Wild Salmon Chowder

Happy Tuesday, friends! As we rush towards the first day of spring, I’m hurrying to enjoy a few last winter dishes. And this one has definitely been a family favorite over the past week. A bowl of warm salmon chowder: bits of crispy bacon and chunks of tender fish floating in an oh-so creamy vegetable broth. And best of all, it’s nourishing to your body: dairy free, gluten free, and paleo!

For the most delicious tasting soup, I recommend using wild Alaskan salmon. When cooking with fish, I always prefer to buy wild because of the many problems associated with farmed fish. Read more about the differences between wild and factory-farmed salmon here. All Alaskan Salmon is guaranteed wild and sustainably caught. It is illegal to farm salmon in Alaska. Here is an excellent site with information on Alaskan Salmon.

The salmon we used for our chowder was frozen Wild Alaskan Sockeye from Copper River Seafoods. The salmon is vacumn sealed in a 12oz portion. Our local supermarket carries it, but you can also buy it from their online store. From what I’ve read, it seems that frozen salmon is just as good for you as fresh salmon.

While the Alaskan wild salmon can be a little pricey, consider this: it is less fatty and contains more protein than farmed salmon. It also contains more Omega-3s. And we know how good those are for us. The bottom line is that a smaller wild salmon fillet packs more nutrition than a larger piece of farmed salmon. (You may substitute another fish if you prefer.)

On to the soup! I like to have all of my ingredients ready before I start making the soup. First, I clean the leeks, cutting off the dark green tough leaves. Then I cut a thin slice from the root and run under water to wash away all the soil from the inner layers. Next, I slice crossways up to the root end and discard the end. I slice up the carrots, dice the red peppers, measure out the rest of the ingredients, and am ready to begin whipping up the soup. Only twenty minutes until we’re savoring that wild salmon chowder!

If you’re following a low-carb way of eating, you can eliminate the carrots.

First, the bacon. I found it easier to cook the bacon in a skillet, dice it up, and then carefully transfer the grease and bacon bits to the soup pot. You can also cook the bacon right in the pot and then dice it up if you prefer.

Next, I add the leeks and sauté until tender. Then come the carrots (optional) and red peppers. After about three minutes I add the coconut flour (I love the sweet fragrance of the coconut) and stir. The flour thickens the broth slightly. I use this coconut flour by Nutiva that is organic and certified gluten-free.

Finally, I pour in chicken stock, coconut milk, and season with paprika, salt, black pepper, and a bay leaf. I bring the soup to just to a boil and then reduce the heat to moderately low. At last it is time to add the salmon filets and immerse them in the soup, gently stirring now and then, until the salmon is just cooked through and begins to break up. I remove the bay leaf, add a little Sriracha sauce for an extra zing, and stir.

Ladle into your prettiest soup bowls and garnish with scallions and just a pinch of cayenne pepper. I love that extra kick of spiciness. As I write this post, it has begun to snow again outside: the perfect time to enjoy another bowl of this hearty and satisfying soup.

This salmon chowder will keep you warm in these last few weeks of winter, supercharge your health, and delight your tastebuds. Enjoy, friends! 🙂 Buon Appetito!

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5.0 from 2 reviews

Wild Salmon Chowder

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

30 mins

 

Ladle wild salmon chowder into your prettiest soup bowls and garnish with scallions and just a pinch of cayenne pepper if you like an extra spicy kick. If you’re following a low-carb way of eating, eliminate the carrots.

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 8 ounces Applegate no nitrate bacon
• 1 ½ cups leeks, sliced
• 2 carrots, sliced (optional)
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 1½ tablespoons coconut flour
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 1 13.5 oz can organic coconut milk
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 bay leaf
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• 12 ounces wild salmon fillets, skin removed
• 1 teaspoon Sriracha sauce (You may make at home as I did in this recipe)
• 1 scallion, thinly sliced as garnish
• pinch of cayenne pepper for each bowl of soup (optional)

Instructions

1. Cook bacon in a skillet until crispy and then dice. Carefully transfer bacon with its grease into a dutch oven pot.
2. Add leeks and sauté until tender. Then add the carrots (optional) and red peppers and cook another 3 minutes.
3. Add coconut flour and stir. Pour in chicken stock, coconut milk, and season with paprika, salt, black pepper and bay leaf, stir and bring to a boil.
4. Reduce heat to moderately low. Add the salmon filets and immerse them in the soup. Cook until salmon is cooked through, about 8 minutes.
5. Stir and break up the salmon. Discard bay leaf. Add Sriracha and stir.
6. Ladle into individual bowls and garnish with scallions and just a pinch of cayenne pepper.

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