We had this yummy New England Fish Chowder for dinner last night.
Although it was delicious, you can't really call it traditional New England fish chowder because I didn't use bacon and opted to add in carrots and celery!
I haven't made fish or clam chowder very often.
It's one of those things I usually ask Mom to make for me when I visit.
But yesterday, for some reason, I got a hankering for a steamy bowl of the stuff and decided to give it a whirl.
After consulting the 1959 version of The Fannie Farmer Boston Cooking School Cookbook (my mom's version) and still affected by Jamie Oliver's base soup recipe from his Food Revolution Cookbook, I took to the kitchen prepared to create a New England fish chowder of my very own.
And this is what I came up with.
New England Fish Chowder
Recipe Notes
I decided to stick with the basics. Most old-time fish chowder recipes, including the one I consulted, call for just the most basic ingredients - firm white fish (such as haddock), potatoes, bacon or salt pork, onion, milk or cream, salt, pepper and butter.
No wine.
No thyme.
No cayenne.
No Old Bay seasoning.
No fish stock.
No flour for thickening.
These can all be great additions, but I wanted the simpler kind of chowder I grew up with.
I decided to forgo the bacon and use olive oil instead.
And I felt like a few more vegetables couldn't hurt, so I added 2 stalks of diced celery and 2 peeled and diced carrots with the onions and diced potatoes.
Mom often makes her fish chowder with evaporated milk, which is very common in Maine. I added a touch of cream for added richness.
The result was a fish chowder, I'm proud to call my own.
How Many Calories and WW Points in this Fish Chowder?
According to my calculations, each generous 1-cup serving has about 325 calories and:
9 *SmartPoints (Green plan)
8 *SmartPoints (Blue plan)
6 *SmartPoints (Purple plan)
8 *PointsPlus (Old plan)
To see your WW PersonalPoints for this recipe and track it in the WW app or site, Click here!
Fish Chowder Cooking Tip
Chowder is improved if you make it one day and serve it the next, although I've never had the discipline not to indulge immediately. I like to make a big enough batch to enjoy for a couple of day.
If you like this lightened up version of New England fish chowder, be sure to check out my other Weight Watchers friendly recipes including Slow Cooker Smoked Salmon Potato Leek Soup, Slow Cooker Spicy Seafood Chowder, Crock Pot White Beans & Shrimp, Slow Cooker Corn & Shrimp Chowder and Mom's Maine Corn Chowder
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New England Fish Chowder Recipe Made Lighter
Ingredients
- 2 pounds firm white fish fillets (I used haddock)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup diced onion
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 2 small carrots, peeled and diced
- 4 cups cubed potatoes
- 2 cans (12 ounces each) reduced-fat evaporated milk
- ½ cup heavy cream
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Butter to taste (optional)
Instructions
- Put the fish and 2 cups water in a covered skillet. Cook over medium low heat until the fish just flakes with a fork, 5 to 10 minutes (depending on the thickness of your fish). Remove the fish, reserving the liquid, and separate it into large pieces.
- Put a large pot on medium heat and add 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the onion, celery, carrots and potatoes and mix them together with a wooden spoon. Cook for around 10 minutes, with the lid askew and stirring occasionally, until the carrots have softened a bit and the onion is lightly golden.
- Add the reserved water you used to cook the fish. Bring to a boil and then lower the heat, cover and cook just until the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes.
- Add milk and cream.
- Heat gently, stirring often. Don't allow to boil. Add salt, pepper and butter (if desired) to taste.
Equipment
Recipe Notes
*Points® calculated by WW. *PointsPlus® and SmartPoints® calculated by Simple Nourished Living; Not endorsed by Weight Watchers International, Inc. All recipe ingredients except optional items included in determining nutritional estimates. SmartPoints® values calculated WITHOUT each plan's ZeroPoint Foods (Green plan, Blue plan, Purple plan) using the WW Recipe Builder.
If you like this New England Fish Chowder you might also like:
- Simple Spring Vegetable and Bean Soup
- Easy Potato Soup
- Corn and Shrimp Chowder Recipe
- Favorite Shrimp Soup Recipes
- Quick Soup Recipes
Take a Peek at the Largest Seafood Festival in New England
Martha is the founder and main content writer for Simple-Nourished-Living.
A longtime lifetime WW at goal, she is committed to balancing her love of food and desire to stay slim while savoring life and helping others do the same.
She is the author of the Smart Start 28-Day Weight Loss Challenge.
A huge fan of the slow cooker and confessed cookbook addict, when she's not experimenting in the kitchen, you're likely to find Martha on her yoga mat.
This post contains affiliate links to products I like. When you buy something through one of my Amazon links or other (affiliate links), I receive a small commission that helps support this site. Thank you for your purchase!
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