Dive into the comforting warmth of seafood chowder—a creamy, hearty soup brimming with fresh seafood, tender potatoes, and aromatic herbs. This classic dish brings the flavors of the sea to your table, offering a satisfying, nourishing meal that’s perfect for cozy evenings and family gatherings.
Seafood chowder is a time-honored dish with roots tracing back to the coastal regions of North America and Western Europe, where fishermen relied on the day’s catch to create nourishing soups. Traditionally, chowders were simple meals combining fresh seafood, potatoes, onions, and milk or cream, simmered together to develop robust flavors.
The preparation typically involves sautéing onions and aromatic herbs, then adding diced potatoes and a medley of seafood—such as clams, shrimp, or fish—simmered in a creamy broth until tender. Some variations include bacon or corn for added depth.
What makes seafood chowder particularly interesting is its versatility; home cooks can adapt the recipe based on available seafood, making it both practical and celebratory. The result is a rich, comforting soup that brings the essence of the sea to your table, perfect for warming up on chilly evenings or sharing at family gatherings.
This seafood chowder recipe from Fed & Fit is easy to execute, requiring only simple browning and sautéing steps before a straightforward 30-minute simmer, with the main caution being careful timing to avoid overcooking the variety of delicate seafood. The resulting flavor is rich and complex, starting with a savory foundation of crispy bacon, garlic, and onion that builds into a creamy, comforting broth thanks to the heavy cream and starchy potatoes. The use of multiple types of seafood (scallops, shrimp, and crab) delivers a profound depth of fresh ocean flavor, which is perfectly brightened by a finishing touch of lemon juice and fresh dill.
Seafood Chowder
Ingredients
- ½ pound bacon
- ½ onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ pound scallops
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 cups frozen corn
- 1 pound Yukon gold potatoes, cut into ½-inch cubes
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into rounds
- 1½ teaspoons sea salt, divided
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ pound crab meat
- ½ pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- Fresh dill, for garnish
Directions
- Heat a large pot over high heat, and once hot, add the bacon. Cook the bacon on one side until it starts to crisp, then flip and cook on the other side until fully cooked. Remove the bacon from the pot and set it aside to cool. Once cool, chop the bacon into small pieces.
- Pat the scallops dry and season them with ½ teaspoon of salt. Add the scallops to the pot and sear for 2 minutes per side. Remove the scallops and set aside.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add the garlic and onion to the pot. Sauté for 3–5 minutes until softened and fragrant.
- Add the carrots, potatoes, corn, broth, heavy cream, the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt, and pepper to the pot and stir to combine.
- Bring the chowder to a simmer and cook it, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
- Add the bacon, scallops, shrimp, and crab to the pot, and cook for 5 minutes, until the shrimp is cooked through.
- Stir in the lemon juice. Serve the chowder with a garnish of fresh dill and a lemon wedge.
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