Dinner Chowder

A weeknight chowder that walks the line between cream-of-potato soup and a tomato-and-cheese situation. The base is straightforward, potatoes, onion, and celery simmered in salted water until tender, but the technique that separates this from a watery vegetable soup is the separate roux.

Heating oil, then whisking in flour, then adding the milk and seasonings, then thickening before it all goes into the potato pot, gives you a velvety chowder body without lumps. Building the roux in a separate pan (rather than dumping flour into the soup) is the move that prevents the gritty, raw-flour taste that ruins so many homemade chowders.

Cheddar cheese goes in last, stirred into the warm milk-roux mixture so it melts smoothly rather than seizing. Then everything gets folded into the potatoes, and chopped tomatoes and parsley join right at the end.

The “do not boil” warning is real. Once cheese hits boiling temperature, it breaks and the chowder turns greasy. Heat through gently and serve.

Pro Tips

• Use waxy potatoes (red or Yukon Gold) for chowder, they hold their shape; russets break down into mush.
• The “sauce” listed without name is almost certainly Worcestershire, a common chowder ingredient that adds savory depth.
• Grate cheese fresh from a block; pre-shredded cheese has anti-caking starch that makes the chowder grainy.
• Salt seems high at 2½ teaspoons, taste before adding the full amount, especially if your cheese is sharp.

Variations

• Add a cup of cooked corn for a more traditional corn-and-potato chowder.
• Crisp 4 slices of bacon at the start and use the rendered fat in place of corn oil for a smokier soup.
• Stir in cooked diced ham or shredded chicken with the tomatoes to make this a heartier meal-in-a-bowl.