This creamy seafood chowder is a delightful and nutritious meal. Packed with a variety of seafood and vegetables, it provides a wholesome option that’s both delicious and easy to prepare.
Seafood Chowder
A creamy soup made with salmon chunks, prawns and vegetables.
Servings: 2
Cost: £12
Ingredients
- 100 g salmon fillet cut into bite-sized pieces
- 100 g prawns peeled and deveined
- 1/2 onion finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 stick celery diced
- 1 medium potato peeled and diced
- 1/2 large carrot peeled and diced
- 1.5 tablespoons butter about 20g
- 1.5 tablespoons plain flour about 12g
- 500 ml fish stock or use chicken stock
- 120 ml double cream
- 120 ml whole milk
- 1/2 bay leaf
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme or 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped
- Juice of 1/4 lemon
- Optional garnish: Crusty bread or cream crackers
Instructions
Prepare the Base:
- In a medium-sized saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, garlic, celery, and carrot. Sauté until the vegetables are softened, about 5-7 minutes.
Make the Roux:
- Sprinkle the plain flour over the sautéed vegetables, stirring continuously to create a roux. Cook the mixture for about 2 minutes, ensuring the flour is well incorporated and lightly browned.
Add Stock and Potatoes:
- Gradually pour in the fish stock while stirring to avoid lumps. Add the diced potato, bay leaf, and thyme. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the potato is tender, about 10-15 minutes.
Add Seafood:
- Once the potato is cooked, add the salmon pieces and prawns to the pot. Simmer for an additional 5-7 minutes, or until the seafood is just cooked through.
Finish with Cream and Milk:
- Stir in the double cream and whole milk, and cook for another 2-3 minutes until the chowder is heated through. Do not bring it to a boil after adding the cream to avoid curdling.
Season and Serve:
- Season the chowder with salt, pepper, and lemon juice to taste. Remove the bay leaf, and stir in the chopped parsley.
Garnish and Chow down:
- Serve the chowder hot, garnished with extra parsley if desired. Pair with crusty bread or cream crackers.
The Keto Alternative:
Keto Seafood Chowder
Some ingredients have been swapped out to Keto firendly ones,
Servings: 3
Cost: 12
Ingredients
- 1/2 small carrot
- 100 g salmon fillet cut into bite-sized pieces
- 100 g prawns peeled and deveined
- 200 g Cauliflower bite-sized.
- 120 ml Double Cream
- 620 ml Fish/Chicken Stock.
- 1/4 Onion
- 2 clove Garlic
- 1 stick Celery
- 1 Bay leaf
- 1/2 tsp Thyme
- 1 tsp Parsley
- 20 g Butter
- 1/2 tsp Xanthan Gum mixed into the butter/garlic at the start.
- Salt & Pepper to taste
- 1/2 Lemon squeezed
Instructions
- Sauté: Start with your butter, onion, celery, carrot and garlic. Once soft, stir in your tiny bit of Xanthan Gum to coat the veggies.
- Simmer: Add your stock and cauliflower. Simmer until the cauliflower is fork-tender. Note: If you want a thicker broth, mash a few pieces of the cooked cauliflower in a separate pot with the stick blender.
- Finish: Add the salmon, prawns, and double cream at the very end. Seafood only needs 3–4 minutes to cook; if you boil it too hard, the salmon will get tough and the cream might split.
- Pro-Tip: If you have any bacon in the fridge, fry up a slice and crumble it on top. The smokiness pairs perfectly with the salmon and adds extra healthy fats!
Notes
Since you're removing the natural starch from potatoes and the nutty thickness of a flour roux, the broth can sometimes feel a bit "thin" or "flat."
To get that deep, restaurant-quality flavor while keeping it strictly Keto, try adding one or two of these umami boosters:
1. The "Cheesy" Secret: Nutritional Yeast
- Why: It adds a savory, nutty, and slightly salty depth that mimics the richness of a slow-cooked stock.
- How: Stir in 1–2 tablespoons toward the end. It also acts as a very mild natural thickener.
2. Clam Juice or Anchovy Paste
- Why: If your seafood mix is mostly white fish or shrimp, it can lack "ocean depth."
- How: Use a small jar of clam juice as part of your liquid base, or whisk in 1/2 teaspoon of anchovy paste into your butter/garlic sauté at the start. It won't taste like fish; it just tastes "fuller."
3. Mushroom Powder or Finely Minced Mushrooms
- Why: Mushrooms are umami bombs.
- How: If you have dried porcini or shiitake mushrooms, blitz them into a powder and add a teaspoon. Alternatively, very finely mince a few white button mushrooms and sauté them with your onions until they almost disappear.
4. Old Bay or Smoked Paprika
- Why: Keto food can sometimes feel heavy on fats but light on "bite."
- How: A heavy pinch of Old Bay is classic for chowder. For a "smoky" profile that mimics the bacon usually found in non-keto versions, use Smoked Paprika.
5. A Splash of Acid (Lemon or Vinegar)
- Why: Heavy cream and butter can mute flavors. A tiny bit of acid "wakes up" the seafood.
- How: Add a squeeze of fresh lemon or a teaspoon of white wine vinegar just before serving. It cuts through the fat and makes the cauliflower taste less "sulfury."
