Yup! The salmon was just as good today as it was yesterday. We LOVE salmon chowder and it’s a little different each time I make it. Today’s version had quite a few “extra” ingredients that I ran across as I was cleaning out the fridge.
Salmon Chowder
I started by sauteing one large, chopped onion and 1 T. minced garlic in about 1 t. olive oil until the onion and garlic were browned and almost carmelized. I put those in my food processor and liquified them. I added the rest of the homemade yogurt (about 2 c.) in the fridge. I also found two stalks of steamed broccoli in the fridge, so I put those into the food processor as well. The last thing I found in the back of the fridge was a small container of nacho cheese sauce that really needed to be used up. I scraped about 2/3 of a cup of that into the Cuisenart and turned it on. After everything was completely liquified, I let those things sit for awhile.
I peeled 5 potatoes and cut them into small (1/2″) cubes. I cooked them in water in my medium-sized stock pot. When they were really cooked, I mushed them down with a potato masher. Then I added the garlic/onion/yogurt mixture to the potatoes. I took the leftover salmon (I had a piece that was 3 1/2-4 inches wide and about 7 or 8 inches long left) and broke it into small pieces. There were some capers still clinging to the salmon, so I just brushed those into the pot too.
Last, I added a cup and a half of drained, canned tomatoes with green chiles and about 2 t. of chipotle sauce. I probably won’t add that much chipotle sauce in the future because it really dominated in flavor. I added some black pepper and about 1/2 c. milk. Then I turned the burner as low as I could and let the pot simmer for over an hour.
This was just delicious and the chipotle gave it a little kick. It was a very hearty soup.
Now. Part of the deal with this chowder is that I was using up odds and ends in my fridge. The odds and ends in YOUR fridge will be different. Strictly speaking, the chowder needs potatoes, onions, salmon, milk, salt and pepper. Anything else that lands in there just makes the flavors more interesting. If you just use those basic ingredients, you’ll still end up with great chowder.
As Laura has said in the past, if you run out to buy nacho cheese sauce to put into your chowder, you’re missing the point of what we’re doing here. If you happen to TRY adding 2/3 c. nacho cheese sauce to your chowder and like it so much that you write it on your recipe card, that’s different.
