Salmon Chowder

I’m starting to get back into the mood for soup.

I’m not sure what it is, but by mid-August my food brain starts whispering, “Soup… soup…” and I can’t resist.

About 3 months ago I stumbled onto a recipe fromEating Well that was just A-MA-ZING. As in oh-my-god-i-can’t-believe-this-is-under-150-calories-it-tastes-like-its-400 good. It was a salmon chowder that had delicious chunks of salmon in it, with hearty cauliflower and lots of super rich, flavorful broth. Also, they added potato flakes to it to make it creamy– now, I had never tried potato flakes before, but it turned out super good (for those who fear them, though, normal mashed potatoes can be substituted too, according to the recipe).

I discovered some that I froze the other day, which was perfect timing for my kinda-sorta-fall-soup-craving! After I ate all that up, I made another batch but changed it a little! I adapted the original a tad to decrease the calories even more, while still keeping all the drool-worthy flavors! So go on, make yourself some soup (and get some omega-3s and protein while you’re at it!)

Salmon Chowder
Adapted from Eating Well
Serves 6                 Serving Size: About 1 and 1/2 cups         Calories/Serving: 110

Ingredients:

• 2tsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/3c chopped carrot
• 1/3c chopped celery
• 4c reduced-sodium seafood broth
• 1 and 1/2c reduced sodium vegetable broth
• 1 (12-ounce) skinned salmon fillet, preferably wild-caught (see Note and Tip)
• 2 and 1/2c frozen cauliflower florets, thawed and coarsely chopped
• 3 tbl chopped fresh chives
• 1 1/4c instant UNSEASONED mashed potato flakes (see Note), or 2c leftover mashed potatoes
• 2tsp dried tarragon
• 2tbl Dijon mustard
• 1/4tsp salt
• 1.4tsp pepper
• 1/4tsp garlic powder
• 1/4tsp red pepper

Instructions:

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium
   heat. Add carrot and celery and cook, stirring frequently, until the
   vegetables just begin to brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add broth, water,
   salmon, cauliflower and chives and bring to a simmer.
   Cover and cook, maintaining a gentle simmer, until the salmon is just
   cooked through, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove the salmon to a clean cutting
   board. Flake into bite-size pieces with a fork.
2. Stir potato flakes (or leftover mashed potatoes), tarragon, and mustard into the soup until well blended. Return to a
   simmer. Add the salmon and reheat. Season with salt, garlic powder, and peppers.

• Notes: Instant mashed potato flakes that are unseasoned often are found in the boxes, not the bags. Look for a brand
  that has the fewest ingredients possible (and therefore little to no
  artificial additives or flavoring).
• Wild-caught salmon from the Pacific (Alaska and
  Washington) are more sustainably fished and have a larger, more stable
  population. Plus I think they taste better!