It’s happening, the days are getting colder, although we do still have some hot days coming up. But hearty soups are on my mind and this is one of those.
A thick and creamy chowder crowded with savoy cabbage, potatoes, leeks and carrots (all from @plukcsafruittuin ) studded with warm smoked mackerel. So so good!
Potato & Cabbage Chowder with Smoked Fish
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter (or olive oil to keep it vegan)
- 1 large leek, white and green parts, roughly chopped
- 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 600 ml chicken or vegetable stock
- 500 g waxy potatoes, cut into 2 cm cubes (I like with skin on but peel if you prefer)
- 500 ml milk (full fat or skimmed both work)
- 2-3 carrots, washed and chopped into small bitesize pieces
- 1 tsp thyme (fresh or dried)
- 2 bay leaves
- Half a savoy cabbage, chopped to your liking, I keep it quite rough, ± 2 cups (see notes)
- 250 - 300 g pound smoked fish fillets (I used mackerel), skin discarded, roughly flaked into large chunks
- Squeeze of lemon lemon juice (± 1 tbsp)
- Sea salt and ground black pepper
- To serve: spring onions, dille or parsley (optional)
Instructions
Melt the butter (or heat the oil) in a large sauce pan over medium heat. Add the leeks and sauté on lowish until very soft but not browned, ± 10 minutes.
Add the flour and stir so everything is coated, cook for about 2 minutes.
Increase the heat to medium and, in a slow stream, add the stock while you keep whisking so you get rid of all the flour lumps. Bring to a simmer.
Add the potatoes, thyme, bay leaves, milk and bring to a simmer.
Cover partially and cook for 7 minutes then add the carrots and cabbage. Continue to cook for another 5-10 minutes until the potatoes are cooked through.
Squeeze in some lemon juice and stir. Taste and season with pepper and salt. If the consistency is too thick add a drop of water (a little bit at a time) and mix well. Adjust seasoning accordingly.
Carefully lay the smoked fish on top of the chowder and cover. Let simmer on low heat for 2 minutes to warm through the fish. Don't stir or the fish will break down too much.
Serve nice and hot with a sprinkle of spring onions, dille or parsley over the top.
Notes
You can use any cabbage in this soup, just note that savoy cabbage stays quite firm and needs a bit more time. Softer cabbages can we added 2-3 minutes later into the soup to cook.