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Salmon Chowder
JUNE 10, 2024

Made with fresh salmon, salty bacon and hearty

potatoes this creamy and buttery salmon
chowder is the ultimate comfort food.

GLUTEN FREE ONE POT

Jump to Recipe

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So, What Is Chowder?

The question of what exactly defines a
‘chowder’ is such a hot-button issue for
certain people that we’re tempted to plead
the fifth. Although it’s a word that usually
connotes a seafood stew of some sort,
chowder ingredients can vary widely from
region to region—a creamless, tomato-y
cioppino-esque broth in New York, or a
rich, thick, cream-based one in New
England. The word ‘chowder’ itself is likely
a derivative of a French word “chaudiere”,
used by French settlers in the coastal
regions of Canada in reference to a certain
type of large pot used to boil (among other
things) fresh shellfish.

In his famous book, American Cookery,

James Beard asserts that, in part because
of the common inclusion of new world
ingredients like corn and potatoes, “I am
sure that clam chowder as it is known
today did not originate before the
nineteenth century.” With origins as opaque
as a bowl of chowder itself, we’ll just say
that chowder is (usually) a creamy, potato-
y, seafood stew and it’s delicious—on that
point, at least, we can all agree.

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5 Reasons To Love This

Easy Fish Chowder
Recipe
If you’ve got a hang up about making
chowder at home, that’s probably because
you think that seafood chowder is hard to
make. And you’re right! Most classic clam
chowder recipes are, in fact, quite fussy.
You have to steam the clams, and then deal
with all of those shells—so much work for
such tiny mollusks! Salmon chowder, on
the other hand, is just as delectably savory
as clam chowder, and substantially easier
to make. Here are five reasons that this is
the best chowder recipe ever:

1. It’s easy. It just is. No hard-to-find

ingredients, not too much chopping or
other prep—just a simple salmon corn
chowder. We even use frozen corn, which
is cooked as the soup simmers, to make
prep that much faster.
2. It’s a meal all by itself. Sure, you can
serve it with a big green salad, or a fancy
loaf of country bread, but it’s also just as
good on its own.
3. It cooks in just one pot! One pot means
easy clean-up. Easy clean-up means
domestic bliss.
4. It’s ready in just about 30 minutes,
which means this can be a weeknight
chowder recipe. Fall and winter
weeknights—dreary with homework and
early sunsets—are exactly when we need
comforting, steaming hot bowls of
chowder the most!
5. It’s safe for people with shellfish
allergies! If you have to avoid clam
chowder because of a shellfish allergy—as
many people do—but can safely eat fish,
this salmon chowder might be just the
recipe you’re wishing for.

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How To Make Salmon

Chowder:
Let's just cut right to the chase. This
chowder is not 'light' in any way shape or
form. From step one, it's a study in comfort
and decadence:

1. Sauté bacon in butter. Cook til it's

crispy, and then set it aside (leaving the fat
in the pot).
2. Sauté celery, onions, jalapenos,
scallions and garlic in said bacon-and-
butter fat until they're soft.
3. Get simmering! Add your potatoes, salt,
pepper and bacon to the softened spicy
mirepoix. Pour in the broth and bring the
whole glorious mess to a strong simmer.
4. Make a slurry! Whisk cornstarch into
some water to form a slurry. This starchy
paste will help to give your salmon
chowder a nice thickness and heft. Stir the
slurry into the soup and bring the chowder
base (because that's what it is now!) to a
boil.
5. Simmer again! Turn the heat down a bit
and stir in the frozen corn and heavy
cream, then lay the salmon pieces on top
of the simmering chowder. Cover and
simmer until the salmon is cooked.
6. Ta da! You made chowder! Now you get
to eat it!

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Tools You’ll Need:

A cutting board.
A big stock potwith a lid.
A sharp knife.
A good ladle.
A tiny whisk. (handy for making the
cornstarch slurry, but a fork will do in a
pinch.)
A liquid measuring cup.

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6 Hearty Soup Recipes

to Warm You Up This
Season
We make a lot of soup. Like, A LOT. Here
are six easy soup recipes that are on heavy
rotation in our homes at the moment:

Butternut Squash Soup

Lentil Soup with Quinoa and
Mushrooms
Bourride (Fish Stew with Aioli)
Hungarian Mushroom Soup
Garlic Soup
Simple Seafood Bisque

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You’re a Salmon and

Corn Chowder Whiz
Now, Right?
We hope this quick, easy salmon chowder
recipe hit the spot! Snap a photo of your
creamy salmon corn chowder and maybe
even a video of the beautiful people you
serve it to. Tag us on Instagram using
@themodernproper and
#themodernproper so we can toast you
from afar! Happy eating!

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(50)

Salmon Chowder
Updated on June 10, 2024

Serves: 6 Prep Time: 15 min

Cook Time: 45 min Calories: 503

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Ingredients

4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted

butter

8 ounces bacon, cut into ½-inch pieces

1 bunch green onions, white and green

parts, finely chopped

3 celery ribs, minced

1 small yellow onion, minced

1 jalapeño, thinly sliced, plus more for

garnish

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 quart seafood or chicken stock

2 large russet potatoes, peeled and cut

into 1½-inch pieces

1½ teaspoons fine sea salt

½ teaspoon freshly cracked black

pepper, plus more for serving

1 tablespoon cornstarch

2 cups frozen corn

2 cups heavy cream

1½ pounds salmon, preferably wild, skin

discarded and cut into 1½-inch pieces

Learn More

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Method

1. In a large, heavy stockpot, melt the

butter over medium heat. Add the
bacon and cook, stirring often, until the
bacon begins to crisp, about 8 minutes.
Using a slotted spoon, remove the
bacon from the pan and set aside.

2. Reserve ¼ cup green onions. Add

the remaining green onions, the celery,
onion, jalapeño, and garlic and cook
over medium heat, stirring often, until
the onion is softened, about 5 minutes.
Add the stock, potatoes, crisped
bacon, 1 teaspoon of the salt, and the
pepper. Simmer, stirring occasionally,
until the potatoes are tender, about 15
minutes.

3. In a small bowl, whisk together the

cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water to
form a slurry. Stir the slurry into the
broth and bring to a boil over high
heat. Cook until slightly thickened,