Salmon barley and bacon soup
Recipe and Photography by Nevada Berg of North Wild Kitchen
Daylight wanes, the leaves are changing colors before drifting away from their branches, and the cozy season of autumn is in full swing. These chilly days invite for warm and hearty dishes to fill one up in the most satisfying way. That’s where this Salmon, Bacon and Barley Soup featuring sustainable Kvarøy Arctic salmon from the Arctic waters of Norway comes in.
It’s rich and delicate, each bite bursting with flavor. The mouthwatering salmon pairs beautifully with the chewy barley, bright kale and salty bacon. Each mouthful is a meal in itself. A simple stock with cream and a splash of lemon provides a velvety base to envelop all the ingredients. This is a dish you’ll want to come back to often, whatever the weather might bring. And, it all comes together in a short amount of time, leaving more hours spent relishing in the season.
Enjoy this in the warmth of the kitchen or cooked over an open fire with some Norwegian flatbreads or a good loaf of bread with some lightly salted butter.
Serves 6 to 8
5 tablespoons (70 g) butter
3 shallots, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
3 celery sticks, trimmed and thinly sliced
4 strips of bacon, cut into small pieces
4 1/4 cups (1 liter) fish stock, alternatively use vegetable stock
Salt and pepper
16 ounces (500 g) Kvarøy Arctic salmon, cut into bite-size pieces
1 cup (240 ml) cooked barley
2 handfuls (50 g) kale pieces
1 1/2 cups (360 ml) heavy cream
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme, dill or parsley
DIRECTIONS
In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the shallots, garlic, celery, and bacon and sauté, stirring often, for 5 minutes or until softened and starting to brown. Add the fish stock and a generous pinch of salt and pepper and bring to a simmer. Add the salmon, cooked barley, and kale and cook for 5 minutes or until the fish is cooked through and the kale is soft. Stir in the heavy cream, lemon juice and chopped thyme, dill, or parsley and cook for a further 2 minutes for the flavors to blend. Season to taste and serve.
