Sometimes you need a soup that is light and clean. I wasn’t craving anything heavy, creamy, or tomato-based. Not a stew, not a chowder. This is the soup you go for when you want something light, brothy, and healing—something full of vegetables, fresh herbs, briny clams, and lovely chunks of gently poached salmon.
This soup is light and lemony, infused with the scent and taste of the ocean. The clams open right in the pot, releasing their salty, briny juices into the broth, while fennel, dill, parsley, and fresh lemon keep everything bright and herbaceous. Thinly sliced potatoes add just enough substance without weighing it down, and tender bok choy melts into the broth alongside the salmon.
It’s simple, nourishing, and deeply satisfying in that particular way a beautiful bowl of broth can be. Fresh, delicate, a little briny, and exactly what I wanted.
When you're making a soup this simple, every layer matters. I start by gently sweating the fennel, shallot and celery in extra-virgin olive oil with a little salt. The salt helps draw moisture from the vegetables as they cook, allowing them to soften and release their flavor without needing to brown.
From there, garlic goes in briefly before adding chicken broth and water. I intentionally dilute the chicken broth here. I don't want this to taste like chicken soup—the broth is simply a foundation for the fennel, vegetables and, eventually, the briny juices released by the clams.
Once the clams open in the pot, they become part of building the broth themselves, releasing their salty, oceanic liquor directly into the soup. This is also why I like to be conservative with salt at first. You can always taste and adjust once the clams have opened.
I didn't want big chunks of potato turning this into a hearty potato-and-fish stew, but I did want a little starch and substance in every bowl while maintaining the delicasy of the soup.
Instead, I slice one large Yukon Gold potato very thinly. The slices become soft and almost silky in the broth, and because they're so thin, a single potato stretches throughout the entire pot. You get a little buttery potato in almost every bite without losing the light, brothy quality that makes this soup what it is.
This is where the soup really comes alive.
Fresh dill and parsley go in toward the end so they retain their bright, herbaceous flavor. And don't throw away those delicate fennel fronds! Scatter them generously over the finished bowls. They reinforce the fennel running through the broth and give each bite a fresh, slightly anise-y finish that is especially lovely with salmon.
Finally, lemon. Add fresh lemon juice to the pot, but serve the soup with extra wedges as well. That last squeeze of lemon over the individual bowl makes an enormous difference—it brightens the salmon, cuts through its richness and brings the herbs and briny clam broth into focus.
I like one final drizzle of good olive oil and a small sprinkling of salt over the finished bowl, too.
The salmon should be one of the last things added to the pot. Cut it into generous chunks and gently nestle them into the hot broth, then lower the heat and let them poach just until cooked through. There's no need for a hard boil—in fact, you don't want one. Gentle heat keeps the salmon tender and allows those beautiful pieces to remain intact rather than breaking apart throughout the soup.
I hope you enjoy this simple, brothy soup prepared on a lazy Sunday, just as I did. Because there’s something especially lovely about making a beautiful, wholesome pot of soup with nowhere else to be—reveling in the aroma filling the kitchen, occasionally stirring the pot, and gazing out the window at a pretty view.
Sometimes, that’s really all you need. A quiet afternoon, a pot gently simmering on the stove, and something fresh and nourishing waiting at the end of it.
I hope this soup brings a little of that feeling to your kitchen, too.
This light and lemony salmon and clam soup is filled with tender wild salmon, briny littleneck clams, thinly sliced potatoes, fennel, bok choy, and plenty of fresh herbs. The clams release their juices directly into the broth, giving it a delicate ocean flavor, while fresh dill, parsley, and a generous squeeze of lemon keep everything bright and fresh. It's nourishing and satisfying without being heavy—the perfect brothy seafood soup when you're craving something light.
Rinse and scrub the clams thoroughly under cold running water. Discard any with cracked shells. If a clam is slightly open, tap the shell and give it a moment to close; discard any that remain open and unresponsive.
Heat 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Add the thinly sliced fennel, shallot, and celery and season with about ¼ teaspoon kosher salt. Cook for 6–8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent but not browned.
Add the garlic and a pinch of red pepper flakes, if using. Cook for about 30–60 seconds, just until fragrant.
Pour in 4 cups chicken broth and 2 cups water and bring to a gentle simmer. Add the very thinly sliced potato and chopped bok choy stems. Simmer for about 5–7 minutes, until the potato is nearly tender.
Add the cleaned clams and cover the pot. Cook at a lively simmer for about 4–7 minutes, or until the clams have opened. Discard any clams that remain firmly closed after cooking. Taste the broth and add salt and freshly ground black pepper as needed.
Reduce the heat to low and nestle the salmon chunks into the broth. Cover and gently poach for 3–5 minutes, or until the salmon is just cooked through and flakes easily. Avoid vigorously boiling the soup so the salmon remains tender and the pieces stay intact.
Turn off the heat. Add the bok choy leaves, fresh dill, parsley, and the finely grated zest of about half a lemon. Gently stir and allow the residual heat to wilt the greens.
Squeeze the juice of half the lemon into the soup. Taste and adjust with additional salt, pepper, or lemon as needed.
Ladle into bowls, making sure everyone gets plenty of salmon, clams, vegetables, and broth. Finish each bowl with a drizzle of good extra-virgin olive oil, fresh herbs, and a generous squeeze of fresh lemon just before eating. Serve with additional lemon wedges alongside.
