Salmon chowder meets Potato Leek Soup
Have you ever fallen off your bar stool, walked home in 25 degree weather, and woken up on the couch with bruised shins and New Girl faintly playing in the background? If so, you’ll definitely need this soup to recuperate.
To make this you’ll need: leeks, potatoes, salmon (I used smoked because if you think I’ll be paying $30 for a piece of Atlantic salmon from the NY grocery store when there’s deli lox next door you’re so wrong, but longing for a pacific filet from the freezer. If you have access to that, use it), carrots, garlic, white onion, corn, dill, lemon juice, butter, salt, pepper, stock, milk (oat, regular, cream, whatever you have) white wine and red pepper flakes. You’ll also need John Mayer, preferably a candle lit somewhere in your apartment, extra wine for drinking (or tea…), some slippers, and some time to yourself.
Dice your onion, garlic and carrots finely, leave your leeks in slightly bigger pieces, and chop your potatoes into cubes. Sautee leeks, garlic, and onion in a healthy amount of butter (we’re making recoup soup not dieting here, keep that in mind) on medium low heat until everything is soft and just starting to brown. Deglaze your pot with white wine and add in potatoes and carrots to sautee with aromatics for a minute or two. You should be feeling some steam creep into your sinuses here. If you’re congested like me some, red pepper flakes at this point make all the difference.
Chop your salmon into small, bite sized pieces, and add to your pot, alongside liquid. I used roughly half veggie stock and half oat milk because I forgot to get cream at the store. If one did have cream, I’d change the ratio to 3/4 stock, 1/4 cream. Make sure there’s enough liquid to cover all your veggies and salmon with an inch or two of liquid to spare. I had some butter beans in my fridge to use up, so those went in at this point too. The beauty of soup is in its’ versatility— it’s all just layers and warmth so throw in whatever you like once your base is settled.
Add in about 1/4 of a lemons’ worth of juice, 1/2 a can ish of corn, and a few tablespoons (eyeball measuring, of course) of fresh, chopped dill. Turn the heat to low, cover, and go dance around your apartment for awhile. Or clean your kitchen, whichever feels right.
Come back when you feel like it, which should be when everything smells good enough that you’re hungry, which should be when your potatoes are fall apart soft, which should really be about 30 minutes. At this point you get to decide how you like your soup! I liked mine with a little more salt, some black pepper, extra fresh dill, and some more lemon juice. This soup honest to goodness felt like being tucked into bed while someone reads you a bedtime story. It also makes leftovers, so you can be tucked into bed and read bedtime stories all week. Enjoy!
