Red Potato Salmon Chowder Recipe

Red Potato Salmon Chowder –  You will love this hearty creamy chowder! It rivals soup you would get at a fancy restaurant, and is a wonderful treat for cold winter evenings. 

We love a good hearty soup, and I’ve shared over two dozen soup recipes on this site. Have you tried my Mexican Corn Soup or Chicken Pot Pie Soup yet?

A PERFECT SOUP FOR SALMON LOVERS!

A few weeks ago I tackled the task of defrosting our deep freeze. I’d been putting it off because- hello, defrosting the freezer. Not the most fun job. But the thing was bulging at the seams, and it was so disorganized that even though it was full of food, you couldn’t find what you needed anyway. So it had to be done.

Lo and behold, buried in the frozen tundra we discovered several bags of frozen salmon. We love us some pecan crusted salmon, but I wanted to try something new. Since my family loves soup so much, I opted for this salmon chowder recipe.

Funny story. I didn’t read the recipe very closely, and I was in the middle of a project, so I had my family help with dinner prep. The original recipe called for 5 pounds of red potatoes. I just figured it was a chunky soup, and we’d have leftovers. So I had my boys prepare all of them. Holey moley.

We had so much soup that I couldn’t even fit it in my largest pot. I started dumping in the potatoes and could tell I was headed for disaster. I had to divide up into two pans. We were eating salmon chowder for three days.

But here’s the good news- this soup is so good that no one even complained!! It is creamy and delicious with yummy chunks of salmon. And the bacon is the perfect addition. Definitely a new family favorite!!

Don’t worry, I scaled back the recipe. It still serves 10 people, but not twenty like the original recipe. Of course if you aren’t feeding teenage boys and want a smaller batch, you can cut it in half. Or share it with some friends. They will love you forever.

 

 

HOW TO MAKE SALMON CHOWDER

INGREDIENTS NEEDED:

• red potatoes (No need to peel them, just give them a good scrubbing.)
• bacon (It may seem like an unusual ingredient, but trust me, it’s amazing in this recipe!)
• onion (I use regular yellow onions.)
• celery
• milk (I used 2%, but you can use whole, or even skim milk)
• chicken broth (I make my own with this chicken soup base.)
• dried parsley
• salt
• pepper
• butter (I always use regular salted butter in my cooking.)
• all purpose flour
• cream (Heavy or whipping cream both work fine.)
• cooked salmon (This is a perfect way to use leftover salmon, but I’ve also included instructions for cooking it if you don’t have any on hand.)

COOK VEGETABLES – you are going to cook the diced potatoes in salted boiling water. The onion and celery will be cooked in a large soup pot in bacon fat from your cooked bacon. 

ADD SEASONINGS, BROTH, AND MILK – You will add most of the liquid and ingredients to your large pot and heat through.

MAKE A ROUX – In a medium sized saucepan, you will make a roux (a butter, flour, milk/cream mixture), to thicken the soup. You want to make sure you let it boil for at least a minute to get rid of the raw flour taste. Stir it constantly to prevent scorching.

COMBINE EVERYTHING – Add the drained, cooked potatoes, the roux, and the salmon to the large soup pot. Heat through and serve!

GARNISH – I like to serve my soup with some extra crumbled bacon. Yummy! 

You must give this chowder a try!

How to store Salmon Chowder?

-Leftovers should be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container. The soup will last for 3-4 days in the fridge.

I don’t recommend freezing this soup; the milk tends to separate and have a curdled texture, and the potatoes and other vegetables get pretty mushy. 

 

WHAT TO SERVE WITH THIS CHOWDER RECIPE:

• SOFT GARLIC KNOTS – The first time I made this soup, I served it with these soft and chewy rolls, and they were a delicious accompaniment. 
• EASY HOMEMADE PRETZELS – These chewy pretzels are great with any soup, and you won’t believe how easy they are to make!
• NAAN BREAD – I was surprised how easy it is to make naan bread at home. It is great for dunking in soup. 
• If you don’t feel like whipping up a batch of bread or rolls, you can serve the soup with saltines or oyster crackers.
• Of course soup and salad is always a good combo, so pair this chowder with your favorite salad for an extra healthy dinner.

LOVE SALMON? TRY THESE RECIPES:

• Salmon with Cream Sauce
• Pecan Crusted Salmon

SALMON CHOWDER RECIPE

Recipe adapted from Josi Kilpack.