Creamy Smoked Salmon Chowder

Yield: 6

Author: Jessica Milnes

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Creamy Smoked Salmon Chowder

Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 35 MinTotal time: 50 Min

You all know how much Aaron loves to use his smoker, and around here, if he can find a reason to fire it up, he usually will! This Creamy Smoked Salmon Chowder is the perfect way to put some of that smoked salmon to good use. It’s rich and creamy with tender potatoes, sweet corn, crispy bacon, and big flakes of smoky salmon in every bowl. The smoked salmon gives a traditional creamy chowder an entirely different depth of flavor and makes this one especially good on a cold Alaska day.

Ingredients

• 6 slices bacon, chopped
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 3 medium Yukon Gold or red potatoes, diced
• 2 cups corn, fresh, frozen, or drained canned corn
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 pound smoked salmon, skin removed and flaked into bite-sized pieces
• Salt, to taste
• Fresh dill or parsley, chopped, for serving
• Sliced green onions, optional, for serving

Instructions

1. Cook the bacon. Add the chopped bacon to a large Dutch oven or soup pot and cook over medium heat until crispy. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving about 2 tablespoons of bacon grease in the pot.
2. Sauté the vegetables. Add the onion and celery to the bacon grease and cook for about 4 to 5 minutes, until they begin to soften. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds to 1 minute.
3. Make the base. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir well. Cook for about 1 minute, stirring constantly. Slowly pour in the chicken broth while stirring to keep the mixture smooth.
4. Add the potatoes and corn. Stir in the diced potatoes, corn, thyme, smoked paprika, and black pepper. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork tender.
5. Make it creamy. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the heavy cream and milk. Allow the chowder to gently heat through for about 5 minutes. Don't let it come to a hard boil once you've added the cream.
6. Add the salmon and bacon. Gently fold in the smoked salmon and most of the crispy bacon, saving a little bacon for the top. Let everything warm together for another 3 to 5 minutes. Since smoked salmon can already be salty, taste the chowder before adding any additional salt.
7. Serve. Ladle the chowder into bowls and top with the reserved bacon and a little fresh dill, parsley, or sliced green onion.

Notes

If Aaron already has the smoker going, this is a great excuse to add a piece of salmon! The smoky flavor really is what makes this chowder special. I like leaving the salmon in nice-sized flakes instead of breaking it up too much so you get those delicious bites of salmon throughout the soup.