New England fish chowder

6
Points®
Total Time
48 min
Prep
18 min
Cook
30 min
Serves
6
Difficulty
Easy
Creamy, comforting, and satisfying, this favorite stew is great served with oyster crackers alongside. We mash a few of the cooked Yukon Gold potatoes right into the soup—a simple thickening technique (instead of using the typical flour + butter combination), which in this case also gives this fish chowder a delightful golden hue. Low-fat milk provides an additional creamy consistency as well. Stir in a bunch of chopped cleaned arugula (about 4 cups) instead of the parsley to make it more of a complete meal, and to give it a complementary, fresh peppery flavor that you'll find completely irresistible.

Ingredients

Uncooked bacon

3 slice(s), thick cut

Onion

1 large, chopped

Carrots

2 medium, diced

Vegetable broth

1 cup(s), or fish broth (or clam juice)

Uncooked Yukon gold potato

3 cup(s), diced, 3 potatoes, peeled and diced

Bay leaf

2 leaf/leaves

1% low fat milk

4 cup(s)

Canned clams

13 oz, drained, minced, or 1 pint chopped fresh clams in juice

Uncooked sole fillet

1 pound(s), cut into 1-inch pieces

Table salt

1¼ tsp

Fresh parsley

¼ cup(s), fresh, chopped

Black pepper

tsp, freshly ground, or to taste

Instructions

  1. Heat a nonstick Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until crisp, about 4 minutes; set aside. Drain off all but a coating of fat (about 1 teaspoon).
  2. Add the onion to the same Dutch oven and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, 7–10 minutes. Add the carrots and cook 2 minutes. Add the broth, potatoes, and bay leaves; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the potatoes are tender, 12–15 minutes. Discard the bay leaves. Slightly mash some of the potatoes with a potato masher against the bottom of the Dutch oven to thicken the soup.
  3. Add the milk, clams and their juice, the flounder, and salt; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until the fish is just opaque in the center, 2–3 minutes. Stir in the parsley and season with the pepper. Crumble the bacon and sprinkle over the soup just before serving.
  4. Yields 1 2/3 cups per serving.