Vegetable-Loaded Fish & Bacon Chowder
Oh, how true.
Springtime in the UK is a somewhat unpredictable season. One week it’s snowing, the next it is gloriously sunny and 28ºC, then suddenly it’s cold and raining again.
I love spring vegetables and the mix of soups and salads we end up eating depending on how the weather is feeling that day.
This fish chowder is a perfect dish for the cooler spring days. It is just creamy and satisfying enough to border on cold day comfort food, but just light and healthy enough to work for a day with a nice big hint of warmth to it, too.
And of course, it being my recipe, it is packed with far more veggies than your average fish chowder. You guys know the deal by now. More veggies is always the answer for me. 🙂
Most chowder’s feature only white potatoes, which are classed as a carb, not a vegetable, and the occasional bit of sweetcorn. Not mine. Nope, I’ve taken the liberty of chucking in courgettes, peas, onions and leeks, and using just one potato (use turnip or swede for a lower carb/higher veg option). And the funny thing? It doesn’t taste like it’s full of vegetables! It still tastes like creamy, salty-sweet, tasty fresh chowder.
And with it being cheap to make (hello frozen white fish fillets) and ready in 25 mins, this is the perfect weeknight dinner for an unpredictable day, whether that is because of the weather or the chain of events that have taken place (like when your 2-and-a-half-year-old decides it’s a lovely day for rugby tackling his sister and your 3-year-old decides she wants to go on the trampoline and remove every item of clothing… *sigh*, just another weekday).
So here is a delicious 25 minute cheap family dinner for *those* days. Because healthy real food doesn’t have to be expensive, time-consuming or reserved only for the easy days.
A delicious, creamy but light fish chowder with salty smoky bacon and packed with vegetables and goodness. Ready in less than half an hour, this weeknight dinner is cheap and easy to make.
- 2 tbsp coconut or olive oil
- 3-4 rashers of (ideally nitrate-free) back bacon, chopped into small pieces
- 1 onion, finely diced
- 2 leeks, finely sliced
- 1 tbsp wholemeal flour or arrowroot
- 1 litre (4 cups) vegetable stock
- 1 large white potato (or 1 turnip or 1 swede), diced into small cubes
- 1 courgette (zucchini), diced
- 4 fillets of fresh or frozen defrosted cod or other white fish (I use basic frozen pollock fillets)
- 250 ml (1 cup) milk
- 50 g (1/4 cup) grated Cheddar or other hard cheese
- 150 g (1 cup) frozen peas
- large handful fresh parsley, roughly chopped
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Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a large deep frying pan over medium heat and fry the bacon for 1-2 mins until cooked and just crisping up. Set the bacon bits aside and add the other tbsp of oil to the pan. Throw in the diced onion and leeks and fry for 3-4 mins until softened, then stir through the flour and cook for 30 secs before pouring in the stock. Add the potato, courgette and fish and bring the chowder to the boil. Simmer for 8-10 mins, until the fish and veg is cooked through. Pour in the milk, cheese and peas and cook for another 2 mins, then sprinkle with parsley and serve on its own or with crusty bread and a side salad.
