Salmon chowder is a great way to use leftover baked or grilled salmon. This recipe is only a guide, so please don’t feel you need to follow it exactly. If you don’t have all the ingredients listed, substitutions are fine. If you feel like adding additional vegetables or seasonings, go for it.

I don’t remember where I first saw this recipe, probably in a magazine in a doctor’s office, but it sounded good, so I jotted it down on a slip of paper. The original recipe called for butter instead of olive oil, garlic powder instead of fresh garlic, canned salmon, and a can of creamed corn. The white wine and red pepper flakes are my own additions. White cooking wine contains salt, so if you use it, you may want to start with less salt. The red pepper flakes can be adjusted or eliminated -- more if you like a lot of heat, less or none if you don’t. You can use more or less broth, depending on how thick you want the chowder to be. If you have lots of salmon to use, the recipe can be doubled or tripled and the extra frozen for future meals.

Have fun experimenting, and however you choose to make this chowder, I hope you find the perfect combination of ingredients. Enjoy!

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Ingredients

1 T. olive oil

1 c. onion, chopped

2 - 4 cloves garlic, minced

1 -2 c. celery, chopped

1 - 2 c. carrots, sliced

1 large potato, diced

2 - 14.5 ounce cans chicken broth

1 t. salt

1 t. dill weed

½ t. pepper

2 c. cooked salmon 

1 can evaporated milk

2 T. white wine

¼ t. red pepper flakes

2 c. cheddar cheese, grated

Directions

Saute onion, garlic and celery in olive oil until onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add carrots, potato, broth, salt, pepper and dill. Simmer until vegetables are almost done, about 20 minutes. Add salmon, evaporated milk, white wine, and red pepper flakes. Heat through. Then add cheese and stir until heated. Adjust seasonings as needed.