Warm up with homemade seafood chowder. This creamy dish combines fresh seafood and hearty vegetables for a comforting meal.
Cozy Up with a Bowl of Homemade Seafood Chowder
Few dishes bring as much comfort as a warm, creamy bowl of seafood chowder. With its velvety texture, hearty vegetables, and delicate seafood, this classic soup is a cozy meal you can make at home in under 30 minutes. Whether you love shrimp, scallops, white fish, or clams, chowder is a versatile recipe that lets you combine your favorite flavors into one satisfying pot.
What Exactly Is Seafood Chowder?
Chowder is a style of soup that’s thick, creamy, and loaded with chunky goodness. What makes it “seafood chowder” is, of course, the addition of fresh seafood. To build a rich flavor base, many cooks simmer their vegetables in seafood stock before adding cream and protein. Potatoes or a simple roux are often used as thickeners, giving the soup its signature heartiness.
A Simple Seafood Chowder Recipe
If you’ve never made chowder before, don’t worry—it’s easier than you might think. Here’s a recipe you can use as a starting point, with plenty of room to adjust depending on your taste and the seafood you have on hand.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 6 ½ oz. chopped clams
- 12 oz. shrimp (peeled)
- 8 oz. scallops
- 8 oz. white fish
- ½ cup white wine
- 5 cups seafood broth
- ½ cup corn
- 1 lb. potatoes (cubed)
- 1 carrot (sliced)
- 1 tsp Old Bay seasoning
- 1 medium onion (chopped)
- ¼ cup butter
- ¼ cup flour
- ¼ tsp thyme
- 1 stalk celery (sliced)
Directions:
- In a large pot, melt the butter and cook the onion until tender. Stir in the Old Bay, thyme, and flour, and let the mixture cook for about 4 minutes.
- Add the corn, celery, carrot, wine, and seafood broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let it simmer for 10 minutes.
- Stir in the cream along with your clams, shrimp, scallops, and fish. Continue cooking until the potatoes are tender and the fish flakes easily—about 10 minutes.
- Taste and season with salt, pepper, and fresh parsley if desired.
That’s it—you’ve just made a comforting seafood chowder from scratch!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
The beauty of chowder is its flexibility. You can swap ingredients depending on what’s available—use corn for sweetness, extra potatoes for thickness, or add a handful of fresh herbs for brightness. It’s the kind of dish that feels special enough for company but simple enough for a weeknight dinner.
A Quick Note on Seafood
The flavor of your chowder really comes down to the quality of the seafood you use. Fresh, sustainably sourced shrimp, fish, and scallops make all the difference in taste and texture. If you don’t live near a coast, no worries—many trusted seafood markets now offer online ordering and delivery straight to your door, so you can enjoy a restaurant-quality chowder at home anytime.
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