Name: Potato and Salmon Soup
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 1 large onion (finely chopped); 1 carrot (peeled and grated/shredded); 1-2 celery stalks (thinly sliced); 1/2 sweet bell pepper (finely chopped); 1/2 poblano pepper (finely chopped, (you can use jalapeno pepper instead if you want the soup to have more heat)); salt (ground black pepper, to taste); 1 – 1 1/2 Tablespoons butter or oil; 1-2 to matoes (seeded and chopped); 2-4 garlic cloves (minced); 1-2 dry bay leaves; 8-10 cups water or vegetable broth; 3 medium potatoes (peeled and chopped); 1 1/2 lbs salmon (fresh or frozen); 1/2 cup heavy cream (optional); 1-2 Tablespoons fresh herbs (dill, green onions, parsley, etc)

This incredibly easy Salmon and Potato soup is so simple to make and tastes so comforting and delicious. It’s perfect for the end of winter when we are still eating hearty meals but are craving some fresh flavors.

The Salmon and Potato Soup is filling enough to be served on its own as a meal, but doesn’t taste heavy at all. In fact, one of the things I love about it is how light it feels – like a promise of the soon arriving spring and supper months.

The Salmon is so tender and juicy as it soaks in all the flavors of the aromatic vegetables – onion, celery, carrot, garlic, tomatoes and garlic. The potatoes pair so well with the fish. This is one of our family’s favorite meals and I hope you will enjoy it too.

Instructions:

The Vegetables:

You can use a combination of your favorite aromatic vegetables and keep it as simple as onions, celery and carrots, but the addition of the others will only make the soup richer and add so much flavor.

The peppers and tomatoes add a bit of sweetness and I love the note of acidity that the tomatoes add to the soup. You can use either a poblano or a jalapeño pepper – use the jalapeño if you want the soup to have a bit of heat. You can also add some crushed pepper flakes and/or cayenne pepper for additional heat.

Chopping the Vegetables:

I prefer the vegetables to be on the smaller side, but you can cut them into whatever pieces you prefer.

Sautéing the Vegetables:

Sautéing the vegetables will make the soup more flavorful. If you add the vegetables to the soup without sautéing them first, the soup will be a bit more watery and bland. Sautéing the vegetables will bring out their natural sweetness and concentrate their flavors, making the overall flavor of the soup better.

Using Water Vs Broth As the Base of the Soup:

Normally, using broth is preferable for soup, but in this case, there are so many vegetables in the soup, that the water soaks in all their different flavors and it tastes phenomenal with just water.

The Salmon:

You can use either fresh or frozen salmon, boneless and skinless fillets, in this soup. It is best to chop the fish into bigger chunks, so that it stays juicy and tender. Cook it for only 3-5 minutes if using fresh fish and 5-7 minutes if using frozen fish at the very end of cooking, when all the other vegetables are done cooking.

Can You Use Other Fish Instead of Salmon in the Soup:

Cod is another great fish to use (I have the Potato and Cod Soup recipe HERE) and other thick boneless, skinless fish fillets, such as haddock, snapper, steelhead trout, tilapia, bass, etc. Shrimp is another great option to use instead of fish. You can also use a combination of different fish fillets and/or shrimp.