Smoked Salmon Bisque

A little trivia here. What makes a bisque a bisque and not a chowder? Both bisques and chowders are made with seafood and vegetables, with a cream base. Chowders tend to be more stew-like or chunky, and bisques puréed. Bisques are traditionally made with shellfish, though these days a puréed tomato, cream-based soup can be called a bisque too. We half-puréed this smoked salmon bisque, which accounts for the photograph. My father made this delicious soup the other day after being inspired by a bisque we had at a local bistro and wine bar. So creamy and good.

Smoked Salmon Bisque Recipe

• Yield: Serves 5-6.

Yum

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick)
• 1 cups thinly sliced leeks
• 1/2 chopped yellow onion
• 1 cup thinly sliced mushrooms
• 1 Tbsp minced garlic
• 3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 quart (32 oz) clam juice
• 3/4 pounds salmon fillet, chopped 1/2 inch cubes
• 2 to 4 ounces smoked salmon (depending on how strong a smoked flavor you want, and how strongly smoked the salmon is), chopped
• 2 cups canned or stewed tomatoes
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh dill
• 1 cup cream
• 1 cup milk
• Pinch black pepper
• Pinch crushed red pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning (optional)
• Salt to taste

Method

1 Melt butter in a medium stockpot over medium heat. Add onion, leeks, mushrooms, garlic and cook until onions are translucent and mushrooms have given up their moisture (7 to 10 minutes).

2 Add the clam juice, smoked salmon, tomatoes (break up tomatoes while putting them in the soup), parsley, cilantro, dill, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and Old Bay seasoning; cook until heated through.

3 Put flour into a separate bowl. Slowly add the milk, beating with a wire whisk until smooth. Mix in the cream. Stir cream flour mixture into the soup. Stir in fresh salmon and simmer for 5 more minutes. If you want, use an immersion blender to purée the soup, or pour some or all of the soup into a standing blender and purée. Salt to taste.

Garnish with fresh dill.

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