Seafood Chowder with Mussels and Shrimp
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This Seafood Chowder recipe with Mussels and Shrimp is a bowl of comfort food made deliciously simple in the Pacific Northwest. A steaming bowl of creamy seafood goodness, with local flavor. Perfect for a day at the beach, or cozying up at home.
Living on the Pacific Northwest coast, as we do, chowders are a food group… all on their own.
Whether you’re whale watching or ferry riding in the Puget Sound…
Or beachcombing along the Oregon coast…
Chowders and seafood are as much a part of our local flavor as San Juan Island hopping, ferry riding, kayaking, clam digging, flannel-wearing, coffee drinking, and rainy days.
When you’re beachcombing, great chowders are in every nook and cranny. From Mo’s Chowder along the Oregon Coast to Ivars along Seattle’s Elliot Bay, or Pike Place Chowder, Ray’s Boathouse, Duke’s Chowder House, and many more. Or cruise out into the Puget Sound and visit Tilikum Village for a bowl of the best steamed clams you’ve ever had!
But when you’re home, and the fish is fresh, the weather is drizzly, there is nothing more comforting than a bowl of homemade Seafood Chowder.
Here’s how we like ours. Clams are awesome, but sometimes we like to mix it up. Steamed mussels and cod and shrimp are on the menu for this chowder. Begin with the mussels.
Steaming Mussels
To steam the mussels, place them in a pot with about 1 cup of water. Cover and heat to high. Continue to steam/cook the mussels for 5 to 10 minutes. When you near the 5-minute mark, lift the lid and see if the mussel shells are open. If so, they’re done.
More Soup Recipes we Love
- Classic Ribollita: Tuscan Bean Soup
- Instant Pot Turkey Vegetable Pasta Soup
- 15 Minute White Bean Soup with Garden Vegetables
- Seattle Style Cioppino
- Quick Fix Salmon Chowder
- Easy Fish Chowder: A quick no recipe, recipe
- JFK's Favorite New England Fish Chowder Recipe
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Seafood Chowder Recipe with Mussels and Shrimp
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Seafood Chowder with Mussels and Shrimp
Ingredients
- 2 bacon slices chopped
- 1 onion chopped (about 1 cup)
- 2 celery ribs sliced
- 3 carrots sliced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 8 oz bottle clam juice
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 2 medium-size gold potatoes sliced
- 4 sprigs thyme
- 3/4 cup half and half
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/4 pound medium shrimp peeled and deveined
- 1/4 pound cod cut into 1″ cubes
- 20 fresh mussels about 1 pound, washed, debearded, and steamed
- hot-pepper sauce
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill
Instructions
- Steam the mussels: Place the mussels in a pot with about 1 cup of water. Cover and heat to high. Continue to steam/cook the mussels for 5 to 10 minutes. When you near the 5-minute mark, lift the lid and see if the mussel shells are open. If so, they're done. Remove the mussels from the shells and set aside. Discard the shells.
- Making the chowder: Heat a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Add chopped bacon to the pan and cook 4 minutes or until browned. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel to drain, reserve the drippings in the pot. Add the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic to the pan, saute for about 3 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and cook for 2 minutes longer.
- Slow whisk in the clam juice (or reserved and strained mussel broth from steaming) and chicken broth. Next, add the potatoes and thyme sprigs. Simmer until the potatoes are tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
- Stir in the half-and-half, milk, shrimp and cod. Simmer for 4 to 6 minutes, or until the fish is opaque. Season with the hot-pepper sauce. Stir in the fresh dill, chopped cooked bacon, and mussels. Ladle into bowl and serve immediately.
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
This seafood chowder is inspired by the rainy, drizzly days of the Pacific Northwest that we experience here in Seattle. When a pot of this chowder is simmering on my stove, I can almost smell the coastal brine of nearby Puget Sound. It’s delicious and simple.