I’m so happy to hear that. Thanks so much Georgia!
Now I know what we’re having for lunch today! I just happen to have some smoked salmon in the fridge. Thanks for the great idea Lindsey! Pinned!
Hope you like it Kristi!
We made this Lindsay and it was absolutely fabulous! We were both moaning with every single delightful bite! We give it a 5 out of 5 stars for fabulous!
Thank you so much! I really appreciate that Kristi!
Yup. I made this tonight – – – a-MA-zing! I picked up smoked salmon at Trader Joe’s, added some roasted garlic and bellas, and used a tablespoon of fresh thyme instead of the dried. To make it gluten-free, I mixed a couple tablespoons of corn starch with the milk. Oh my!
The chowder even received rave reviews from all 3 men eating at our house tonight!
Thanks for a great recipe, and gorgeous photos as inspiration!
That’s so awesome! I’m so happy to hear that. Thanks so much Carlotta! Hope you’re doing well! š