This creamy Smoked Salmon Chowder is truly comfort food in a bowl! Made with hot-smoked salmon (full of heart-healthy fats) and a ton of nutrient-packed veggies (onion, celery, carrots, potatoes, corn and cauliflower), it’s a good-for-you soup the whole family will love. Stove top and Instant Pot directions provided.
Smoked Salmon Chowder
It’s soup season, if you’re looking for a new easy soup recipe to add to your dinner rotation, I think you will love this smoked salmon chowder! You can also browse all my soup recipes from the archives. A few favorites are the Potato Leek Soup, Cheeseburger Soup and of course, Classic Chicken Noodle Soup!
Hello, it’s Heather, I’m excited to share another chowder recipe with you today (check out my Cheddar Corn Chowder right here), and I’m also excited to invite you to my free 31-day Master the Weight Loss Mindset Challenge.
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My sisters live in Seattle so naturally salmon is a regular on the menu, and this Smoked Salmon Chowder is one of our favorites. And after lightening up this Cheddar Corn Chowder with blended cauliflower instead of cream (with seriously amazing result!), I knew I had to try the same technique with this chowder. And WOW, this much lighter and healthier version is just as good as the original!
For best results, be sure to use hot-smoked salmon as it has a very different texture from cold-smoked salmon. Hot-smoked salmon, a specialty of the Pacific Northwest, is smoked at 120°F to 180°F for 6 to 12 hours, cooking the salmon through and giving it a flaky and delicious texture.
I always serve this creamy and comforting chowder with a big green salad and some crusty bread. Enjoy!
Seattle Smoked Salmon Chowder
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 3 medium carrots, ½-inch dice
- 3 large celery stalks, ½-inch dice
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ½ cup white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc
- 1 teaspoon dry thyme
- 3 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
- 1 12-ounce wedge cauliflower (1/4 of a large head), stem attached
- 3 small red potatoes, peeled and diced into ½ inch pieces
- 1 cup frozen corn kernels
- 2 cups whole milk
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 8 ounces skinless hot-smoked salmon
- Chopped chives, for garnish
Instructions
- STOVE TOP DIRECTIONS
- In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, melt butter over medium heat.
- Add the onion, carrots, celery, garlic and ½ teaspoon salt and sauté until vegetables start to soften, about 5 minutes.
- Sprinkle flour evenly over vegetables and cook, stirring often, for 1 minute.
- Add wine and deglaze the pot (scraping brown bits off the bottom).
- Add the thyme, broth, cauliflower and potatoes, bring the pot to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook for 20 minutes.
- Remove the lid from pot and transfer the cauliflower and 1 cup of the soup to a blender and blend until smooth. Transfer puree back to the pot.
- Add the milk, corn, and smoked salmon and heat through for about 5 minutes.
- Season with remaining salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste.
- Ladle 2 cups of soup into each bowl and top with chives
- INSTANT POT DIRECTIONS
- Press sauté on the Instant Pot.
- When hot, add the butter. Once melted, add the onion, carrots, celery, garlic and ½ teaspoon salt and sauté until vegetables start to soften, about 5 minutes.
- Sprinkle flour evenly over vegetables and cook, stirring often, for 1 minute.
- Press cancel. Add the wine and deglaze the pot (scraping brown bits off the bottom).
- Add the thyme, broth, cauliflower and potatoes, seal and switch pot to Manual.
- Cook on high pressure for 10 minutes.
- Quick release, then open when the pressure subsides.
- Transfer the cauliflower and 1 cup of the soup to a blender and blend until smooth. Transfer puree back to the pot.
- Add the milk, corn, and smoked salmon and heat through for about 5 minutes.
- Season with remaining salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste.
- Ladle 2 cups of soup into each bowl and top with chives.
