Salmon stew is a creamy, rosy, one-pot dinner of tender salmon cubes in a light tomato and cream broth with onion, carrot, celery and garlic. This salmon stew recipe is made on the stovetop in a single large pot and is ready in 50 minutes, with only 10 minutes of chopping. It is rich but not heavy, with a gentle warmth from chili flakes, and it is a welcome change from baked or pan-fried fish on a cold weeknight.
How to make salmon stew: Sauté onion, carrot and celery in olive oil for 4 to 5 minutes. Add garlic for 30 seconds, then tomato paste for 1 minute. Add broth and chili flakes, season, boil, then cover and simmer on low about 15 minutes. Add 1-inch salmon cubes and simmer 5 minutes, to 145°F. Stir in heavy cream, simmer 2 minutes and serve with parsley.
Why You’ll Love It
- One pot. The whole stew is built in a single pan.
- Simple ingredients. A pound of fish and a few vegetables you likely have.
- Tender fish. The salmon goes in at the end, so it stays moist.
- Creamy, not heavy. Only a 1/2 cup of cream finishes the pot.
- Easy to follow. Each step has a short, clear time.
Ingredient Notes
Salmon fillet. One pound, cut into 1-inch cubes. Pull off the skin and check for pin bones first.
Olive oil. One tablespoon, to soften the vegetables.
Onion, carrot and celery. The onion is finely diced, the small carrot is grated and the celery stalk is diced, so they cook quickly.
Garlic. Three cloves, minced.
Tomato paste. Three tablespoons. It gives the broth its color and depth.
Chili flakes. A 1/2 teaspoon, for mild heat.
Broth. Two cups of fish broth or chicken broth.
Heavy cream. Stirred in last.
Salt, pepper and parsley. To season and to finish.
Ingredients
- 1 pound salmon fillet, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion, finely diced
- 1 small carrot, grated
- 1 stalk celery, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes
- 2 cups fish or chicken broth
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Fresh parsley, for garnish
How to Make Salmon Stew
1. Soften the vegetables. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot and celery and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes, until translucent and fragrant.
2. Add garlic and tomato paste. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, stirring occasionally. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.
3. Simmer the broth. Add the broth and chili flakes. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
4. Cook the salmon. Gently add the salmon cubes and simmer for 5 minutes more, until cooked through. Check that the fish reaches 145°F with a food thermometer.
5. Finish with cream. Stir in the heavy cream and simmer for another 2 minutes to warm and slightly thicken the stew. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper. Serve hot with fresh parsley.
When Do the Salmon and Cream Go In?
Both go in at the end, and in that order: fish first, cream last. The vegetables and broth need the long simmer. The salmon and the cream do not.
| What | When it goes in | How long it cooks | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Onion, carrot, celery | At the start | 4 to 5 minutes, then the full simmer | They need time to soften and flavor the broth |
| Garlic and tomato paste | After the vegetables | 30 seconds, then 1 minute | A short cook takes away the raw taste |
| Broth and chili flakes | After the paste | About 15 minutes, covered | The vegetables turn tender |
| Salmon cubes | After the simmer | 5 minutes | Small cubes cook fast and dry out if left longer |
| Heavy cream | Last | 2 minutes | It only needs to warm and thicken a little |
Salmon cut into 1-inch cubes cooks through in minutes. If it went in with the broth, it would sit at a simmer for a quarter of an hour and break into dry flakes. Added near the end, the pieces hold their shape and stay soft.
The cream comes after the fish for a similar reason. A gentle 2-minute simmer is enough to warm it and give the broth a little body. Keep the heat low at this point and do not let the pot boil hard.
How to Tell the Salmon Is Done
The pieces turn from deep, glossy pink to a paler, opaque pink, and they flake when pressed with a spoon. That is the cooking cue. For the safe answer, push a food thermometer into the center of one of the larger cubes. Fish is done at 145°F.
Tips for Success
Why grate the carrot?
Grated carrot softens in the time the onion does, and it melts into the broth and sweetens it.
How big should the salmon pieces be?
About 1 inch. Keep them close to the same size so they all finish together.
Should I stir after the fish goes in?
Only gently. Rough stirring breaks the cubes apart.
Fish broth or chicken broth?
Either one. Fish broth gives a deeper seafood flavor, and chicken broth is milder.
When should I add the salt?
Season the broth before it simmers, then taste again after the cream goes in. Broths vary a lot in how salty they are.
Storage and Reheating
Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours, in shallow, covered containers. They keep for 3 to 4 days in the fridge, though fish is at its nicest within 3 days. Reheat on the stove until the stew reaches 165°F. Do not reheat it in a slow cooker. Cream-based soups can separate after freezing, so this is a stew to eat fresh.
What to Serve With It
Ladle the stew into warm bowls and serve it with crusty bread, rice or a green salad. For another fish night, try the baked salmon with asparagus, lemon, garlic and butter sauce or the baked honey lime garlic butter salmon. If there is a can in the pantry, make canned salmon patties or Southern fried salmon patties. And for more stew, there is the slow cooker poor man chicken stew and the Instant Pot beef stew.
Frequently Asked Questions
When should salmon and cream be added to the stew?
Near the end. The salmon simmers for 5 minutes after the vegetables are tender, and the cream is stirred in after that for 2 minutes.
How can I tell when the salmon is safely cooked?
It is opaque and flakes easily, and a food thermometer reads 145°F.
Can I make this with canned salmon instead?
Canned salmon stew is a separate dish, with its own ingredients and timing. This method is written for fresh fillet.
Can I freeze salmon stew?
It is not a good freezer soup. Cream sauces can separate after freezing.
Final Notes
I serve this stew straight from the pot, with a spoonful of parsley on each bowl and bread on the table for the broth. If you make it, leave a comment to tell me how it turned out or ask a question.
Salmon Stew Recipe
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Ingredients
- 1 pound salmon fillet cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion finely diced
- 1 small carrot grated
- 1 stalk celery diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes
- 2 cups fish or chicken broth
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- salt and pepper to taste
- fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot and celery and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes, until translucent and fragrant.
- Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, stirring occasionally. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the broth and chili flakes. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
- Gently add the salmon cubes and simmer for 5 minutes more, until cooked through. Check that the fish reaches 145°F with a food thermometer.
- Stir in the heavy cream and simmer for another 2 minutes to warm and slightly thicken the stew. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper. Serve hot with fresh parsley.
Notes
Nutrition
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