Northwest Salmon Chowder – A Delicious PNW Classic

In the PNW, spring is really unpredictable. Last week, my car thermometer was in the mid 60s. Yesterday, I was literally skidding around the road because of a massive cloudburst of hail – which caused instant icy road conditions. Crazy. My daffodils and hyacinths are blooming, my Gravenstein apple, cherry and crabapple trees are budding. I even mowed the lawn last weekend! With the spring roller coaster weather, I like to use the chilly dips as the last gasp of my “soup season”. Summer is around the corner and soup won’t sound like a good idea for dinner. Northwest Salmon Chowder is one of my favorite soups. It is about as Northwest as you can get, featuring locally caught Sockeye Salmon with potatoes, celery, and onions from my garden. I use fresh milk from my friend’s cow. Even if your local grocery store is where you procure your ingredients, this soup will be a welcome addition to your soup rotation.

This Northwest Salmon Chowder is lovely. Hunks of Salmon and potatoes make for a hearty meal. The depth of flavor that is created by layering bacon, vegetables, and herbs is wonderful. There are a couple more steps than a “normal” soup, where ingredients are just thrown in a pot. You will brown bacon, sauté vegetables, and flour & brown your salmon. Each step is important to create this rich, delicious soup. In the scheme of things, it is a pretty easy recipe, worth the extra steps. If you are a seafood lover, this soup is a must try. Serve it with a salad and crusty loaf of sourdough or a fresh Einkorn Loaf https://northwestfrench.com/quick-easy-no-knead-einkorn-bread/ for a satisfying meal. Enjoy!

Northwest Salmon Chowder

Classic Pacific Northwest Chowder featuring Wild Caught Salmon

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Prep Time:15 minutes mins

Cook Time:1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Course: Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Creamy Salmon Chowder, Northwest Salmon Chowder, Pacific Northwest Chowder, Salmon Chowder, Wild Salmon, Wild Salmon Chowder

Servings: 4

Ingredients

Chowder Base

• 5 Strips Bacon, Cut into 1/4" Lardons
• 2 Cups Onions, Diced
• 1/2 Cup Carrots, Peeled and Diced
• 1 Cup Celery, Diced
• 4 Cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1½ – 2 Pounds Gold Potatoes, Cut to 1" Cubes
• 3½ Cup Chicken Stock
• 1¾ Cups Whole Milk
• 3/4 Cup Heavy Cream You will also add another 3/4c at the end
• 1 tsp Salt
• Pepper
• 2 Bay Leaves
• 2-3 Sprigs Thyme
• 1/2 tsp Dill, Fresh or Freeze Dried

Salmon

• 1 – 1¼ Pounds Wild Caught Salmon, Skinned and Cubed to 1" Square
• 4-5 Tbsp Flour
• Pepper
• 3-4 Tbsp Butter (or enough for browning several batches of Salmon)

Finishing and Assembling the Chowder

• 1 Cup Corn, Canned or Frozen
• 3/4 Cup Heavy Cream
• Fresh Parsley for garnish

Instructions

Before you Begin

• Prepare your Salmon by removing the skin. You can accomplish this by using on of these two methods:

  1) A Fillet Knife: Best when done with a VERY sharp knife. Start with the tail end and slip the knife between the meat and the skin. Once you have enough skin to grip, use a paper towel to grab the skin (it gives more traction), and continue to slide the knife, positioned at a slight angle, between the meat and skin all the way up the length of the fish.

  2) Boiling Water: To remove the skin using this method, boil a cup of water and place the salmon skin-side up on a wire rack that’s directly above a baking dish. Then, slowly pour the boiling water directly onto the salmon skin. Wait for the water to cool, and gently pull the salmon skin away from the fish. You may need to use a sharp knife in any area where the skin is stubbornly stuck.

  Once the skin has been removed, cut the Salmon filet into 1" square chunks. Set aside.
  

Chowder Base

• Cut Bacon into 1/4" Lardons. Add to large pot and cook until nicely browned and crispy. Remove and set aside. Keep the bacon drippings in pan.
  
• While Bacon is cooking, dice the Onions, Carrots, and Celery. Mince the Garlic and Chop the Potatoes.
  
• Add the Diced Onions, Celery, and Carrots to the bacon drippings. Cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Add Minced Garlic and cook for additional minute or two to bring out the aromatics of the garlic.
• Add Chicken Stock, Whole Milk, Cream, Potatoes, Salt/Pepper, Bay Leaves, Thyme, and Dill. Cook until Potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes.
  

Salmon

• While the Potatoes are cooking in the chowder base, you will brown the Salmon.
• Add 4-5 Tablespoons of Flour and a couple turns of your pepper mill to a Ziplock bag.
• Add the Salmon cubes to the Flour. Gently toss to coat all of the pieces.
• In a frying pan, melt a couple tablespoons of Butter. In batches, brown the coated Salmon. Add Butter as needed. Continue until all Salmon has been cooked.
  
• As batches are done, set aside.
  

Finishing and Assembling the Chowder

• Once Potatoes are tender and Salmon is browned, add Salmon, Bacon, Corn, and Cream to the chowder base. Heat through.
• Serve in wide bowls garnished with Fresh Parsley and a side of crunchy sourdough bread. Enjoy!