Classic Seafood Chowder
Something interesting happens at my house as soon as November hits… my mindset immediately switches from Fall to Winter. Cool to cold. Leaves to snow. Halloween to Christmas! It sounds crazy, but as soon as soon as the calendar reads “November 1st” I am all about the scarves, wool socks, bulky sweaters, egg nog steamers, and warm soup.
Pure bliss can be found in a hot, comforting bowl of soup on a day when the cool air nips at your face. Not to mention there is something therapeutic about standing in front of a warm stove creating a dish that will fill your belly and feed your soul.
If you ask me, soup is one of the most underrated meals. It’s easy, tasty and above all, filling! During my 13+ weeks of morning sickness, soup quickly became my go-to meal for these three reasons. If I’m being honest, most of the time I opted for canned soup, but occasionally I found the strength, stamina, and stomach to make something from scratch!
While I wasn’t able to enjoy this particular soup during my first trimester, it was something I began to crave shortly thereafter. I had the most delicious seafood chowder at The Sou’Wester Restaurant in Peggy’s Cove while in Nova Scotia 4 years ago, and it has been on my “to make” list for years! So, when I stumbled across this Seafood Chowder recipe from the Dairy Farmers of Canada I knew it was something that would satisfy my craving… and let me tell you, it really hit the spot!
The creamy soup base is complemented perfectly by diced potatoes, mussels, and shrimp, while the fragrant dill and squeeze of fresh lemon brighten all the flavours in the dish! For me, crushed soda crackers on top are a must, but this soup is equally as good without! If you’re looking for a hearty and rich soup to indulge in this weekend, this one is it!
Classic Seafood Chowder
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 25
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 bowls 1x
- Category: Soup
Description
This velvety chowder with classic flavour is ready to customize with your favourite fish or seafood – I used mussels and shrimp! Simple, quick and soooo tasty.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp butter
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp dried dill
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 large Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced
- 2 cups water or fish stock
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 cups milk
- 1 cup raw shrimp
- 1 cup frozen mussel meat, thawed
- Crackers, crumbled
Instructions
- In a large pot, melt butter over medium heat; sauté celery, onion, bay leaf, dill, salt and pepper for about 5 min or until onions start to brown. Stir in potatoes; sauté for 2 min.
- Increase heat to medium-high; stir in water and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium and boil for about 5 min or until potatoes are almost tender.
- Whisk flour into milk and stir into pot; bring to a simmer, stirring often. Stir in fish or seafood; simmer, stirring often for 5 min or until fish is opaque and flakes easily with a fork or seafood is hot. Discard bay leaf. Stir in lemon juice and season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Ladle into bowls and top each serving with crumbled crackers.
Keywords: Classic Seafood Chowder, Easy Seafood Chowder, Seafood Chowder, Chowder, Seafood Soup, Soup
Seafood is really something quite special. Can’t wait to try this recipe.
★★★★★