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Spoon in brown bowl full of fish chowder garnished with thyme and fennel fronds with a blue napkin on the left side.
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5 from 6 votes

Easy Fish Chowder Recipe with Coconut Milk

This restaurant-quality fish chowder recipe is deliciously light with flaky fish, vegetables, bacon, and thickened with coconut milk. And it's dairy free, gluten-free and on the table in less than an hour!
Course Dinner, Main Course, Soup, Stew
Cuisine American
Diet Gluten Free, Low Fat
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 8 servings
Calories 296kcal
Author Kim Peterson

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 6 slices bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 3 leeks, halved lengthwise and chopped, white and light green parts only
  • 1 fennel bulb, halved and thinly sliced
  • 1 cup carrots, diced
  • ½ cup celery, diced
  • 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
  • 2 ½ cups clam juice, fish stock or vegetable broth
  • 1 cup water
  • ¾ cup dry white wine
  • 1 pound baby potatoes, halved
  • ½ teaspoon saffron threads
  • 1 cup coconut milk, lite or regular
  • 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
  • 1 pound salmon, skinless , cut into 1 ½-inch cubes
  • 1 pound mahi-mahi fillets, skinless, cut into 1 ½-inch cubes

Instructions

  • In a large Dutch oven or stock pot, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp, about 10 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels to drain. Pour out all but 1 tablespoon of bacon fat.
  • Add leeks, fennel, carrots and celery to the pot. Cook over medium heat until vegetables are tender, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes.
  • Add garlic and cook 2 minutes more.
  • Stir in clam juice or stock, wine, water, potatoes, and saffron. Bring to boil, reduce heat to medium low, cover and simmer until potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally, about 7 minutes.
  • Keep heat on medium low. Stir in coconut milk, thyme and bacon pieces. Reserve a few bacon bits for garnish.
  • Sprinkle the fish with salt and pepper. Gently submerge the pieces into the chowder.
  • Cover and cook for 5-6 minutes until the mahi-mahi is just opaque in the center. The salmon can still be medium.
  • Remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Ladle into bowls, top with reserved bacon, and serve with bread, if desired. Enjoy!

Notes

See post for Recipe Tips and Variations.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 serving | Calories: 296kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 418mg | Potassium: 1086mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 3603IU | Vitamin C: 21mg | Calcium: 76mg