It’s that time of the year in my neck of the woods when spring displays its eagerness to kick winter to the curb by giving us signs of what’s to come. This means that it is perfectly normal here in the Bay Area to see locals in flip flops and shorts one day only to be back in a sweater and scarf the next. The official start of spring is only 10 days away. My wisteria vines are starting to flower and a scattering of daffodils have popped up around my yard. But today, even after the fog finally burned off, a chill remained in the air. In fact, it was overcast in my neighborhood for most of the day. Perhaps it was winter’s way of saying that this is still her show.
And you won’t hear any complaints from me. Even our mild northern California winters are perfect for hearty, comforting fare like this chowder I prepared today. The timing couldn’t have been more perfect–I’d been having trouble deciding on a recipe to select for this month’s Blogger C.L.U.E. Society event. I was assigned to Heather’s blog, Girlichef, for a recipe for this month’s theme–potatoes or a comforting starchy food– and it’s all her fault that I couldn’t decide what to make, until today.
Heather has been blogging for six years. A culinary school graduate with a serious passion for cooking and serving people good food, she finds inspiration for new dishes through her travels, books and movies. This means that she always finds herself in her kitchen bringing inspiration to fruition.
Six years of recipes in Heather’s archives had me printing one recipe after another for days instead of selecting just one and sticking with it–and I was just looking at the potato category. She had a recipe that spoke to each of my recent cravings: Adobo Potatoes Gratin, Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes, Fingerling Potato Salad with Honey-Thyme Vinaigrette and this Italian Sausage and Potato Frittata. I wanted to make them all but the chill I felt this morning (coupled with a promise to my husband that I would serve salmon tonight for dinner) made her Smoked Salmon Chowder the winner.
I couldn’t stop “tasting” this soup as soon as it was ready. After sampling for the first time, I was happy with it but I couldn’t help returning to the stove a few more times for one more chunk of smoked salmon or potato with a caper or two. This chowder is better than a blanket draped on your shoulders on a cold day. It is substantial thanks to the chunks of salmon and potatoes while the capers lend a nice punch of brightness to balance the creaminess of the broth.
The only adjustments I made were to use what ingredients I already had and to lighten up the soup a little so that my husband could enjoy it with me. As much as I like rich, creamy soups, my husband prefers them on the lighter side. Here I used less half-and-half and just a touch of cream cheese and used clam juice with the water to make up for the smaller amount of smoked salmon (which is responsible for imparting a lot of flavor) I had available. Served with my homemade sourdough bread this chowder was the comfort I wanted on this cold winter day…so much so that I wouldn’t mind even if winter stuck around just a little longer.
Scroll down below for my friends’ dishes for this month’s theme.
Smoked Salmon Chowder
Ingredients
- 14 ounces red new potatoes
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion diced
- 3 stalks celery diced
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 - 4 cups clam juice or water
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 - 3 cups milk half and half, low fat or regular (See Note)
- 4 ounces cream cheese I used two tablespoons
- 1/4 cup capers rinsed and drained
- 12 ounces smoked salmon or 8 ounces smoked and 4 ounces regular salmon
- salt or no-salt seasoning to taste
Instructions
-
Prepare the potatoes: scrub and rinse and boil until barely tender, about 6-7 minutes. Drain and dice when cool enough to handle. Set aside.
-
In a stock pot, heat the two tablespoons of butter and one tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and celery and sauté until they are translucent, five to seven minutes. Add the garlic and black pepper and cook for an additional minute.
-
Add the remaining two tablespoons of butter and two tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle the flour a little at a time. Cook for about five minutes over medium heat to eliminate the floury flavor.
-
Add the tomato paste, water/clam juice and potatoes to the pot. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer for six to eight minutes, stirring occasionally.
-
Stir in the milk, cream cheese (if using), capers and salmon. Keep the heat at medium until the soup hits a simmer. Turn off the heat and taste for seasoning. Add salt or no-salt seasoning as needed. Garnish with parsley if you like and serve hot with bread.
Recipe Notes
The original recipe calls for roughly six cups of liquid. In order to lighten this up to suit my family I used 4 1/2 cups of clam juice/water and 1 1/2 cups half and half. Feel free to adjust to your taste.
- Bacon Wrapped Potatoes w/ Sriracha Sauce by Debra from Eliot’s Eats
- Bacon-wrapped Smashed Redskin Puffs by Stacy from Food Lust People Love
- Balsamic Roasted Fingerling Potatoes by Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm
- Basil Lime Gin Gimlet by Christy from Confessions of a Culinary Diva
- Cheddar Scallion Potato Buns by Lora from Cake Duchess
- Chicken Pot Pie by Heather from girlichef
- Chipotle Sweet Potato Soup by Kim from Liv Life
- Chocolate, Coconut, Butterscotch and Oatmeal Cake Cookies by Lisa from Authentic Suburban Gourmet
- Daisy’s Noisette Potatoes by Janet from Cupcakes to Caviar
- Honey Dijon Roasted Potato Salad by Ramona from Curry and Comfort
- Irish Brown Bread by Kathy from Bakeaway with Me
- Irish Old Fashioned Cocktail by Christy from Confessions of a Culinary Diva
- Okie Peasant Potato Soup by Christiane from Taking on Magazines
- Potato and Celery Root Puree by Lea Ann from Cooking on the Ranch
- Potato and White Bean Soup with Sage by Kathy from A Spoonful of Thyme
- Potato Rolls by Kelli from Kelli’s Kitchen
- Potatoes O’Brien by Azmina from Lawyer Loves Lunch
- Slow Cooker Beef and Guinness Pie by Anna from annaDishes
- Smoked Salmon Chowder by Jean from Lemons and Anchovies
- Tchertma (Zucchini and Eggs) by Kate from Kate’s Kitchen
- Thin Crispy French Fries by Liz from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
Love the little Staub pots and it almost looks like that is Irish Soda Bread in the background. It sounds like this is definitely a “thumbs up” recipe!
Debra, thanks! This is definitely a keeper of a recipe from Heather. 🙂
Oh, my gosh, I want this amazing chowder on my menu, too!!! What a marvelous choice this month!!!
Yay, you decided on one of my favorites! Your photos are so incredibly beautiful and you definitely have me craving a bowl (okay, a pot) of this chowder right now. 🙂
Heather, it was so much fun looking through your blog. So many recipes I’ve bookmarked to try. Thank you!
Mouthwatering! A wonderful chowder and great flavours.
Cheers,
Rosa
What a beautiful chowder! Smoked Salmon is my favorite fish and to have it in a soup just sounds wonderful – I also like your little soup bowls very much! Staub is beautiful!
Oh wow! Each year, the hubby brings home beautiful King Salmon….this beautiful chowder will be on out plate. Pinning …
What a rich and flavorful chowder! I’ve never thought to use smoked salmon in soup but I am sure it adds a much bigger flavor boost than just fresh salmon. I must try this!
Stacy, me neither. The smoked salmon definitely adds a lot of flavor to this chowder. 🙂
Oh this looks amazing! The photos are beautiful too! I think this is going on my dinner menu!
I love nothing better than a nice chowder…YUM
This chowder looks fantastic! Great choice. I love the individual crocks as well.
Beautiful photos and recipe! We are already in the 90’s in Palm Springs – I think our winter has passed us by this year.
Not only is your chowder scrumptious looking…your presentation is beautiful!! Love your photos!
Thank you so much, Kathy!!
A bowl of that chowder and a big slice of sourdough bread. Perfection!
I’ve been waiting for this since I saw your teaser last night!! Simply perfection. I don’t think I’ve ever had anything like it, but this one is a must try. And yes, I’m with you on the soup even though it’s a mild winter, sometimes soup is just what is called for. Beautiful photos Jean!
Now that is one gorgeous and healthy soup! Great choice for the reveal! 🙂
Absolutely gorgeous styling! Love those Staub pots!
I sighed with pleasure and didn’t even get a taste of the chowder, it looks that good! I’m intrigued by the use of the capers. I’ll be the salty bite they gave was perfect with the creaminess.
This soup looks great! I love the addition of smoked salmon…yum! I’m also totally digging those cute little dishes.
What a great looking chowder, I’m sure the smoked salmon gives it incredible flavor!