Seafood chowder

45 min.
This deliciously thick seafood chowder with Puck Whipped cream has everything you need in a classic chowder. Made with a tasty, savory shellfish stock and thickened with milk and whipped cream, it features potatoes, carrots, and crunchy celery to add a burst of freshness as well as different textures. Of course, most importantly, our creamy seafood chowder has a delightful selection of seafood in the form of haddock, salmon, and prawns, giving you some juiciness, softness, and firmness in every bite. Give it a try next time you are in the mood for a tasty soup!

Ingredients

4 portions

Instructions

Tip

If you want to thicken the seafood chowder more than the whipped cream does, with a little help from simmering potato chunks, you can use a so-called corn flour slurry as corn flour is an even better thickening agent than flour. To make a corn flour slurry, mix equal parts corn flour and cold water, broth, or soup in a bowl until you get an even mass. Incorporate the slurry into the chowder, bring it to a simmer, and let it cook for a few minutes to allow the corn flour to work its magic without affecting the flavors. A good rule of thumb is to use 1 tablespoon of slurry per 1 litre of soup.

Questions about seafood chowder

With our quick and easy seafood chowder recipe, you can make a deliciously rich seafood and vegetable dinner in no time. Learn more about the dish below!
What is seafood chowder?

Seafood chowder is a thick soup made with a roux, milk and whipped cream, and a selection of different vegetables and seafood. Unlike some other types of soup, chowder is always rich and thick and served warm. Like a stew, it contains chunks of seafood, meat, or vegetables. There are no set rules for what goes in seafood chowder, but popular variations include clam, scallop, crab, salmon, cod, and haddock.

How to make seafood chowder?

Whipping up a quick seafood chowder with whipped cream is perfect when you are in the mood for a rich, warm, and comforting meal. After prepping the vegetables, start by sautéing the onions and garlic cloves, and making a roux by mixing in flour. Add potatoes, carrots, milk, whipped cream, and shellfish stock. Cook the salmon and haddock chunks in this before adding the remaining ingredients and seasoning the soup to taste. Enjoy the creamy and thick seafood chowder warm right away.

Can you freeze seafood chowder?

Freezing seafood chowder is possible though you may experience a slight texture change in the creamy soup. Let it cool, then transfer it to airtight containers. Make sure the chunks of seafood are covered by liquid, that there is room for the chowder to expand as it freezes, and that you place the containers in a spot where the temperature is constant. In the freezer, it will keep for up to 4 months. Let it thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat the completely thawed chowder slowly on the stove as you stir it to avoid it splitting.

How long does seafood chowder last in the fridge?

Classic seafood chowder with whipped cream lasts for 3-4 days if properly refrigerated. As you should never leave it out at room temperature for long, make sure to pour it into airtight containers as soon as you are done eating. When you want to eat some of the leftover chowder, reheat it slowly in a saucepan on low heat as you stir it frequently but gently.

What to serve with seafood chowder?

A simple seafood chowder with whipped cream may be served with salty crackers, slices of flavorful bread like whole meal bread, sourdough bread, or cornbread, or topped with crunchy or fresh toppings to lighten the hearty dish. For crunch, use day-old white bread to make a batch of homemade salty croutons or sprinkle crumbled beef bacon on top for a surf and turf topping. To truly brighten it, opt for fresh herbs like flat-leaf parsley and chives.

How to thicken seafood chowder?

Though a traditional recipe will call for milk, whipped cream, as well as a roux to ensure a creamy and thick seafood chowder, you may feel the need to thicken it further. To do so, make a corn flour slurry by combing equal parts corn flour and cold water, broth, or soup. Add the slurry to your chowder and cook it for a few minutes to allow it to thicken without adding any unwanted taste.

Other recipes you will love

Delicious and hearty seafood chowder

A tasty chowder is a great starter or main course when you want something that is both warming and creamy. Ours is seafood-based, and since it is thick and rich, it is suited as a main dish. It is filled with tasty vegetables that have a bit of bite, tender and flaky chunks of fish, and big, beautiful shrimps that in combination give this creamy soup a savory, earthy, and somewhat sweet flavor profile.

Classic chowder with fish and prawns

Our mixed seafood chowder is a classic chowder with mixed vegetables like celery, potatoes, and onions as well as a lovely selection of seafood. When selecting these seafood chowder ingredients, we wanted to choose classic, well-known fish with varying textures that would pair well with the mild, sweet, and firm shrimps.

Buttery salmon and mild haddock

It is important to use fish that will hold up and not become either dry, tough, or mushy. Shellfish like shrimps will hold beautifully and needs almost no time in the liquid to cook, which is why you add it at the end. Salmon and haddock are both firm fish that can be so irresistibly juicy, buttery, and soft after cooking, and pairing rich and flaky salmon with a firm yet tender white fish like haddock means you get all you need texture-wise to make a delicious thick seafood chowder full of flavor. The mild-tasting haddock has a slightly sweet flavor that complements the somewhat oily taste of the flavorful and buttery salmon.

Creamy chowder and crunchy vegetables

Seafood chowder with whipped cream is perhaps most known for its deliciously thick consistency. This richness is exactly what makes a chowder different from a regular soup. The chunks of fresh seafood and vegetables complement the heaviness of the milk and whipped cream and the freshly squeezed lemon juice helps it become decadence rather than dense and heavy.

Are you looking for more creamy soups to try out? Let us direct your attention to our easy recipes for some classics like asparagus soup. You can also stick with the seafood and try our fish soup with salmon, cod, and shrimp.

Change things up with a spicy seafood chowder

Red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, and paprika are the preferred spices for seafood chowder if you want to spice it up and add some heat to this cream-based soup. All three have complex sweet and spicy flavor profiles that will complement the richness of the chowder. Cayenne pepper and paprika will also introduce a lovely, understated smokiness into the dish.

Using pungent mustard powder as a seasoning for seafood chowder is also a great option if you would like to incorporate a bit of warm spiciness as well as some savory undertones without the heat you get from peppers.

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