Seafood Chowder

I love thinking back & pondering about all the trips I’ve been on the past few years. One of my stand-out favorites was my Alaskan Cruise on the Carnival Legend this past June.

As we all know, Alaska is known for having some of the best seafood in the world. Salmon is one of their finest and most prized commodities. I enjoyed it quite a few times on and off the cruise. I found Seafood Chowder at all the ports we went to & couldn’t wait to share this recipe with you! I’ve been craving this recipe non-stop!

RECIPE (serves 4)

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 leeks (white and light green parts), chopped
• 1/2 cup onion, diced (1 medium)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 18-ounce bottle clam juice
• 3 cups whole milk
• 1 pound potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1/2 pound cooked salmon, coarsely chopped (I pan sautéed mine with some olive oil)
• 1 (16 ounce) bag mixed frozen seafood “mariscada mix”, thawed & drain juices
• 1 (10-ounce) package frozen corn
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• bread or chowder crackers for serving (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Heat the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the leeks, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the flour. Add the clam juice, milk, and potatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer, stirring occasionally, for 12 minutes. Stir in the seafood mix, salmon and corn and cook until the potatoes are tender and the shrimp and corn are heated through, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the parsley and lemon juice. Serve with the bread (if using).

For the salmon: Use the same pan. Before you make the soup cook the salmon for a few minutes on each side with a tablespoon of olive oil over medium high heat. Remove from the pan, make the soup according to the directions above, then add the salmon back in with the mixed seafood.

*this recipe adapted from Real Simple

Fall is the perfect time to cozy up and enjoy a piping warm bowl of soup. This one is a full meal, chock full of seafood, potatoes & corn. The flavor is amazing! My whole family was smitten. If you wish to keep this a one-pot meal you can sauté the salmon in the same pan you are using to cook the soup. Simply cook it for a few minutes on each side with a tablespoon of olive oil over medium high heat. Remove from the pan, make the soup according to the directions below, then add the salmon back in!

To learn more about my trip please check out these two blog posts: Alaska Cruise on the Carnival Legend

And Epic Alaska! Both of these posts give you a great pictorial feel about what this Alaska trip was like. I could have used some of this warm chowder on that trip to see the huskies. It was a gorgeous sunny day…but a tad bit chilly when we were riding on the sleigh. Next time!

Bet you will feel the need to book a cruise soon too! Please visit Carnival for more information on their amazing Alaskan cruises and enjoy your soup….