Being from the East Coast, I’ve tried many seafood chowders, but my mom’s Nova Scotia version is the best! She makes it every Christmas Eve, and the pot is always empty by the next day. It’s rich, creamy, and packed with seafood — the perfect special-occasion treat for seafood lovers.
Mom’s Nova Scotia Seafood Chowder
Being from the East Coast, I’ve tried many seafood chowders, but my mom’s Nova Scotia version is the best! She makes it every Christmas Eve, and the pot is always empty by the next day. It’s rich, creamy, and packed with seafood — the perfect special-occasion treat for seafood lovers.
Ingredients
- 2 large onions diced
- 3 medium carrots sliced
- 7 potatoes cubed
- 1 pound salmon cut into chunks
- 1 pound cod cut into chunks
- 1 pound scallops
- 1 pound shrimp peeled and deveined
- 6 ounces cooked lobster meat shredded
- 6 ounce can crabmeat drained and flaked
- 6.5 ounce cans chopped clams drained
- 4 ¼ cups heavy whipping cream
- 2 cups half-and-half
- 1 ½ cups butter cut into chunks
- salt and ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Gather all ingredients.
- Fill a large pot halfway with lightly salted water; bring to a boil. Add onions and carrots; cook until slightly tender, 10 minutes.
- Add potatoes; cook until tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
- Stir in salmon, cod, scallops, shrimp, lobster, and crab; cook over medium heat until salmon and cod are firm but chunks are still slightly translucent in the center, about 10 minutes.
- Drain half the water from the pot and add clams, heavy cream, and half-and-half. Place butter chunks atop the soup; season with salt and black pepper.
- Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until salmon and cod are fully cooked and flake easily with a fork, about 30 minutes. Do not boil once cream is added.
Notes
Cook’s Note
Adjust ingredient quantities to suit your taste as I never measure anything when I make it!
Add a dash of garlic or onion powder for extra flavor.
Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 2 days and reheated gently over low heat.
