This is a great light chowder, with rich flavor. It cooks up very fast.

1 salmon fillet (half a fish)
4 cups vegetable broth (our preference) or chicken broth
15-oz can coconut milk
4 Tbsp Thai red curry paste
3 Tbsp fish sauce
4 medium shallots
2 inches fresh ginger, minced
~15 oz potatoes, cubed into bite-sized pieces
good handful of chopped carrot
chopped celery to taste
1 cup peas
6 green onions, chopped
cilantro leaves

Steam potatoes and carrots for ~15 minutes to cook them. Remove skin from fish and cut into ~1-inch pieces (you can remove bones either by fileting or using a needle-nosed pliers; I prefer the knife because once you’re good at it it’s faster). Saute shallots, celery, and ginger in a little olive oil in the bottom of your soup pot. When done (3-5 min), pour in broth and coconut milk and add curry paste and fish sauce. Bring to a soft boil, then add peas, potatoes, carrots, and fish and simmer for about 6-7 minutes, just until the fish is cooked through. Serve immediately in a soup bowl, garnishing with green onions and cilantro.

Thai Red Salmon Chowder

Notes: Cook coconut milk delicately; that’s why the potatoes and carrots are steamed before adding. We’ve used low-sodium broth and low-fat coconut milk and it works fine—delicious results.