Seattle Smoked Salmon Chowder from Skinny Taste

Winter has been continuing to hold an ice-cold grip on temperatures, so this week I felt the need to make a bowl of comfort food. This smoked salmon chowder from Skinny Taste was exactly what I was looking for! The balance between lower fat milk (I used the 1% we normally have on hand and not whole milk) and the rich flavor of smoked salmon was the warming antidote to the blast of arctic air. Skinny Taste’s original recipe gives directions for both stove-top and Instant Pot; I chose the stove-top which didn’t seem to be that much of a time problem. Visit the recipe’s original post for the Instant Pot directions.

The soup was served up in one of my favorite pieces – a handmade ceramic bowl made by one of Adrien’s former artist neighbors at Western Avenue Studios in Lowell – Liz Rodriguez. Liz’s ceramic pieces are beautiful and unique and some of my most treasured pieces for serving. You can learn more about Liz at her website Liz Rodriguez Ceramics.

Skinny Taste’s Seattle Smoked Salmon Chowder

Ingredients

•  2 tablespoons unsalted butter (I substituted coconut oil)
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 3 medium carrots, ½-inch dice
• 3 large celery stalks, ½-inch dice
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• ½ cup white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc
• 1 teaspoon dry thyme
• 3 cups reduced sodium chicken broth (No chicken broth? Not to worry – I used water, but veg broth also nice)
• 1 12-ounce wedge cauliflower (1/4 of a large head), stem attached
• 3 small red potatoes, peeled and diced into ½ inch pieces
• 1 cup frozen corn kernels
• 2 cups whole milk (substituted the low-fat milk we had on hand)
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 8 ounces skinless hot-smoked salmon
• Chopped chives, for garnish

Method – Stove Top (See Skinny Taste website for Instant Pot directions)

1. In a large (Dutch oven or ) heavy pot, melt butter over medium heat.
2. Add the onion, carrots, celery, garlic and ½ teaspoon salt and sauté until vegetables start to soften, about 5 minutes.
3. Sprinkle flour evenly over vegetables and cook, stirring often, for 1 minute.
4. Add wine and deglaze the pot.
5. Add the thyme, broth, cauliflower and potatoes, bring the pot to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook for 20 minutes.
6. Remove the lid from pot and transfer the cauliflower (I used frozen because THAT’s what we could access) and 1 cup of the soup to a blender and blend until smooth. Transfer puree back to the pot. (I skipped the blending because I prefer the chunkiness)
7. Add the milk, corn, and smoked salmon and heat through for about 5 minutes.
8. Season with remaining salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste.
9. Ladle 2 cups of soup into each bowl and top with chives

For Noomers:

Calories = 377, Carbs = 38, Protein = 31, Fat = 11.5, Sugar = 9, Sodium = 783