Smoked Salmon Chowder With White Wine, Potatoes, and Corn

Name: Smoked Salmon Chowder With White Wine, Potatoes, and Corn
Yield: 10
Cuisine: American

RECIPE: Excerpted from The Fishwife Cookbook: Delightful Tinned Fish Recipes for Every Occasion © 2025 by Becca Millstein and Vilda Gonzalez. Photography © 2025 by Ren Fuller. Illustrations © 2025 Danny Miller. Reproduced by permission of Harvest, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.

Photo: Ren Fuller

February 19, 2025

A cozy soup with a touch of summer vibes.

Warm up with this smoked salmon chowder with white wine from The Fishwife Cookbook by Becca Milstein and Vilda Gonzalez. This creamy soup features tender salmon and the spirit of summer courtesy of frozen corn.

Ingredients

Yield:4

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1/2 medium yellow onion, finely diced
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
Fine sea salt
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/3 cup dry white wine
4 golf-ball-size Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
3 cups seafood or vegetable stock
1 cup heavy cream
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup frozen corn kernels
2 tins Fishwife Smoked Atlantic Salmon
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp. arrowroot powder (optional)

Garnish:Chopped fresh parsley, crushed saltine crackers, and hot sauce, for serving

Preparation

In a large saucepan, heat the butter over medium heat. When it’s melted and bubbling, add the onion, celery, and a generous pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened and are just starting to take on some color, about 10 minutes.

Add the garlic, thyme, and red pepper flakes and cook for 1 minute more. Add the wine and simmer until its reduced by a third. Add the potatoes, seafood stock, heavy cream, and a generous pinch each of salt and black pepper. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to maintain steady simmer. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. Add the frozen corn, tinned salmon, and Worcestershire sauce. Cook for another minute to allow the salmon to warm through, then remove from the heat. Taste for seasoning and adjust if needed.

If using, place the arrowroot in a small bowl and ladle in 1/2 cup of the liquid from the pot. Whisk until well incorporated and no lumps remain, then pour into the chowder and give everything a gentle stir to incorporate. Give it 5 minutes to thicken the chowder.

Serve hot, each serving topped with chopped parsley, a grind of black pepper, some crushed saltines, and your favorite hot sauce.
NOTEArrowroot thickens this chowder without the use of a more traditional roux, helping to ensure that all our gluten-free friends can indulge in a bowl of chowder, too. If you don’t have arrowroot on hand, rest assured that your chowder will still be rather tasty—just expect a slightly less luscious consistency.