I just winterized my summer chowder. This is an almost effortless, fast and simple chowder — what I call “amiable.” It’s made by softening so-called aromatics (celery, onions, garlic and possibly carrot), dousing them with white wine, simmering them with potatoes, thyme and bay leaf in fish stock or clam juice, diced tomatoes and water until the potatoes are tender, and off the heat, adding salmon and cream to cook gently on their own. Winterizing (if that’s a word outside the advertising industry), took the form of adding diced celeriac – celery root — with the stalk celery. I could also see adding carrots 

What I like about this soup, besides simplicity, is making it ahead. It improves by keeping it in the refrigerator for the next day and it can be frozen. Bonus! It works really well for the holidays when I want to be with family and friends instead of in the kitchen, and allows flexibility for the unknown numbers of folk who arrive at whatever time on whatever day.

Salmon Chowder with Tomatoes and Celeriac adapted from Becky Selengut, Good Fish

1 tbsp olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

2 ribs celery, diced

½ c diced celeriac

Optional: 1 small carrot, peeled and diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium Yukon Gold or other firm potato, peeled and diced

1 tsp minced fresh thyme or ½ tsp dried

1 fresh or dried bay leaf

¼ c dry white wine

1 14-oz can fire-roasted diced tomatoes or 1c fresh tomatoes and a pinch of cayenne

1 c water

1 c clam juice or fish stock

¼ c heavy cream

½ lb salmon filet, skinned and cut into ½-inch cubes

¼ c minced parsley

Salt to taste

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, celery, celeriac, garlic and the optional carrot and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the potato and sauté for another 5 minutes. Add thyme, bay leaf and white wine and stir the pot to loosen any brown bits clinging to the bottom. Add tomatoes, clam juice or fish stock, and water, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes until the potatoes and celeriac are soft. Add cream, salmon and half the parsley. Stir gently, remove the pot from the heat, cover it and let the soup sit for 5 minutes. Add the rest of the parsley and adjust the seasonings. Serve right away or cool it before storing in the refrigerator for a day or two or in the freezer for a couple of months.

Serves 4

Categories: Celery and celeriac, Fish, SoupTags: Salmon chowder