Salmon Soup

This is old-fashioned salmon soup stripped down to its essentials. Scalded milk, a can of salmon shredded with a fork, butter, and cracker crumbs for body. That’s the whole recipe, and it tastes like something your great-grandmother would have made on a weeknight without thinking twice.

Scalding the milk (heating it just below a boil) is a must. It prevents the milk from breaking or curdling when the other ingredients go in. Watch for tiny bubbles forming around the edges of the pot and steam rising from the surface. That’s your cue.

Cracker crumbs stirred in at the end work as a natural thickener, giving the soup a slightly hearty texture without needing a roux or flour slurry. They dissolve into the hot milk and disappear, leaving behind a creamy body that clings to the salmon.

Kitchen Tips

• Use the liquid from the canned salmon too. It’s packed with flavor and omega-3s. Don’t pour it down the drain.
• Shred the salmon thoroughly with a fork, breaking up any bones (they’re soft and edible) and skin pieces.
• Add cracker crumbs gradually and stir. You want the soup thickened but still pourable, not paste-like.
• Serve immediately. Milk-based soups don’t hold well on the stove or reheat gracefully.

Variations

• Dill salmon soup: Stir in fresh dill and a squeeze of lemon juice right before serving.
• Potato salmon chowder: Add diced boiled potatoes for a heartier, chowder-style version.
• Creamy corn salmon: Stir in a can of creamed corn for sweetness and extra body.