A light salmon chowder that goes heavy on summer
Corn and cherry tomatoes add sweetness, and a little horseradish contributes kick.
Cooking
August 23, 2026

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Two bowls of corn and salmon chowder are shown with spoons nearby.
Melissa Clark’s brothy corn and salmon chowder. Joe Lingeman for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.

A seafood soup by any other name

Chowder has always been a little confusing to me, with a variety of recipes that shift depending on where you are and what you like. Do you want it pale and creamy (New England), tomato-red (Manhattan) or clear and clam-forward (Rhode Island)? And where do vegetables like corn fit in?

I wrote about all this for my recent column, touching on the long history of this American dish. But, really, the point was to bring you a new recipe for brothy corn and salmon chowder that’s light enough for summer yet still warming for when the cold sets in.

It’s a multitextured soup filled with velvety pieces of fish, juicy cherry tomatoes and plush potatoes. But this time of year, fresh sweet corn is the real star, though frozen corn also works well. I also added a little horseradish to the bowl for a gentle kick. It’s not traditional, but this versatile chowder is just the thing to make your own.

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Brothy Corn and Salmon Chowder

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Also on the menu

Roasted pepper, white bean and mozzarella salad: Sweet and silky jarred roasted peppers do the heavy lifting in this company-worthy, no-cook recipe from Hetty Lui McKinnon.

Skillet chicken and zucchini with charred scallion salsa: Colu Henry’s one-pan dinner features a layer of schmaltzy zucchini beneath roasted chicken breasts, all drizzled with an herby, lime-spiked sauce. Add a simple tomato salad, and revel in the glory of seasonal produce.

Blueberry spoon cake: Finish the day with this warm, purple-flecked cornmeal-almond cake from Clare de Boer and then eat the leftovers for breakfast the next day.

For a limited time, you can enjoy free access to the recipes in this newsletter in our app. Download it on your iOS or Android device and create a free account to get started.

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David Malosh for The New York Times

Roasted Pepper, White Bean and Mozzarella Salad

By Hetty Lui McKinnon

Filled StarFilled StarFilled StarFilled StarFilled Star

1,030

10 minutes

Makes 4 servings

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Andrew Purcell for The New York Times

Skillet Chicken and Zucchini With Charred Scallion Salsa

By Colu Henry

Filled StarFilled StarFilled StarFilled StarUnfilled Star

879

40 minutes

Makes 4 servings

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Julia Gartland for The New York Times

Blueberry Spoon Cake

By Clare de Boer

Filled StarFilled StarFilled StarFilled StarFilled Star

956

1 hour 5 minutes

Makes One 9-inch cake (6 to 8 servings)

Reading and eating

I loved “Mother Mary Comes to Me,” Arundhati Roy’s latest book, which is equal parts memoir, tribute to her remarkable mother and political manifesto that takes on India’s patriarchal status quo. Roy’s story is frank, funny and a little raunchy, but not at all sentimental. So it surprised me by making me tear up at the end. Not that I don’t weep easily (I do); I just didn’t see it coming.

Roy’s beloved uncle owned a pickle factory, which is at the center of an epic legal battle that divided the family. The descriptions of pickle making reminded me of an article Tejal Rao once wrote for The New York Times about Usha Prabakaran, whose cult-classic cookbook, “Usha’s Pickle Digest,” contains a staggering 1,000 pickle recipes. Among them is instant pickled carrot with ginger. Slather it on a cheese sandwich to eat with one hand while your book is in the other.

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Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini.

Instant Pickled Carrot With Ginger

Recipe from Usha Prabakaran

Adapted by Tejal Rao

Filled StarFilled StarFilled StarFilled StarUnfilled Star

318

10 minutes

Makes 1 1/2 cups

What are you reading? Let me know at hellomelissa@nytimes.com — I’m always looking for my next great read.

That’s all for now. I’ll see you tomorrow.

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