Serve it with some Crusty French Bread (or better yet, in bread bowls!) and a fresh Side Salad for a perfectly delicious meal that your whole family will enjoy! This creamy smoked salmon chowder is such a hit in our house! It’s even popular with our fussy eaters, and that’s saying something! If this is your first time making salmon chowder, do not panic. This recipe is super easy to make and is a healthy option for lunch or dinner for the whole family. You can also serve a small portion as a starter at your next dinner party. Did you know that the Alaska state nickname is “The Last Frontier” and that while some consider parts of southeastern Alaska to be part of the Pacific Northwest, it generally gets excluded from that categorization? This smoked salmon chowder recipe is actually well known in Seattle, where it is served at Pike Place Market, but since salmon is such an Alaskan food, I’ve included it in my American Eats series within the Alaska section. This chowder is made with smoked salmon, which you can buy at any grocery store. Smoked salmon can be a little pricey for what seems like a small piece. Remember that a little goes a surprisingly long way, especially in this hearty, warm soup that is loaded with all sorts of other delicious ingredients. For best results, you can make your own Smoked Salmon. If you love smoky salmon flavors, you will also love this Easy Smoked Salmon Dip for your next party, or my Smoked Salmon Scrambled Eggs for a hearty breakfast!
What is in Smoked Salmon Chowder?
When it comes to chowder, I have very strong feelings about one particular thing. I do NOT like chowder that has been thickened with flour. A perfect chowder is naturally thickened by the potatoes. The potatoes give off enough starch to create a wonderful, almost silky texture. There is also the benefit that not thickening the chowder with flour makes it gluten-free! The orange-ish, salmon color of the smoked salmon chowder actually comes from the tomato paste. It’s not enough to make the soup tomato-y at all. It just adds a complexity of flavor and a beautiful color that hints at the signature ingredient in this magnificent pot of chowder. I’ve also added a little cream cheese to the chowder. This adds dimension, richness, and a wonderful silky, creaminess that you don’t get with just cream. And there are capers, which I don’t use often, but every time I do both Paul and I exclaim over how delicious they are and how much we like them! The rest of the ingredient list consists of things you would expect to see in most chowder recipes: onions, celery, carrots, garlic, and potatoes. I also added diced red peppers, which are one of my favorite vegetables. They just belong in smoked salmon chowder, but I wouldn’t put them in clam chowder. The other ingredients are all herbs and spices to season the delicious chowder, and while the list is long, the end result is robustly flavored. This is a unique and delicious seafood chowder unlike any other you’ve likely ever experienced. It’s one of the best seafood dishes I have enjoyed in a long time, and that’s saying something since we love seafood and eat it often!
Why We Love This Recipe
Easily customize this recipe to your preference for spice or smokiness!Made with ingredients you can easily find at your local grocery store.Quick and easy, this easy salmon chowder recipe is ready in just 45 minutes!
What You’ll Need
Scroll down to the recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
Bacon – Use smoked bacon for the best smoky flavors.Butter – Salted butter works well to help enhance the flavors in this recipe.Vegetables – Use onion, celery, carrots, bell pepper, and Yukon Gold potatoes for this chowder.Seasoning – Fresh garlic cloves, dried dill, dried thyme, dried basil, paprika, fennel seeds, ground black pepper, and kosher salt add to the robust flavor of this chowder.Tomato Paste – Any brand is fine, this gives the chowder its classic orange color and adds a bit of depth to the flavor without making it tomato-y.Capers – Capers are great to add bursts of flavor to any dish! I don’t use them often but when I do, they pack a flavorful punch!Broth – Use a low-sodium chicken broth to best control the saltiness of the dish.Cream Cheese and Heavy Cream – To make the chowder super creamy and balance out the flavors.Salmon – Use fresh salmon that you smoke yourself for the best flavor.Lemon Juice – Use a fresh squeeze of lemon juice for an added burst of citrus!Hot Sauce – Spice it up with your favorite hot sauce.
How to Make Smoked Salmon Chowder
Cook bacon. In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, brown the bacon over medium heat until almost crispy, then drain the bacon grease. Add veggies. Melt butter with the cooked bacon. When the butter is melted, add the onion, celery, carrot, and bell pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften. This will take about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Season and add potatoes. Add the diced potatoes, dill, thyme, basil, paprika, crushed fennel seeds, tomato paste, and capers, and stir to combine. Pour in the chicken broth and cook on medium-high heat. When the chowder comes to a boil, cover and reduce the heat to medium-low. Then let it simmer for 10-15 minutes, or just until the potatoes are softened and tender but not falling apart. Add cream cheese. Next, add the cubed cream cheese and stir until it melts into the soup. Put in remaining ingredients. Add the salmon, cream, lemon juice, and hot sauce. Allow the chowder to heat just until everything is gently heated through, but don’t let the soup come to a boil after adding the cream. Once hot, taste and adjust the seasoning by adding salt and pepper as needed and some more hot sauce if you like. You may not need any salt, depending on the saltiness of your capers and smoked salmon. Serve. Serve, garnished with a sprig of fresh dill for presentation, and a loaf of crusty bread!
Tips for Success
Finely chop the onions, celery, and carrot for this chowder. Use a food processor (affiliate link) or an immersion blender if you prefer.Garnish with fresh dill or finely chopped green onions, and some lemon zest for a flavorful finish.If you want your chowder thinner, add some milk, extra stock, or water.
Substitutions and Variations
Add some red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, or more hot sauce for a bit of extra heat.Change up the seasonings as you like, Old Bay Seasoning is a classic seafood seasoning if you’re missing some of the ingredients listed in this recipe.You can make this soup with milk instead of heavy cream if you prefer, but the taste and texture of the soup will vary. Whole-fat or lower-fat milk will work fine, as well as non-dairy alternatives like coconut milk which will retain some creaminess to it.Substitute some chicken stock for a little bit of clam juice for extra oceanic flavoring.Use fish or seafood stock if you prefer to enhance the seafood flavors. You can also use vegetable stock if you prefer.
More Delicious Soup Recipes
Chicken, Noodle & Dumpling SoupEasy Minestrone SoupZuppa ToscanaSlow Cooker Tuscan White Bean SoupCreamy Irish Leek and Potato Soup
More States I Have Visited in my American Eats Series
Alabama • Alaska • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Delaware • Florida • Georgia • Hawaii • Idaho • Illinois • Indiana • Iowa • Kansas • Kentucky • Louisiana • Maine • Maryland • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Mississippi • Missouri • Montana • Nebraska • New Jersey • New York • Oregon • Puerto Rico • South Carolina • South Dakota • Texas • Utah • Wisconsin
New England Fish Chowder
Authentic San Francisco Cioppino Seafood Stew (Italian Seafood Stew)
New England Clam Chowder Recipe
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