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.

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• Why this Recipe Works
• Six Key Ingredients for the Best Salmon Chowder
• How to Make this Recipe
• FAQs & Expert Tips
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• Creamy Smoked Salmon Chowder

Why this Recipe Works

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

I spent time and care developing this rich, decadent salmon 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. 

Six Key Ingredients for the Best Salmon Chowder

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

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. 

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. 

Potatoes, Potatoes, 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. 

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. 

In my experience, 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. 

If possible, use fresh French tarragon (as opposed to Russian tarragon, which can be bitter) for best results. 

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. 

Heavy Cream

If possible, 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. 

How to Make this 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.

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