Description
A comforting and creamy Fish Chowder Soup made with tender white fish, potatoes, corn, peas, and aromatic vegetables simmered in a flavorful broth. This hearty soup is perfect for a cozy meal, served with crusty bread for dipping.
Ingredients
Scale
Base
- 40g / 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 small carrots, halved and sliced into 0.5cm / 1/5″ slices
- 1/2 cup (125ml) dry white wine (optional)
- 1/4 cup (35g) plain / all purpose flour
Liquids & Broth
- 3 cups (750 ml) milk, any fat percentage
- 2 cups (500 ml) fish stock, clam juice, or low sodium chicken stock
Vegetables & Fish
- 2 cups potato, peeled and cut into 1.5 cm / 0.5″ cubes (approx. 1 large potato)
- 1 cup corn, frozen or canned (drained)
- 0.5 tsp salt, plus more to taste
- Finely ground black pepper, to taste
- 600g / 1.2 lb white fish fillets, skinless and cut into 2cm / 4/5″ pieces
- 1 cup frozen peas
Garnish & Serving
- 1/4 cup green onions, halved and finely sliced (optional garnish)
- Crusty bread for dunking
Instructions
- Melt Butter and Sauté Aromatics: Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and finely chopped onion, cooking for about 5 minutes until they turn translucent but are not golden, building the soup’s flavorful base.
- Add Carrots and Wine: Stir in the halved, sliced carrots. Increase the heat to high, pour in the dry white wine, and let it simmer rapidly until the liquid is mostly evaporated to concentrate the flavors.
- Create Roux: Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir continuously for 30 seconds. The mixture will become thick and sludgy, forming the roux to thicken the chowder.
- Incorporate Liquids: Slowly pour in the fish stock (or clam juice or chicken stock) while stirring constantly to dissolve the roux paste smoothly. Then, stir in the milk to create a creamy broth base.
- Add Vegetables and Simmer: Add the cubed potatoes, corn, salt, and black pepper. Bring the soup to a simmer, then reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook for about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are nearly tender.
- Cook Fish and Peas: Gently add the pieces of white fish and the frozen peas to the pot. Simmer for an additional 3 minutes or until the fish is just cooked through and flakes easily with a fork.
- Adjust Seasoning and Serve: Taste the soup and adjust salt and pepper as needed. If the chowder is too thick, thin it with a splash of water or more milk. Serve hot, garnished with sliced green onions and accompanied by crusty bread for dipping.
Notes
- Use a good quality liquid stock for best flavor: homemade or specialty fish stock is preferred. Clam juice is an excellent alternative available in some countries, adding great seafood flavor.
- If fish stock or clam juice is unavailable, low sodium chicken broth can be used and still deliver great taste.
- Avoid stock cubes or bouillon powders, as liquid stock is essential for the soup’s rich flavor.
- Choose firm, meaty white fish such as snapper, barramundi, tilapia, basa, cod, monkfish, marlin, gurnard, leatherjacket, Spanish mackerel, shark (flake), or salmon for best results.
- Avoid delicate fish like whiting, flatfish varieties, or lean fatty fish like tuna and swordfish, as they can fall apart or become dry in soup.
- This chowder is best served fresh but can be refrigerated for 1-2 days and gently reheated.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl (about 1/5 of recipe)
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 420 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 27 g
- Cholesterol: 65 mg
