Canned Salmon Chowder – A Canned Salmon Soup Recipe

Canned Salmon Chowder is the easiest canned salmon soup recipe. It’s so simple with just canned salmon, butter, milk, salt and pepper. Grab a can of salmon at the store for this cheap dinner option.

Did you grow up eating canned salmon? My Mom used canned salmon to make salmon patties during the year, and she made them often during the season of Lent.

As an adult, I can really appreciate how economical a can of salmon is. For around $2.99 at Aldi, a can of salmon is a great source of nutrition. In addition to salmon patties, I also use canned salmon to make an easy Salmon Casserole, and a Salmon Quiche.

That’s why I got so excited when I found a simple salmon soup recipe in my Amish Cook Book. Finding recipes using canned salmon is always a win.

Canned Salmon Soup Ingredients

I can’t believe how easy this salmon chowder recipe is. With only five ingredients and two of them being salt and pepper, this recipe can’t be any simpler. The flavor of this salmon stew reminds me of my Grandma’s Oyster Stew without the expense of buying oysters which are pricey. Instead, canned salmon is used for a cheap version.

• Canned Salmon, drained (reserve juices) with bones and skin removed
• Butter or Margarine
• Milk (preferably whole milk)
• Salt
• Black Pepper

This salmon stew is a milk-based broth flavored with just the salmon and salmon juices from the can and salt and pepper. If the soup seems bland, then add more salt and pepper, and that will make or break this soup.

How to Make Canned Salmon Chowder

Step by Step Instructions

1. Drain canned salmon, reserving the juice for the salmon stew.
2. Remove bones and skin from salmon and discard. Break salmon into bite-sized pieces.
3. In a large soup pot or saucepan, melt butter and heat until browned.
4. Pour in milk to the browned butter, and slowly bring up to a very gentle simmer (do not boil), stirring often.
5. Add salmon juice, salmon chunks, salt and pepper.
6. Continue to heat over low heat until salmon is warmed.
7. Taste, and adjust seasonings if need.
8. Serve with crackers, oyster crackers or bread cubes.

For the full ingredient amounts and recipe steps for canned salmon chowder, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Salmon Chowder Recipe with Canned Salmon Recipe FAQs

• Be sure to keep the juices drained from the canned salmon. This will help flavor the salmon soup.
• Pick out the bones and skin from the canned salmon with your hands. Discard, or give to your cat or dog. They will love it.
• Browning the butter adds additional flavor to the simple salmon stew.
• Do not boil this Salmon Chowder. This could curdle the milk. Instead, bring to a very gentle simmer, and stir often.
• This milk-based broth needs adequate salt and pepper to make it flavorful.  If your salmon soup seems bland, add more salt and pepper.
• When dishing up this salmon stew, you may need to scrape the bottom to the salmon chunks. They tend to fall to the bottom of the saucepan.
• Check out our Amazon store for our favorite pantry essentials and kitchen items.

Recipe Variations

• Use heavy cream instead of milk.
• Add your favorite vegetables such as carrots, celery, potatoes, onions, corn, mushrooms, garlic or cabbage.
• For more flavor, add fresh dill or parsley or other fresh herbs.
• Add a bay leaf to the broth!
• Before serving, add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
• Make it a seafood chowder by adding clams, mussels or shrimp.

Canned Salmon Recipes

Canned salmon is one of our favorite ingredients. It’s healthy and an easy protein to put into soups and casseroles or make into a patty. We pulled together all of our canned pink salmon recipes in this blog post. If you are looking for other seafood recipes, check out Our Best Fish Recipes post.

Old Fashioned Salmon Patties

Salmon Casserole 

Low-Carb Salmon Patties

Salmon Quiche

Can I eat the bones in canned salmon?

Since canned salmon is completely cooked during the canning process, anything in the can is technically edible.  Salmon bones are small enough to be broken and eaten with the salmon meat.  In all actuality, salmon bones and high in calcium making them a healthy addition to your diet.

As a kid, I was horrified to find salmon bones in Mom’s Salmon Patties, and I am pretty sure I rolled my eyes when Mom said that the bones were edible. Guess Mom was right!