Smoked Salmon Chowder (Printable)

Creamy chowder featuring smoky salmon, potatoes, and sweet corn in a velvety milk and cream base.

# What You'll Need:

01 - 7 oz smoked salmon, skin removed, cut into bite-sized pieces

02 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped

03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced

04 - 2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced

05 - 1 large carrot, diced

06 - 1 celery stalk, diced

07 - 1 cup frozen or fresh corn kernels

08 - 2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped plus extra for garnish

09 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

10 - 2 cups whole milk

11 - 1 cup heavy cream

12 - 2 cups fish or vegetable stock

13 - 1 teaspoon salt or to taste

14 - ½ teaspoon black pepper

15 - ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika optional

16 - 1 bay leaf

01 - Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, carrot, and celery. Sauté until softened, about 5 minutes.

02 - Add diced potatoes, corn, bay leaf, salt, pepper, and smoked paprika if using. Stir and cook for 2 minutes.

03 - Pour in stock and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce heat and simmer covered for 15 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.

04 - Stir in milk and cream. Simmer uncovered for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

05 - Add smoked salmon and fresh dill. Simmer gently for 3 to 4 minutes until salmon is just heated through — do not boil.

06 - Remove bay leaf. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Ladle into bowls, garnish with extra dill, and serve hot.

01 -

The smoky salmon transforms a basic chowder into something restaurant-worthy in under an hour
It freezes beautifully and actually tastes better the next day as flavors deepen

02 -

Never boil the chowder after adding cream and salmon, it will separate and the texture becomes grainy
If the chowder seems too thick, add a splash more stock or milk rather than water to keep the flavor rich

03 -

Pat the smoked salmon with paper towels before adding it to reduce excess moisture
Add the cream at the very end, not at the beginning, to prevent it from scorching on the bottom