Super Easy Salmon Chowder Recipe
I love making this bacon-studded Salmon Chowder Recipe because it’s delicious but easy to make all in one pot! When it’s sweater weather like it is here in North Dakota, it’s time for this salmon chowder recipe.A chunky, rich, and creamy salmon chowder full of flavor with locally caught fish along with potatoes, onion, and garlic from our garden makes a hearty meal. NORTH DAKOTA SALMON FISHINGMost people don't realize you can catch salmon on Lake Sakakawea right here in North Dakota. There's no need to go to Sam's Club to get your fish for salmon chowder when you live here! We have a generous daily limit of 5 fish per day, making it worth the trip to the western part of the state. The best time of the year for these fish is in late July through the end of September.Chinook salmon were stocked in Lake Sakakawea in 1976, less than a decade after the reservoir filled, to inhabit the deep cold water environment not used by other fish species. This nonnative species, like other fish in the Missouri River System, has ridden the ups and downs of low- and high-water years, times of abundant forage and times when prey was tougher to come by.HISTORY OF SOUP AND HISTORY OF CHOWDERAccording to Campbell's, the history of soup dates back to our Neanderthal ancestors who probably crafted the first bone broths, although archaeologists have only discovered pottery (presumably used for soup) that dates back 20,000 years ago in China. Throughout the history of soup, cultures all across the globe adopted both hot and cold variations of the nutrient-rich liquid, adding vegetables, starches, protein, and even other liquids like dairy. Considered to have healing properties, soup was actually on the world's first restaurant menus. Atlas Obscura reports that theses early prototypes of the restaurant served the dish to restore the strength of the patrons — the word "restaurant" comes from the French word "restaurer" meaning "to restore." While the motives behind our soup consumption remain the same, preparation has long since changed, so much so that soup even goes by different names. This brings us to the most pressing question: What's the difference between soup and chowder?CHOWDER VS SOUP?Is this Salmon recipe a Salmon Soup or a Salmon Chowder? It's actually both!Chowder can be classified as a soup, but soup isn't necessarily chowder. The ingredients used, along with textures achieved during preparation, are the main differences between the two bowls of soul-satisfying liquid.A chowder is a thick, creamy soup featuring diced or chopped ingredients, left chunky for a hearty final result. Traditional chowder recipes feature seafood ingredients—for instance, clams or fish—while others forgo seafood in favor of vegetables or starches, like corn. Other key ingredients of chowder soups are heavy cream and potatoes.Common chowders include New England clam chowder, potato chowder, corn chowder, and fish chowders like this Salmon Chowder Recipe – and Salmon Soup Recipe.WHY YOU'LL LOVE THIS SALMON CHOWDER RECIPEMy favorite thing about this Salmon Chowder Recipe is the delicate and super flavorful broth. It’s a perfect soup for both summer and winter. I've fed it to the girls during rainstorms and blizzards.This simple salmon chowder recipe has all the tasty, easy-to-find ingredients you crave in a good seafood chowder: savory, smoky bacon, chunks of flaky salmon, fresh chives, and plenty of bright corn for a burst of natural sweetness in every bite.I sometimes add a few peeled & deveined shrimp for my wife when adding the salmon. Then she eats more of the shrimp, and I get more of the salmon with every bite! I also have friends who like to add a few drops of Tabasco sauce, but I always serve it on the side so the chowder isn’t too spicy for our young daughter.Whether you're feeding a crowd or just looking for a cozy dinner at home, this salmon chowder recipe is sure to be a hit. Plus, with the added benefits of omega-3 fatty acids from the salmon, you can feel good about indulging in this comforting dish. So grab a bowl and enjoy this delicious salmon chowder today!MORE FISH RECIPESIf you are looking for more great ways to use that fresh caught fish, don't stop with this Easy Salmon Chowder Recipe. I also have a delicious Fish Soup Recipe, and easy-to-make Crispy Fried Whole Fish recipe. Or you can find all my Fish Recipes here.If you are headed our way to fish in North Dakota, check out the North Dakota Game & Fish Department website. And if you want me to come along with you as your camp cook, photographer, or butcher, you can find out more details here.CONNECT WITH ME AND JOIN OUR WILD GAME COOKING COMMUNITYIf you make this Super Easy Salmon Chowder Recipe, I’d love for you to join our community and connect with me so we can all see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #wildgameandfishDid you enjoy this Super Easy Salmon Chowder Recipe? Be sure to leave a 5-star rating RIGHT HERE!
Ingredients
- 4 strips of bacon, chopped
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 2 stalks celery, roughly chopped
- 10 baby carrots, roughly chopped
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
- 1/2 pound Yukon gold potatoes, chopped into 1/2-inch cubes
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon dried dill weed
- 1/4 teaspoon marjoram
- 2 Tablespoons flour
- 1 15-ounce can seafood stock
- 1 15-ounce can whole kernel sweet corn
- 1 chicken bouillon cube
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 8 ounces boneless, skinless salmon fillets
- 1/4 cup half and half
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
- 1 jalapeno, seeded and diced (optional)
- oyster crackers
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven, cook bacon over medium heat for 5 to 10 minutes until brown and crispy. Remove the bacon and transfer to a plate lined with paper towels.
- Add 1 tablespoon of the butter to the bacon grease in the Dutch oven. Add the onion, celery, and carrots. Sauté over medium-high heat until the onions are soft, about 5 minutes.
- Add the minced garlic, potatoes, pepper, dill, marjoram, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and sauté for 1 minute.
- Stir in the flour and the other 1 tablespoon of butter and cook 1 more minute.
- Add the seafood stock and deglaze the pan by scraping up any pieces stuck to the bottom of the pan. Add canned corn with liquid, chicken bouillon, and water. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Simmer, uncovered and stirring often, until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.
- Chop the salmon fillets into 1-inch pieces and sprinkle with the other 1/4 teaspoon salt.
- Once the potatoes are tender, whisk the half and half with the cornstarch until completely smooth, then stir it into the chowder.
- Add the salmon and simmer for about 5 minutes, or until the fish is cooked through, stirring occasionally.
- Taste and season with additional salt & black pepper if needed.
- Garnish with chopped chives, jalapenos, and crumbled bacon. Serve with oyster crackers if desired.
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6 Responses
This was amazing! Thanks for the recipe!
I made the recipe tonight. I saw the recipe in a outdoor newspaper. It was titled Easy Fish Chowder.
In both the newspaper and here on your site the recipe calls for 2 tbsp butter. One tbsp is used in step 2 but never tells when or where the 2nd tbsp is used. Also, in step 1 it says take bacon out of dutch oven but there’s no mention when to add the bacon back in.
I’m no chef, I’m no cook but I follow directions well.
I added the bacon and last tbsp of butter with the fish (I used cod). It was awesome. Hope to see your answer.
Randy
Thanks for catching that!
The other 1 tablespoon of butter should be added with the flour on step #4. I went ahead and made the correction so now it appears correctly on this recipe.
I appreciate you pointing it out. I’m so glad you liked it. It’s one of our favorites!
Loved this recipe.
Thanks Toni!