Summer Smoked-Salmon Chowder Recipe

Prep Time:

25 mins

Total Time:

45 mins

Servings:

4

If you’re lucky enough to enjoy chowder when sweet corn is in season in the summer, it’s one of the most delicious things you’ll ever taste. Even in the cold winter months when the only corn available is in the freezer aisle, chowder has plenty of other flavorful ingredients to pick up the slack. This chowder in particular is one of our favorites. The rich and creamy one-pot meal comes together in under an hour, making it great for weeknight dinners and lazy lunches alike. What this chowder has that others don’t is hot-smoked salmon, which is smoked at a higher temperature than the ribboned slices of salmon you see piled onto bagels. It provides a unique rich flavor and makes this chowder a delectable take on the classic.

Chowder Basics

You don’t always immediately identify dishes like soup and chowder as one-pot meals, but they are. And we love them all the more for it. Chowder recipes are wide-ranging, from classic corn chowders to clam chowders of both the creamy and tomato-based varieties. There are a few things that make chowder, well, chowder.

Smoked meat: Usually this comes in the form of bacon, but in reality, you can use anything smoky, like pancetta, guanciale, or smoked fish, like in this recipe.
Aromatics: The base of any good soup is mirepoix–a combination of onions, carrots, and celery that’s sautéed until tender. The same goes for this smoked salmon chowder. The vegetables are gently sautéed in a few tablespoons of butter to bring out their natural flavors. You’re not necessarily looking to develop color on the aromatics, rather just to soften them. The onions should be translucent and you should be able to easily mash the celery and carrots. Sometimes garlic is added to this trifecta, so feel free to include a few cloves of minced garlic.
Corn: This recipe calls for two cups of fresh corn kernels–you’ll get this much from about 2 large ears. It’s sweet, juicy flavor is the base for chowder, and that’s why it’s a popular dish to enjoy during the summer. But if the craving strikes even in the dead of winter, you can substitute with frozen corn. It’s packed and preserved when it’s at its peak, so you’ll still get plenty of sweet corn flavor.
Potatoes: The type of potato varies, but potatoes are always added to bulk up chowder. Our recipe uses thinly sliced baby potatoes, but you can swap in russet, Yukon gold, or red spuds.
Cream: Heavy cream is what makes chowder so luscious. You don’t even need a lot to make the soup creamy.
Oyster crackers: Of course, no bowl of chowder would be complete with some oyster crackers crushed over the top. The dry biscuits slowly soak up the flavors of the broth.

What Sets This Chowder Apart

This corn chowder is far more flavorful and unique than your everyday recipe, but we don’t achieve that flavor by using anything fancy. There are three main things that make it special:

Hot smoked salmon: The pre-sliced smoked salmon that you’re used to seeing at the grocery store is referred to as “cold-smoked” because it is smoked below 90-degrees Fahrenheit. It has a much more fresh-fish flavor–that’s why oftentimes it almost feels like raw fish you would enjoy with sushi. Hot-smoked salmon on the other hand is smoked at or above 120-degrees. The resulting fillets are closer to the texture of fully cooked fish. Additionally, their flavor is much smokier. So when looking to substitute bacon in corn chowder, hot-smoked salmon is a great option. We cut it up into bite-size pieces so that you can get a little bit of smokiness in every bite.
Added vegetables: This chowder has all of the usual suspects–aromatics, potatoes, and corn–but it also has a uniquely summery ingredient. Half-moon pieces of zucchini simmer along with all of the other vegetables, adding a mildly sweet bite to the soup.
Just the right amount of cream: Sometimes chowders can be too creamy. But not enough cream, and it’s not really chowder at all. This recipe uses half a cup of heavy cream for four portions, which is the perfect amount to make the broth creamy and smooth without being too heavy. After all, this is still a light summer meal.

Directions

Summer Smoked Salmon Chowder — Credit:
Grant Webster

Cook onion, celery, and carrot:

Melt butter in a pot over medium heat. Add onion, celery, and carrot; season with salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 6 minutes.

Credit:
Grant Webster
Add potatoes and broth:

Add potatoes, broth, and 2 cups water; bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer, partially covered, until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes.

Credit:
Grant Webster
Add corn and zucchini:

Add corn and zucchini; simmer, stirring occasionally, until just tender, 5 to 7 minutes.

Credit:
Grant Webster
Stir in cream and fish off heat, and serve:

Remove from heat; stir in cream and fish. Season with pepper and serve with oyster crackers.

Credit:
Grant Webster

Storing Smoked Salmon Chowder

Since this recipe contains heavy cream, it’s going to be best served fresh. However, don’t let that stop you from enjoying your leftovers. Let the chowder cool completely, then transfer it to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. We don’t recommend freezing this chowder, since the dairy can take on an unpleasant texture after freezing.

How to Reheat

You can reheat the leftovers by placing them in a saucepan and slowly bringing up to a simmer over low heat. Give the chowder a stir every so often to keep the cream from curdling.