Smoked Salmon Chowder

This is a very good chowder and I'm always looking for seafood chowders. I halved the recipe and still ended up with a 5 quart dutch oven quite full. I didn't have any fish stock, so instead I used two cans of chicken broth. The only other change I made was that I backed way off on the pepper and the dill, only a teaspoon each. (To each his own.) This turned out very well, very rich full bodied flavor and very satisfying. The flavors of the bacon, veggies and salmon all came through together without needing so much spice, otherwise I would have given it a 5. I will put this in the rotation and the only change I would make would be to use the fish stock. Wife was happy and said to put it in the "do again" file. Thanks for the recipe and thanks for THE ABSOLUTE BEST cooking website.

Loovvved this recipe! Used chicken broth instead of fish broth and a few extra of some of the veggies, but followed the spice ratios, etc. We were going to give some to our upstairs neighbor for lending us a corkscrew... but can't bear to part with one drop!

This makes a really large batch and I didn't have some of the ingredients. Plus, I wanted to use some left-over salmon I had made a couple of nights ago. I also used chicken broth as many other readers had done. In addition, I had the dill weed but it didn't seem appealing so I substituted it with freshly chopped kale which really was superb. The recipe offers the option of adding wine and lemon. I did this and found it really improved overall taste. Here is the ingredients I used which turned out excellently: 5 slices bacon 1 lrg onion carrots 1/2 cup water chkn broth sea salt pepper 1 cup kale 4 red potatos sliced 1 cup butter 1 cup flour 1 pint half-n-half 3/4 wine 1/4 lemon 1 pound left-over salmon Really was an excellent chowder. Thanks for sharing!

Loved loved LOVED this! So did my neighbors who asked for the recipe. I made a few changes: · It says to add 1.5 tablespoons (!) of freshly ground black pepper. Thinking that had to be a mistake and fearing ruining the recipe, I used only about one teaspoon, and after the taste test didn't feel the need to add more. · To cut the fat, instead of 1 cup of butter I used 1/2 cup of Earth Balance (vegetable oil product that tastes remarkably like butter) to create the roux. If you do this, the roux will be too thick to pour and you’ll need a BIG skillet and will need to gradually add a lot of the milk until it’s a consistency that you can add to the soup. · Instead of milk I used half 2% milk and half 1/2&1/2. · I did use the (optional) white wine. That’s an absolute must! · Note-the recipe says it makes six servings. It was more like a dozen servings!

This was awesome! I wanted to make this for dinner, but knew that I would be short on time in the evening, so I tried it in my slow cooker. I cooked the bacon, onion & celery in a pan as directed, then added it to my slow cooker with the water, chix stock that I subbed for fish stock, and spices. Once that mix had a chance to heat up, I added the roux, gave it an hour or so to thicken, then threw in the remaining ingredients of Salmon, corn, etc. I like my chowder w/ a wee little kick, so I also added a little cayanne pepper & paprika. The finished recipe made a ton of chowder... more like 10 - 12 servings, and was a huge hit with my husband & bro-in-law.

I did a little revising, and knocked out tons of fat and calories. Left out the butter and added a can of 1% evaporated milk. This is a winner, and is now a staple in our freezer.

I cut this recipe in half and it made a whole lot. It was very good and my husband hates salmon. He said it was REALLY good even after he found out what it was. Restaurant quality!

I personnaly would have given it a five but the husband said it needed more salmon ("where's the fish" he says). Next time I make it I will probably use less bacon, more salmon but otherwise it was perfect.

amazing chowder. would definitely make again. was a great use for the smoked salmon I received over xmas. made a half portion and was tons. froze well. dont know how often I will have smoked salmon so I would like to try this with another type of fish as well.

MORE LIKE 10 STARS! This soup is like giving your taste buds a VACATION to the coast! I only changed a FEW THINGS: I used low sodium chicken broth in place of fish stock (didn't have any fish stock on hand), USED NO SALT, and replaced the 1/2 cu water with extra chicken broth. This was absolutely divine! It was layer upon layer of soul flavors dancing in our mouths! I thinned it a tiny bit with extra milk (as my roux got a bit thick). I had home smoked salmon to put in which had to be extra wonderful. I did use the wine and fresh lemon juice in the amounts suggested. WARNING - if you don't cut the recipe in HALF you will have enough soup to feed an ARMY, and half your neighborhood...lol It took a little longer to prepare then it states in the recipe, but SO WORTH the time!

Winner, I live in the northwest and made this for a Christmas open house. This was one of three homemade soups I offerred. People love it. I used bottle clam juice for part of the fish stock volume. In the future I may make the fish stock with dried fish flakes or "dashi" since someone in my extended family is allergic to shell fish they couldn't eat this. It makes a huge amount great for a party. would cut this is half or quarter for a meal just at home. did freeze okay.

I'd neglected to read the comments before making it so I ended up with more chowder than my family can eat - or wants to eat. I should have left out the lemon juice. It made the soup a little too sour. No one in my family liked the chowder, and at least one member refused to eat it at all.

Unfortunately, I didn't have smoked salmon, but I think that it really would have added to the flavor. I stuck to the recipe for the most part, but used soy milk rather than cow's milk (my husband's allergic), and vegetable broth rather than the fish broth. I used a little more flavor, but think if I had the smoked salmon, it wouldn't have been necessary. Will be making again

Good base - I leave out the carrots and addtional green onion. I use chicken stock (I don't keep fish stock on hand) and use canned salmon. The corn really adds... the sweetness of the corn and the salty of the salmon - along with the dill... delish!!

Prep took much longer than indicated, and that was after halving the recipe. For two of us, this provided a generous enough portion for a lunch and dinner beyond the original one! Not as difficult as I thought it would be and it taught me a new technique. The flavor was great. Very good on a very cold night.

This soup is GREAT! My 9 yr old gave it 5 stars, too! I didn't add the white wine cuz I didn't have any on hand and I halved the butter/flour mixture to cut out some fat, but it was still rich and creamy! The soup was even yummy before I added the salmon!! It does make A LOT, but I wanted to freeze some anyway. Thanks for the recipe!!! I'll definatelly make it again!

Probably the best soup I ever made. I used chicken stock and think it may even be a better choice (so it's not overly fishy). Also, the white wine is essential. I added no salt as my salmon was very salty. If you really want to impress someone, make them this soup. IT IS THE BEST.

I loved this. This is my first real attempt at making a chowder, and I did change a couple of things due to personal preference. I use chicken bacon, low fat margarine, and 2% milk to cut back on the fat content, I also omitted the onion and celery, and used a fresh salmon fillet rather than smoked. When cooking I thought it was looking rather lumping, rather than chowdery, so mashed the veggies with a masher straight in the pot with the stock once the potatoes were done (before adding the roux). Loved it lots and will be making again.

This is an awesome chowder! I made this precisely as the recipe had indicated and found it a wonderful balance of flavors, color, and texture. I would use this base in many chowders and perhaps attempt other smoked meats as well. The prep time would be closer to the 45"-60" time frame. This makes a huge amount of chowder! I would easily consider the amount of servings to be 18 to 24. We had to switch to our largest pot after realizing that the large pot we had begun with would never have been adequate!

WOW and Great for freezing!!! Made 1/2 batch. Used mix of clam juice and veg. broth instead of fisk stock. Also used rice flour to make it gluten free.

Wow, I made it almost exactly as it said only I cut the recipe in half. I didn't use fish stock, I used chicken broth and 2% milk, 6 TBS of butter instead of 8.It was a little thinner then I like but I think it will thicken overnight. It still made three quarts when done. I did use white wine and lemon, that really makes it good. My husband loved it also. We will easily get three nice serving's each for lunch out of it. It doesn't have nearly as many calories as it said. I figure 450 a serving tops... We were lucky enough to be in Door county last week and got good, fresh smoked salmon. I will make it whenever I can get good fish. We get good fresh pepper from Penzy's , so i only used 1 1/2 teaspoons, that was plenty pepper. You gotta try this recipe.

We thought this was very tasty! To lighten it up we used half the butter and flour for the thickening agent and it turned out great. Great way to use leftover salmon or salmon in a can.

I've made this recipe TONS and have never heard any complaints....only great reviews! I was even told that I should sell my salmon chowder to the local restaurants because it was so tasty! I've never had anything like this chowder and I will continue to make it! The only changes I've made was using chicken broth instead of fish stock. Five stars *****!!!

Amazing! I substituted the fish stalk with chicken stalk. I didn't want it to get too fishy. And I did not use celery or wine. I also used half the amount of butter and half the amount of flour. It was still thick. But this soup was amazing. Definitely restaurant quality! It is worth the effort.

Delightful dish. Found that it is much better if hot smoked salmon is used rather than the softer cold smoked variety. The hot smoked drier fish stay intact and gives chunks and flakes of fish rather than just flavor in the chowder. Make a half batch for a family. Make the 6 serving batch if you are having a reunion. Overall this rocks. Watch your spices if you are not into those heavy flavors. Cut down the pepper and dill if you are weak of heart and add a pinch of garlic if you are addicted to it as I am! Great Eats!

Excellent... The only changes I made were instead of salmon I used shrimp and instead of the butter I used someones suggestion of evaporated Milk to cut back on calories... There was so much I shared with the little old lady downstairs!! We all loved it, and she thinks i'm a master chef ;o)

I used this as a base recipe but altered it dramatically. I used what I had on hand which happened to be chicken instead of salmon, so I made chicken chowder with potato and corn and it was FABULOUS! I will definitely make it again. Husband loved it too! Perfect ratio of ingredients and roux. Made it a second time with even more chicken and mixed in a little whipping cream for extra indulgence. Delicious!

Great recipe! Didn't use bacon cause we're trying not to eat as much meat, and also didn't use the corn cause I didn't have any. Makes a huge portion following this recipe and I needed 2 large pots because I didn't have one large enough to fit it all! I'll most likely half it next next. But I froze what we didn't eat and it was great once re-heated again. Very yummy and full of flavour! Thanks!!!!

This recipe is GREAT! Hubby got a salmon filet instead of smoked salmon, so we seasoned it and baked it before putting it in the chowder and it still came out amazing. It makes HUGE portions though... use the biggest stock pot you have if you're making the recipe as listed (6 servings), because it'll really make closer to 12.

Very good - I followed others advice and halved the recipe - still made lots. I didn't have parsley, used veggie stock instead of fish stock, used less pepper and dill, and it was delicious!

This was a huge hit. I used chicken stock instead of fish stock because I didn't have fish stock on hand. I also took some liberties with the vegies. I would definitely make this again.

Loved this! Recipe as shown definitely makes far more than 6 servings tho'. Filled my 5qt dutch oven to the brim. Didn't have fish stock, so used chicken stock. Next time will plan to have fish stock and am betting it will be even better yet. Used the white wine - tasted it without, it was still good but... added it in? Huge difference, for the better!

This was merely ok. The dill was overpowering--the flavors were definitely NOT balanced. I will try this again and leave out the wine and most of the dill and see how it comes out.

I used crape fish fillets instead of salmon and it was delicious. I added a bit of old bay seasoning. I also added some green pepper and a chopped jalapeno pepper, because I didn't have green onions.

DH said it was darn good! Made a huge pot.

Super Yummy! I too (as some said below) didn't have fish stock and used chicken stock instead. I also cut the recipe in half as I cook for 2. I added some fish sauce for flavor, and was short some ingredients but still turned out delicious! Awesome recipe!

This is the best chowder I have ever had. So much flavor! I cut it in half and used chicken stock with a little fish sauce (maybe 2 T) to taste. Yukon gold instead of red potatoes, diced. I cut back just a little on the pepper but otherwise I followed the recipe. The salmon I used was Nova smoked sockeye from Trader Joes. It is more moist than some but I am sure any would be wonderful. Can't wait to make it again! :)

Yes, it does make a lot of chowder, which is perfect for me as my family nibbles on it during the week whenever they're hungry for a quick snack. I make this nearly every week so it is now a staple in my home. I make the stock from scratch using red snapper (or whatever wild caught fish is at the market - I avoid farm raised fish (they are inflammatory)). Use almond milk instead of regular milk (might add a little heavy cream for richness). Use no butter/flour but rather cornstarch mixed with cold almond milk. Haven't tried adding white wine - might some day. Today I'll be swapping out the regular bacon for turkey bacon for the first time. Sometimes use canned (or fresh) clams and clam juice instead of salmon. This recipe is flexible and so very, very delicious. When my kids (20 and 22) bring their friends over, they always ask for it :-) Thank you for sharing such a wonderful recipe!

Made exactly as recipe was written and the whole faimly raved about it! I would agree with other reviewers that the serving size is very large, but leftovers are even better! My husband remarked that everything from the texture, taste, and presentation of the soup was perfect and could be served in any upscale seafood restaurant. Thank you for the excellent recipe.

The only thing I had to do different was add dried parsley (forgot to buy fresh) and used vegetable stock (that's what I had) and used fat free 1/2 & 1/2 instead of milk. OMG! My whole family LOVED it! There were leftovers, but my hubby and sons took care of that the next day! Trust me! Try this! If you like any kind of seafood chowder, you will love this. I think the lemon and wine really made the difference! I'm going to have to make this for a dinner party soon! It was that impressive!

This is a super delicious chowder. I did make a few modifications to it because I didn't want all the added fat and calories. I will definitely make this again...and again. Hands down a five star recipe in my opinion.

My non-fish loving family loved this chowder

This recipe has much too much flour and butter in it. Next time, I will thicken it like I do clam chowder...with flour (but less) whipped with a little water to make a thin sauce. Add this to the chowder and boil until thickened. Only add the milk at the end, with the salmon, and heat through but do not boil

This is a wonderful recipe but misleading in some respects. Just how big is each of the 6 servings this recipe supposedly makes? By my count, the recipe includes 13-1/2 cups of liquid (water, stock, milk, wine and lemon juice). Then there's the cup of butter, not to mention the bacon, the fine-chopped veggies, the 8 potatoes, the salmon and the frozen corn. When one reviewer commented that the recipe filled a 5-quart Dutch oven, I wasn't surprised, and that reviewer must have used very small red potatoes. That's 20 cups, so are we talking 3-plus cups per serving. I also agree that the black pepper can be cut back considerably. You may want to add the optional wine with the milk to kill any residual alcohol taste, if that bothers you. I also cut the lemon juice back by half. It makes a wonderful chowder, and I was lucky enough to do the math before I started the recipe. Otherwise, I'd have been swimming in the soup for days. I halved the recipe for 6 people, and still had some left.

This was a hit with all ages. As did others, I used chicken stock. Also used dried parsley, forgot the white wine and lemon juice, but it was still great. Instead of smoked salmon, I had some teriyaki marinated salmon that needed to be used, and it worked well. Will definitely make again.

I made half of the recipe and this is restaurant quality chowder. I had smoked salmon left over from Xmas and wanted to use it up. The only item I left out was corn as I forgot to buy it and the only tip I would give is to chop the bacon small and let it fry until almost crisp before adding the onion and celery. Otherwise it won't cook thoroughly. Will make this for Company and try not to eat it all myself.

I made this exactly as written. It’s not just good, it’s REALLY good. I halved it for my small household and it was pronounced the best meal I’ve ever made for them! We had it for dinner last night, brunch this morning, and it will be dinner again tonight. Yes, it’s that good!

Loved it! Made it as written except used half evaporated milk and half regular milk for more richness. I made 1/2 recipe the first time based on the reviews and it disappeared too fast. It's a lot of chopping so I now make a full recipe and freeze the rest. It comes out of the freezer as good as fresh.

This is a wonderful way to use up all the salmon we had smoked. Loved it!!

I've made this around 7 times so far. It's one of my families favorites. I normally don't like salmon but this recipe is really really good. Beware it does make a pretty large batch of chowder. I usually double the amount of bacon. Thank you for sharing this awesome recipe!

Thank goodness we love this recipe because, as so many others have said, it makes an enormous quantity. I meant to halve it but got my wires crossed with my husband, and he started making the whole thing. We couldn't find fish stock so substituted chicken stock. Our only other changes were the addition of about 1/3 cup dry sherry (which adds a really nice but subtle depth of flavor)and some sliced mushrooms (which add a nice extra texture). Thank you for the recipe ... we will definitely make it again!

I made it exactly like the recipe calls for and it was so good! yes it makes a lot but we shared with our neighbors and freezed some for later. The wine and lemon change up the taste and I think for the better, however it tasted good prior to adding it as well. I portioned part of the chowder out and added cayenne pepper to give it a kick for my husband.

This turned out to be a delicious and well balanced chowder. I followed the recipe as is for the most part, aside from a few changes. I used a whole package of bacon because- who doesn't love bacon. I did not have fish stock so I ended up using chicken broth like some other people mentioned. I also majorly cut down the amount of pepper that is called for the recipe. I ended up doing 1.5 tsp, instead of 1.5 tbsp as the recipe lists. I definitely recommend giving this one a shot!

DELICIOUS!!! It took probably an hour to prep all the veggies etc- and I had to use my 2 biggest pots because it didn't all fit in one. I baked my own salmon filet, put butter, salt, and pepper on it. I've never made a roux before but it was pretty easy. I used chicken stock, and added 4 C of shredded cheddar cheese and it was great. I did not use the wine but otherwise followed the recipe. This base could easily be used for a potato corn chowder, or a clam chowder. It is so good, and super impressive!!! It will definitely be one I pull out when I want to impress!

I couldn't find any store/restaurant bought smoked salmon chowder without tomato (which I can't have) so I decided to try this! Made half recipe and it was delicious! I couldn't find fish stock, so I used better than bullion's fish base- I found on Amazon but it's also in some supermarkets. Omitted the lemon juice because of food intolerance, and did use wine (actually, dry vermouth- it's a great substitute for cooking wine in small amounts). I only used half a tablespoon of pepper and I thought that was plenty. You can always grind in some fresh bowl by bowel but hard to fix it if you overdo pepper! Be sure if your smoked salmon comes in big chunks to pull out all the fish bones while you're flaking it. I found TONS of them, only 2 made it in the soup though but thankfully were spotted on the spoon instead of felt in the throat ;) Leftovers were gone quickly- so yummy!

This is an amazing dish! I used fresh salmon instead of smoked salmon but used 2.5 lbs because my husband likes a lot of fish in his chowder. I cooked the salmon before putting it in the chowder (baked at 400 degrees F for 10 minutes). I also only used 6 potatoes because 8 would have been way too much. I cooked the bacon separately because I found that it was taking a long time to crisp up when mixed with the other ingredients. Once it was nice and crispy, I threw it and the drippings into the pot. Also, the lemon was a bit overpowering at first, but after a day, it seemed to mix well with everything.

Delicious flavor. Easy to make. Lots of left overs!

This was just excellent. Quite smokey and delicious. I smoked my own salmon for 45min @ 250F with cherry. Changes: I used half the bacon and less than half the butter. Made up the difference with olive and canola oil. I just can't add 2 sticks of butter to something I plan to eat. Also omitted lemon juice since I felt it would curdle the milk.

Even the non chowder, non fish loving members of the family loved this recipe. I did have my own homemade fish stock, so not sure how supermarket stock would affect the flavor... oh, did replace the milk with coconut milk to make it a bit less uncomfortable for the non dairy members of the family. They still got the full butter treatment... lol

I used a combination of crab and smoked salmon and only made half a batch. I really enjoyed this with the dill and pops of corn, but my BF didn't care for it too much. It's a bit fishy for his tastes even with using a smaller portion of salmon. Mine didn't really have the consistency I associate with chowders either.

I loved the blend of tastes, it was very good. Just didn’t like the color of it, more muddy brown rather than creamy beige. I didn’t over brown the roux so I’m not sure why it happened. I added a leek to it and used chicken broth. I’d definitely make it again!

Delicious! I just wished I knew how big of a pot to use beforehand.

Made this just as directed and I'm glad I did. It's a keeper. Like many of the other reviewers, I found it to make much more than the 6 servings it claimed. Like over twice that. But, that's okay with me. I like to share. Like most recipes, it can be tweaked to satisfy personal taste, but excellent as is.

I have not been able to find fish stock so I use homemade chicken and veggie broth. The bacon turns so soggy even it I crisp it before so I will leave it out next time. It makes a lot of soup!

Easily the best chowder I’ve ever made. Or eaten. Everyone in my family gobbled it up. Not fishy at all. My secret: this Japanese stock.