Name: Salmon Coconut Chowder
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 80 min
Ingredients: 5 cups of low sodium vegetable or chicken stock; 1 can (15 oz. full fat coconut milk); 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger; 1 shallot (minced); 2 cloves of garlic (minced); 1 teaspoon lime zest; 1 stalk lemongrass (cut in chunks and bruised); 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt; 1 ½ pounds wild salmon fillet (pin bones removed, cut into 1-inch cubes); ½ teaspoon kosher salt; 1 tablespoon coconut (or olive oil); 1 medium onion (chopped); 1 red or yellow bell pepper* (diced); 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger; 3 cloves of garlic (minced); 1 can (15 oz. coconut milk); 1 cup broccoli florets (rinsed); 2 tablespoons lime juice (freshly squeezed); ¼ teaspoon maple syrup; 2 scallions (thinly sliced); 3 tablespoons fresh cilantro (chopped – plus more as garnish)

How was your Christmas friends? My husband and I had a quiet day at home. I made a big pot of roast and a big salad and we watched The Hollars as we ate. I picked that movie thinking that it would be fun to see a family comedy as we ate together. Though it was listed under the genre of comedy, in my opinion it was nothing but a comedy. Yes, there were some funny moments, but it was more of a family drama.

Don’t get me wrong, it was a fantastic movie with great acting, but I spent more time crying than laughing. Have you seen it? What is your favorite movie of the year? I’d love to know.

Salmon Coconut Chowder in bowls garnished with cilantro

I do not even know how to switch from a sad movie to this salmon coconut chowder. What I know is that if you are a lover of seafood and coconut flavors, you will love this chunky seafood soup. Basically, it is salmon poached in coconut milk based broth flavored with ginger, lemongrass and garlic.

I made it back in November and in the midst of all Thanksgiving and Christmas recipes, I forgot to share it. So here it is.

Recipe for Salmon Chowder placed in bowls garnished with cilantro

About This Salmon Coconut Chowder Recipe:

This recipe has 3 components.

First, make a Thai-style coconut broth. In my opinion, this broth by itself is so delicious that it could be a soup without anything added. Like I mentioned earlier It is made by mixing together vegetable (or chicken) stock with a can of full fat coconut milk and flavoring it with fresh ginger, lemongrass, shallots, and lime zest. You let that simmer for 45 minutes and then drain it. If you want to use it later, you can store it in an airtight container in the fridge up to 2 days. This is especially great, because if you get the broth ready in advance you can prepare the soup in less than half an hour.

The second part is when you actually make the soup. You start with cooking some onions along with garlic, peppers, and ginger. Then you add the broth and a can of full-fat coconut milk and let the all the flavors simmer 20 minutes or so. While that is cooking, you can cut your salmon into 1 to 1 1/2 – inch cubes and prep your broccoli.

Last but not least, you add the broccoli (which I added for some heartiness) and freshly squeezed lime juice for some tang. Once your broccoli is soft you can add in the salmon cubes in.

Salmon Poached in coconut milk garnished with cilantro

An Important Tip for The Best Coconut Salmon Recipe

When it comes to poaching salmon, it is imperative that the liquid is simmering at a low pace, as adding salmon at a very high temperature would ruin it and it would fall apart. Ideally, you would add all the salmon cubes together and poach them in a gentle simmering broth for only 2-3 minutes. Then you add the broccoli and let it cook just a few minutes, until they are tender. So as you can see, once your broth is ready the rest is pretty easy and quick.

In terms of garnishing, I used a healthy dose of fresh cilantro and chopped scallions and served it with wedges of fresh limes and crusty French baguette. If you are not a fan of cilantro, feel free to swap it with fresh parsley. Either way, this soup is one that will warm your heart in these freezing cold days of winter.