Smoked Salmon Chowder

This creamy Smoked Salmon Chowder with leeks and fresh tarragon is a rich bowl of comforting decadence; each ingredient carefully chosen to complement the delicate, smoky salmon and let it shine. Easy 30-minute prep.

Soups are a specialty of mine, and this Smoked Salmon Chowder recipe may be one of the best, most delicious soups I've ever created.

I took a lot of time and care developing this rich, decadent chowder recipe. Each ingredient was chosen specifically because it works to highlight the star of the show. For this reason, you won't find any bacon, or corn, or cream cheese (seriously people?!?), or added thickeners like cornstarch or flour, or anything else that could eclipse the sweet, smoky, delicate flavor of the salmon. 

Jump to:

• Salmon Chowder Ingredients
• How to Make this Salmon Chowder Recipe
• Substitutions
• Equipment
• Storage
• Top Tip
• FAQ
• More Salmon Recipes
• What to Serve with Salmon Chowder
• Creamy Smoked Salmon Chowder

Salmon Chowder Ingredients

There are six key elements that set this amazing salmon chowder recipe apart.

1. Hot Smoked Salmon (The Star!)

Smoked salmon is a blanket term for salmon of any origin (wild, farmed) or cut (fillet, steak) that is cured with hot or cold smoke.

For this smoked salmon chowder recipe, you want to use hot-smoked salmon. Hot-smoked salmon is smoked basically like meat, resulting in a firm, flaky piece of fish. The flavor and texture will be similar to grilled salmon, with smoky undertones.

Be sure to use as high-quality smoked salmon as you can find/afford. Good-quality smoked salmon should still look like fish.

If you have a smoker and can smoke the salmon yourself, even better!

Avoid using the rock-hard, vacuum-packed bricks o'salmon you may find sitting in your supermarket fish cooler. Also, do not use "flavored" smoked salmon (i.e, teriyaki, peppered, lemon, etc.), as it may adversely flavor the chowder. 

2. Leeks

The base for this chowder is riff on the French classic, potage parmentier, or potato leek soup. I chose leeks for this recipe instead white or sweet onions because they have a milder, more delicate flavor than their onion cousins; thus, they complement the smoked salmon flavors instead of overpowering them.

Leeks, which look like giant green onions, are notorious for having hidden sand and grit in between their tightly packed leaves. In the recipe below, I've included basic information on how to prep the leeks, but if you need a detailed tutorial, you may find this post - "How to Clean & Cut Leeks" - very helpful. 

3. Potatoes (and why you need 3 varieties!)

Each of the three types of potatoes in this chowder serves an important role. 

• Russet potatoes have a neutral flavor and high starch content, resulting in a creamy, soft texture that breaks down easily. This all makes them the perfect choice for making a creamy soup, as they act as a natural thickener.
• Yukon Golds are a cross between a North American white potato and a wild South American yellow-fleshed one. Their golden flesh is richly flavored and fairly firm and moist, with medium starch content. They hold their shape a better than Russets, and contribute to the chowder's classic chunkiness. 
• White Sweet Potatoes add a mild sweet component to the mix that complements and highlights the natural sweetness of the salmon. They also help to thicken the chowder. 

4. Fresh Tarragon

Tarragon is often described by French chefs as the king of herbs. Its delicate flavor pairs perfectly with the smoked salmon in this French-inspired chowder. For best results, use fresh French tarragon (as opposed to Russian tarragon, which can be bitter). 

5. Grated Carrots

You may not think that something as simple as grating a carrot (versus finely dicing it) would have any significant impact on a recipe, but in this case it really does. Coarsely grating the carrots allows them to cook faster, meld with the other chowder components more readily, and (bonus!) it gives your soup some lovely color in the process. 

6. Heavy Cream

Use full-bodied, heavy cream. Smoked salmon chowder is something special: treat it that way. (And Yes, in case you're asking, you can make it with half & half, or even straight-up milk for that matter, but it won't be the same. Trust me.)

Additional Ingredients

• Butter: Use salted or unsalted butter.
• Olive oil: Use a light tasting olive oil.
• Garlic: Use fresh garlic.
• Celery
• Clam juice: Use bottle clam juice for best results.
• Soup stock: Use a light vegetable stock or chicken stock. (If you make homemade vegetable stock, use the same type of vegetables included in this soup. Do not include tomatoes in the stock mixture.)
• Tomato paste: Use plain canned tomato paste, without additives like basil or oregano.
• White wine: We recommend using a relatively sweet Reisling. A pinot blanc, muscat blanc, or Gewürztraminer will also work.
• Water: The water you use matters. Be aware, if your water is treated and has an overpowering taste because of it (i.e, municipally added chlorine, chloramine, etc.), that flavor may taint your chicken stock, which will in turn negatively flavor whatever you make with it.
• Paprika: Use a sweet Hungarian paprika. Avoid using Spanish paprika for this recipe.
• Pepper: We recommend using white pepper. Not only is the flavor perfect for this dish, but it's texture hides the appearance of pepper specks in the soup. 
• Lemon juice: Use fresh lemon juice if possible. Bottled juice is has a more acrid flavor.
• Hot sauce: We use plain old original Tabasco for this chowder.
• Kosher salt

How to Make this Salmon Chowder Recipe

Make the Chowder Base

Slice off the root and the tough green top, and then slice leeks lengthwise.

Turn leeks so that their flat sides are facing down. Slice leeks into thin half-moons.

Heat an enameled cast iron Dutch oven or other heavy soup pot over medium heat. Add olive oil, butter, and prepared leeks.

Stirring almost constantly, sauté leeks until they wilt and become translucent; about 5 minutes.

Add minced garlic to leeks and continue sautéing until garlic is fragrant.

Add diced celery and grated carrots to the leek mixture and cook, stirring frequently, for 3-5 minutes, until celery begins to look slightly translucent.

Add clam juice, vegetable stock, tomato paste, white wine, water, paprika, salt, pepper, lemon juice, and hot sauce.

Stir in all of the diced potatoes and bring mixture in pot to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until the diced potatoes are tender but not mushy. Remove from heat.

OPTIONAL: If you like your chowder extra creamy, use a potato masher to break up potatoes just a bit before moving on. Remember though, this is a chowder: you want it to be chunky!

You can also use an immersion blender to break down the mixture, but don't get carried away.

Finish the Chowder

Using your fingers (or a knife), flake the smoked salmon into small pieces. You want it to be roughly the same size and texture as flaked chunky canned tuna.

Add ¾ of the salmon (6 ounces) to the soup mixture, reserving 2 ounces to finish the soup.

Prep Tarragon

Separate a few small springs of tarragon from the larger stem to use later for garnishing chowder. Set aside.

Option 1: Remove a small handful tarragon leaves from the stem. Using the palm of your hand, roll the leaves on the counter or cutting board to bruise, and then coarsely chop. Add about 1 ½ - 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh tarragon to chowder mixture.

Option 2: Leave tarragon on stem, and stir entire stem into chowder. If you choose to leave the tarragon stem whole, you can remove it just before serving, or leave it in the soup pot and work around it as your serve.

Add fresh tarragon and heavy cream to the leek mixture and give it a good stir.

Steep Chowder

Allow the chowder to steep in its own heat (i.e., off the stove) for at least a half an hour. This will give the smoky salmon and fresh tarragon flavors time to infuse themselves into the mixture.

Serving Tips

When ready to serve, return the chowder to the stovetop and heat over low to bring it back up to temperature. DO NOT BOIL!

Serve in soup or chowder bowls. Finish chowder with a splash of heavy cream, a generous sprinkling of the reserve flaked smoked salmon, and a small sprig of fresh tarragon.

We usually make this chowder a day ahead of time, and let the flavors marry in the fridge overnight.

Substitutions

• Salmon: Grilled salmon will also work, but only if it doesn't have a marinade or other seasonings on it that might throw off the flavors.
• Leeks: You can substitute shallots or cipolinni onions for the leeks.
• Russet potatoes: You can use Yukon Golds for both the russets and golds.
• Yukon Gold potatoes: You can use russet potatoes for both the russets and golds; however, your soup will not be as smooth.
• Fresh tarragon: Fresh tarragon has a completely unique flavor; one that is noticeably changed by the drying process. If you must use dried tarragon (which I do not recommend) keep in mind that it has a much more concentrated, intense flavor than that of fresh. As a rule, use 1 scant teaspoon of dried herb for every tablespoon of fresh. 
• Heavy cream: You can make this chowder with half & half or whole milk.
• Butter: You can use a butter substitute, but it will lack the richness of the real thing.
• Olive oil: Canola oil will also work.
• Garlic: You can use ½ teaspoon of garlic powder in place of the fresh garlic.
• Clam juice: The juice drained off canned clams will also work.
• Soup stock: You can use a bouillon cube or a teaspoon of Better than Bouillon instead of stock.
• White wine: If you avoid alcohol altogether, you can use white grape juice.

Equipment

I always recommend using an enameled cast iron Dutch oven or heavy stockpot to make soups and chowders. A Dutch oven allows you to sauté and simmer on the stovetop, and the enameled (i.e., glass) surface won't react to ingredients. A good Dutch oven promotes even heating and has great heat retention, and goes from stovetop to table with ease.

Storage

Smoked Salmon Chowder should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. When properly stored, salmon chowder is good up to 5 days.

Top Tip

As with most soups, salmon chowder is best the next day, when the flavors have had time to mingle and marry in the fridge overnight.

FAQ

More Salmon Recipes

If you love grilled salmon, try our Honey Glazed Salmon! It's easy and delicious, and if you marinate it overnight, you can have it on the table in just 20 minutes!

What to Serve with Salmon Chowder

Finish this salmon chowder with a splash of heavy cream, a generous sprinkling of the reserve flaked salmon, and a small sprig of fresh tarragon. If you offer wine with it, serve the same type of wine you used to make the chowder.

With such a luxurious bowl of soup, it's best to keep things simple. A slice of warm, homemade bread makes a perfect pairing. This elegant chowder also makes a perfect first course to a formal, multi-course meal.

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