Healthy Chunky Fish Chowder Recipe

Enjoy a comforting bowl of this hearty and satisfying, healthy cod fish chowder recipe. Made with fresh codfish, vegetables, and simple seasonings, it’s both gluten-free and delicious.

If you are looking for more codfish recipes, try these family recipes for cod in tomato sauce or this Italian baked cod fish recipe.

Jump to:

• Introduction
• What is fish chowder?
• Healthier ingredients to make fish chowder
• Let’s prep our recipe
• How to make fish chowder
• Tips
• FAQ
• What to serve with fish chowder
• More healthy soup recipes
• Recipe origins
• Easy cod recipes
• Recipe

Introduction

There are so many different versions of chowders, all delicious. But are they healthy?

As a dietitian, I will always encourage healthy eating habits. I assure you that eating healthy doesn’t mean drastic changes or sacrifices. Small swaps here and there can make all the difference when creating a delicious chowder recipe like this one!

Are you curious about how to make it tasty and healthy? 

Let’s take a closer look at the definition of fish chowder, the simple ingredients, and how we can make any recipe for chowder healthier.

What is fish chowder?

A fish chowder is a hearty soup. It is made with any kind of seafood and/or vegetables like potatoes, carrots, onions and sometimes tomatoes. It is usually seasoned with herbs and spices like pepper, thyme, garlic, and bay leaf. Often, it starts with a roux, a combination of butter and flour that helps thicken the soup. The addition of cream is also common.

Healthier ingredients to make fish chowder

Olive oil: Olive oil is an excellent substitute for butter. It contains heart-healthy monounsaturated fatty acids and is lower in saturated fat than butter.

Vegetables: Use a variety of vegetables, including potatoes, onions, celery, corn, and mushrooms. This will add texture, flavor, and nutrients like fiber, vitamins A and C, and potassium to the soup.

Herbs and spices: Use fresh or dried herbs and spices to flavor the soup. I prefer a bay leaf and dried oregano but feel free to experiment with combinations such as thyme and sage. Pepper-based seasonings like chili powder, chili flakes, and paprika are also great additions. If you like spicy, a few teaspoons of bomba sauce or a few dashes of hot sauce is the perfect addition.

Fish: Choose a lean, mild fish like cod. Haddock or halibut are great substitutions. Packed with omega-3 fatty acids and protein, these firm and meaty white fish are a nutritious addition to this soup.

Broth: Use high-quality fish stock, clam juice, or homemade chicken broth. If possible, a low sodium variety.

Milk: Use regular milk instead of cream. The soup’s richness comes from adding potatoes, not heavy cream. Did you know that just 1 cup of half-and-half cream has approximately 315 calories and provides you with 27.8 grams of fat? Compare that to 1 cup of 2% milk with 122 calories and only 4.6 grams of fat. [source]

So, with that being said, making a healthy fish chowder is not difficult. Let’s make a cod chowder without cream and gluten-free that still tastes great.

Let’s prep our recipe

Making this soup recipe is easy, but first, we must chop the vegetables.

More specifically:

• 1 medium onion, diced 
• 2 cups sliced mushrooms, about 6 ounces
• 1 celery stalk, sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced 
• 2-3 medium Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced into ½ inch cubes
• 1 medium potato, grated

We also need about 2 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon

How to make fish chowder

Place a heavy pot over medium-high heat. Heat the olive oil, then add the chopped onion, mushroom, and celery. 

Sauté, stirring for 4-5 minutes or until the vegetables soften.

Add the minced garlic and sauté for another minute or so.

Add ½ cup of white wine, 1½ cups of fish stock, the diced and grated potato, 1 bay leaf and 1 teaspoon of dried oregano.

Stir with a wooden spoon and bring the mixture to a boil.

Cover, reduce to medium-low heat and simmer for about 10-15 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Meanwhile, cut 1 pound of skinless cod fillets into 1-inch cubes.

Add them to the vegetables, cover and simmer for 3-5 minutes or until the fish fillets are opaque and flake easily.

Add the 1½ cups of sweet corn (fresh, frozen, or canned) and 1½ cups of milk and heat through, stirring gently.

Remove from heat and discard bay leaf. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.

Add lemon juice and garnish with Italian parsley, chopped chives or green onions before serving. 

Tips

• Grated potatoes add a creamy texture to the soup without adding cream. If you want an even thicker chowder, mash up some of the diced potatoes with a fork before adding the fish.
• Use high-quality fish or chicken stock to add depth and extra flavor to the soup. 
• Elevate the flavor of your chowder by experimenting with various herbs and seasonings such as thyme, sage, rosemary, paprika or Old Bay seasoning.

FAQ

What to serve with fish chowder

To help make your fish chowder a delicious and healthy meal, serve it with a side of crusty bread, focaccia or even naan to soak up the broth. Adding a refreshing side, like fennel salad, is a great way to make this a balanced meal. Why not try this healthy fruit salad recipe or a bowl of yogurt and granola for a light dessert?

More healthy soup recipes

If you are looking for more recipes for healthy soups, try this kidney bean soup with spinach, vegetable barley soup or this corn and potato chowder. These soups are nutritious, low in fat, and super easy to make!

Recipe origins

I have to say this was not a food from my childhood, and I do not have a story or an emotional tie to any fish chowder recipe. So, it might be easier for me to play around with the ingredients to develop a lighter and healthier version. But, you might be pleasantly surprised at how tasty this chowder is, even though we use healthy ingredients.

Even as a young dietitian, I always looked for recipes and cookbooks focused on healthy eating. One of my favorite cookbook authors was (and is) Anne Lindsay. The original recipe can be found in “Anne Lindsay’s Light Kitchen,” published in 1991.

These are the changes I made. I switched the proportions of vegetables, eliminated the chopped carrots and played around with the herbs. I also replaced some of the fish stock with white wine.

At the risk of sounding repetitive, you can personalize almost any recipe and make it your own. And if you chose to replace it with a healthier food choice, guess what? You are taking that one step to eat healthier.

This easy fish chowder soup is not only great tasting but also great for you!

Enjoy 🙂

★★★★★ If you have made this gluten-free fish chowder recipe, I would love to hear about it in the comments below and be sure to rate the recipe!

Easy cod recipes

Recipe

This post was originally published on February 19, 2017, and republished on February 8, 2023, with updated content, photos and a video.  Thanks for sharing!