It’s that time of year where I am really looking for my recipes to be a perfect mix of nourishing and comforting. Like, everything I make should have strong Chicken-Pot-Pie energy to it, while still be something that is packed with vegetables, you know? You get it. I want every day food to feel like a feast. Because it’s cold out! And we deserve it. And this Sablefish (or any fish!) Chowder with Lemon & Kale was designed to completely fit the bill.
If you haven’t had sablefish before, think of it as a mix between salmon and swordfish. It’s rich, incredibly flaky, and it holds up perfectly in a chowder like this one. The full soup is a bit labor intensive when it comes to chopping, but that’s really the only downside. After that you just need to give it a bit of attention, and you’ll have a hearty, flavor-filled dinner, and plenty of leftovers as well!
I love this soup because it builds flavor in a few unique ways, which we’ll get into. But if you just want the recipe, you can skip to the recipe box below!
Ingredients you will need for this sablefish chowder
The list seems long, but it all comes together, I promise! You will need:
- 1 medium fennel bulb, 10 ounces
- 1 large yellow onion, 12 ounces
- 4 garlic cloves, grated
- 2 tablespoons chopped rosemary
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- 4 medium carrots, 5 ounces
- 2 pounds baby potatoes, 32 ounces
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for finishing
- Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- 1 cup dry white wine, 8 ounces
- 1 cup clam juice, 8 ounces
- 1 tablespoon Better Than Bouillon vegetable base
- 6 cups water
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 pound sablefish, or any flaky white fish like halibut, cod, or flounder
- 5 cups kale leaves, 5 ounces
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 1 lemon for zest and juice
Steps to build flavor in this fish stew
I love this soup because it builds flavor in a lot of delicate, interesting ways.
First, you cook down onion and fennel until they are beginning to get melty, around 10-12 minutes. I’ve been in a caramelizing onions phase, and while we don’t push them nearly as far here, what this step does is create a strong base of flavor while pushing out any anise-y notes that the fennel still holds on to.
Second, is garlic and herbs and spices, which are minimal! I opted for only rosemary, thyme, paprika and cayenne. They give warming fall notes to the soup, but the paprika adds smokiness and the cayenne’s heat balances what would otherwise be a one-note stew.
Then the root vegetables go in, but the Third flavor builder is the addition of a cup of white wine. It’s always optional, but….not really. The subtle acid primes the soup for the finish of lemon. You will miss it if it’s gone, but if you absolutely MUST skip it, add 3 tablespoons of white wine vinegar instead.
Fourth, a cup of clam juice goes in before the broth. And clam juice is super easy to find in the tinned fish section of your grocery store, and it is such a slept on ingredient! I was introduced to it in Étouffée, and I’ve been using it to add salinity and depth to my soups ever since. Look for the Cento brand because it comes in a perfect 8 ounce bottle.
Fifth, the simmering time really does matter. Let this soup go for at least 20 minutes, 40 if you really want to let it build!
For texture, I use an immersion blender to blend half of the soup, still leaving some whole vegetables to keep it creamy but hearty. You can also scoop out some cups of the soup and blend those in a traditional blender, then add them back into the soup!
Now the sablefish: It is a white fish from Alaska, and I love it. It cooks down into a rich, tender texture, think of it like a mixture between salmon and swordfish. I cube it up and add it to the soup with the kale. Both only need six minutes of simmer time until they are perfectly combined in the soup. Heavy cream finishes it off, but you can also use cashew cream or half and half if you like!
If you don’t have sablefish? I get it. Halibut, cod, flounder, skate, or any white fish will work well in this recipe!
And the last flavor builder? Lemon zest and juice. Use half a lemon if you don’t love an acidic finish, use the whole lemon if you are like me and cannot get enough.
What you’re left with is a creamy, balanced chowder and more vegetables than I can even begin to handle. Which is what I’m always going for, wholesome ingredients that will nourish you but still feel indulgent.
Looking for similar recipes?
Here are a few favorites from the blog!
This soup is packed with flavor, and probably one of the best soups I’ve had this year. And I am not exaggerating. And that’s because this soup uses technique to build flavor, from char-roasting the fennel and half of the squash to gather all their caramelized flavor, to toasting the farro before letting it boil into the soup, to finishing with heavy cream for the perfect texture. This soup uses everything I love about fall to create a rich, filling, and good -for-you meal.
This high-protein, plant-based soup is modeled after ‘nduja, but don’t worry, you won’t find any pork here. What you WILL find is a comforting, slightly spicy soup that is packed with umami flavor and bursting with notes of tomato. The flavors build as the soup simmers, so don’t skip that step, and the bold notes of the soup will prove why.
This soup is rich and comforting yet surprisingly filled with light ingredients. I call it a perfect “transition” recipe, as we ease into fall from summer.
And that’s it for this any-fish chowder!
If you make it, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! It’s my favorite thing to scroll through stories and see what you all are making.
And of course feel free to leave any questions, comments or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you <3
Sablefish (or any fish!) Chowder with Lemon & Kale
This is one of those meals that I keep coming back to when I need comfort. It’s hearty and filling, while still being nourishing and packed with seasonal vegetables. Feel free to use any white fish in this one, although I do love sablefish for its rich texture that feels like a mix between salmon and swordfish.
Ingredients
- 1 medium fennel bulb 10 ounces
- 1 large yellow onion 12 ounces
- 4 garlic cloves grated
- 2 tablespoons chopped rosemary
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- 4 medium carrots 5 ounces
- 2 pounds baby potatoes 32 ounces
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil plus more for finishing
- Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- 1 cup dry white wine 8 ounces
- 1 cup clam juice 8 ounces
- 1 tablespoon Better Than Bouillon vegetable base
- 6 cups water
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 pound sablefish, or any flaky white fish like halibut, cod, or flounder
- 5 cups kale leaves 5 ounces
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 1 lemon for zest and juice
Instructions
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Thinly slice the fennel bulb and onion. Set aside.
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Grate the four garlic cloves and set aside as well. Finely chop up two tablespoons of fresh rosemary and pull off 1 tablespoon of thyme leaves from their stems.
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Peel four carrots, halve them lengthwise and slice them into thin half-moon pieces. Quarter two pounds of baby potatoes and set aside.
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Place a 7-quart Dutch oven over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of butter and 1/4 cup of olive oil and let the butter full melt. Add in the fennel and onions and cook, stirring occasionally for 10-12 minutes or until the onion is melty. Season with a teaspoon of salt.
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Add the garlic, rosemary, thyme, 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika and 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper and mix to combine. Cook for less than a minute or until the garlic is fragrant.
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Add in the carrots and potatoes and stir. Season with another big pinch of salt and a few cracks of black pepper.
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Pour in the wine and let it reduce for 2-3 minutes, simmering so that the alcohol in the wine cooks off. Mix to make sure the wine can seep into the potatoes.
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Add in the clam juice and stir again.
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In a large bowl, whisk together 1 tablespoon of Better Than Bouillon vegetable base and 6 cups of water. Pour that into the pot. Add two bay leaves and bring this to a simmer. Cover and let simmer for 20-30 minutes. The longer it simmers, the more flavor will build.
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Cube the pound of sablefish into 1-inch cubes. Roughly tear the kale leaves.
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When the chowder has simmered for at least 20 minutes, use an immersion blender to blend up half the soup, leaving a few vegetable chunks in the mix for texture. You can also scoop out a few cups of the vegetables and blend in a traditional blender, then add it back to the soup, if that works better for you.
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Add in the sablefish and kale, bring to a robust simmer and cover for 6-7 minutes or until the fish is cooked through. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.
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Add in 1/3 cup of heavy cream and mix. Zest in 1 teaspoon of lemon zest. If you like a lemony finish, squeeze in 3 tablespoons of lemon juice. If you like less acid, only use about 1-2 tablespoons.
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Serve warm with a drizzle of olive oil on top!
