Here in Wisconsin, May is a beautiful month with mostly beautiful weather. That said, we are known to have some downright chilly days that remind us of the end of winter with cold rains and whipping wind. When harsh weather finds us, we respond by finding excellent comfort food. This week, we have a couple favorites that also make outstanding leftovers. We begin with a quick and comforting Spicy Corn-Smoked Salmon Chowder.
While I would not recommend stepping away from any of the main ingredients listed in the title, there is some room for tweaks with this clever chowder. Of course, you can tweak the amount of crushed red pepper and add more, less, or omit the green chiles to tweak the spiciness level of the chowder. You could also use an equivalent amount of chopped shallots in place of the onions and opt for half and half instead of the heavy cream, if you prefer. If you don't want to add the spinach, you can skip that. I think it adds a little freshness to the soup that's nice.
I like to serve this soup with warm corn muffins, breadsticks, or some other type of item that's perfect for sopping up the last bit of broth in the bowl. You can toss some freshly sliced green onions on top if you'd like or just give a nod to tradition and make a glorious grilled cheese for dipping in this excellent chowder on a cold day. Enjoy!
Spicy Corn-Smoked Salmon Chowder
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½-1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 3 cups thawed frozen corn kernels
- ½ cup finely chopped onion
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 quart chicken stock
- ¼ cup chopped roasted green chiles
- 8 ounces small red potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1-inch cubes
- ½ teaspoon Old bay seasoning or similar seafood seasoning
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 8 ounces hot-smoked salmon fillets, skin removed, flaked into small pieces
- 2 cups coarsely chopped fresh spinach leaves
Heat the oil in a large stock pot over medium heat. Add the crushed red pepper; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the corn kernels, onion, salt, and black pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chicken stock, chiles, potatoes, and Old Bay seasoning; bring to a vigorous simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are just tender, about 8 minutes.
If a thicker consistency is desired, use an immersion blender to blend some of the potatoes and corn in the pot - do not blend it all! Remove the chowder from the heat. Stir in the heavy cream. Gently stir in smoked salmon and spinach. Serve hot.
- Yields: 4 servings
- Preparation Time: 40 minutes