Hello again! It’s me – Sarah, that overly-enthusiastic-about-garlic lady who introduced y’all to my White Bean Spinach Dip a few weeks back. I hope y’all got a chance to try it out!
This time around, I wanted to share with you one of my favorite soup recipes; Salmon Tomato Chowder. It’s good stuff. If you’re having friends or family over for dinner and want to keep costs low, this is a great recipe to make because, well…because salmon is classy, even in chowder.
First up, we’ll need 2 salmon filets. I generally use the frozen variety (thawed) because I live in a landlocked state and most fish are already frozen before they reach the grocery store (fish lovers can all join me in a loud groan of disapproval at this tragedy).
Anyhow, saute the salmon in a bit of olive oil over medium heat, about 3 minutes per side. Chop cooked salmon into small pieces.
In a large pot, combine salmon, rotel tomatoes, potato, onion, and corn. Oh, and a little bit of salt and pepper.
When cooking, the best way to achieve good flavors in your food is to add a small amount of seasoning each step of the way. This also gives you more control over the amount of spice that you add.
Add chicken broth and cook over medium heat until the chowder reaches a low boil. Maintain the low boil until the potatoes are fork-tender – about 10 – 15 minutes, depending on how small you chopped them.
Remove chowder from heat and pour in ¼ c. half & half, cream, or whole milk. Stir to combine.
Garnish with scallions for a little burst of color and flavor.
Serve immediately, with a slice or two of artisan bread; y’all enjoy!
Salmon Tomato Chowder (Printable Recipe)
Serves 4
2 salmon filets, patted dry (2.50)
1 large russet potato, chopped small (0.15)
1 medium onion, diced (0.20)
1 c. fresh or frozen corn (0.30)
2 cans undrained Rotel tomatoes, Mexican variety (0.48)
2-3 c. chicken broth (Free – if you make your own)
Salt and pepper
½ tsp. chili powder (0.05)
½ tsp. garlic powder (0.05)
¼ c. half & half, cream or whole milk (0.05 – 0.15)
4 scallions, sliced (0.10)
Artisan loaf (1.00) Check out the day-old bakery section in your grocery store and you’ll likely find some really good deals on bread. Just be sure to freeze or eat it within 2 days.
Total Cost: $4.88
Saute the salmon in a bit of olive oil over medium heat, about 3 minutes per side. Chop cooked salmon into small pieces.
In a large pot, combine salmon, rotel tomatoes, potato, onion, and corn. Oh, and a little bit of salt and pepper. Add chicken broth and cook over medium heat until the chowder reaches a low boil. Maintain the low boil until the potatoes are fork-tender – about 10 – 15 minutes, depending on how small you chopped them.
Remove chowder from heat and pour in ¼ c. half &half, cream, or whole milk. Stir to combine. Garnish with scallions and serve immediately.
Sarah Lenhart is the author of Frontier Kitchen, a cooking blog dedicated to simple home cooking that your family will love. She lives in Wyoming with her husband and daughter.
This is my favorite soup recipe! Hopefully y’all like it too!
Thank you for this recipe- it looks great and I can’t wait to try it. My only question is can I use a can of salmon if I don’t have frozen patties on hand? I am sure the taste of the canned salmon won’t be as “fresh” as the frozen, but I was just curious. Thank you again! ☺
@Annie, You probably could try using canned salmon. I can’t imagine it would be too terribly different; just be sure to buy canned salmon that is canned in water, not oil, and drain it off first before adding it to the soup.
If you try it, send me an e-mail at: frontierkitchen@gmail.com – I would love to hear how it turns out for you!
I love salmon and this looks like a great way to use it.
WOW! This is a keeper! I used 4 frozen salmon fillets and added 4-5 extra potatoes to make it heartier. I haven’t cooked with scallops before, but they would be really yummy here, too! I threw in some salsa that was on its way out, and a can on regular tomatoes in place of the 2nd can of rotel. It was so yummy! Even my 2 year old liked it! Sipping the broth first and then eating the chunks with cheese! =) Can’t wait for my toms to come in the garden for this, too! Yum!
To: Carrie,
Thanks for sharing your own version of stew. When reading your post, I was telling myself I would have done the same thing. I already thought about doubling with extra potatoes. And better yet, I have lots of fresh just picked garden tomatoes. I am going to add pieces of fried bacon for extra flavor. My hubby is going Elk Bow hunting with group of guys and asked me to make Salmon stew, Manhattan style. I’ve never made that before but made Salmon Corn Chowder creamy soup, which is about the same ingredients you use for your tomato chowder recipe. For more flavor, I add fried bacon and green onions. I season the soup with Johnny’s and crackled black pepper or red pepper flakes to add some spiciness. I use cream of chicken, which I prefer or cream of mushroom soup instead of whipping cream. Some people don’t stomach whipping cream and it’s high on calories. As an option, you can top it off with any type of grated cheese, green onion, and fresh parsley for garnish. I use Bisquick recipe, Cheese Biscuits brushed with melted butter right out of the oven. It taste just like Red Lobster cheese biscuits. Yummy!
The post that replied to Carrie on August 31, 2012 was not the same Sarah who wrote the recipe for Salmon tomato chowder. I (Sarah N.) wanted to mention that in case some got confused and thought it was the author “Sarah”. I’m making the Salmon tomato chowder today for the first time for my husband’s hunting trip. I am short on potatoes and decided to experiment by adding some sweet potatoes. Hope it turns out okay. Thank you Sarah for sharing your recipe!
we usually use a can (or two!) of full-fat coconut milk, as raw cream is hard to find and coconut milk doesn’t tend to scum on top. bacon always makes it better! and someone mentioned sweet potatoes? definitely a yes, we always use them! a bit of curry paste in the beginning and a lot of fresh thai basil added at the end makes for a really nice change of pace, too.