Smoked Salmon Chowder

Smoked Salmon Chowder

3-4 tablespoons butter
1 onion, chopped (about 2 cups)
5 carrots, peeled and diced (about 2 cups)
3 celery stalks, sliced into small pieces (about 2 cups)
½ cup white wine
6-7 new potatoes, washed and diced
1½ teaspoons dried thyme
4 cups broth (I used chicken broth but veg would work)
2 cups milk
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup cream
350-450g smoked salmon (mine was hot smoked salmon which has a
jerky-like texture and is already fully cooked)

Heat the butter in a large pan over medium high heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery. Saute until fragrant and soft. Add the white wine to deglaze the pan. Add the potatoes, thyme, and 2 cups of the broth. Simmer until the potatoes are fork tender. Whisk the flour into the milk and add to the
pan (this helps it thicken up a little bit - more flour = more thickening). Add 1 cup of broth and simmer for 5-10 minutes or until the soup starts thickening just slightly. Add the cream and smoked salmon just before serving. If you let the salmon simmer with the soup for too long, it will get mushy. Taste, adjust, and add the last cup of broth to thin out the consistency of the soup as desired. Season with salt and pepper.