Smoked Soup


Smoked Chicken, Smoked Oysters, Smoked Paprika, Smoked Sea Salt

Crazy for smoke? Back in March a recipe by Chef Linton Hopkins for a Shrimp & Smoked Oyster Chowder in Food & Wine caught my attention. The photo from that article had been hanging on my refrigerator ever since. And I don’t know about you, but it is very difficult to walk past the huge smoker at Whole Foods Market without adding a “smoked something” to the cart. The aroma is intoxicating.

Another favorite – smoked oysters. I like the Crown Prince ‘Natural’ Brand. These oysters are harvested in South Korea, naturally smoked over oak, and packed in pure olive oil. In Chef Hopkins’ chowder, the smoked oysters are chopped. Here, I make them the star of the soup – they are warmed, and served whole. These oysters, along with the smoked half chicken from Whole Foods, plus Spanish smoked paprika & smoked sea salt result in a unique soup with layers of smoky flavor…

Smoked Soup Recipe

  • 1 qt. chicken stock
  • 1 c. bottled clam juice
  • 1/4 c. dry sherry
  • olive oil
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 1 small fennel bulb, diced
  • 1 celery rib, sliced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/4 t. crushed red pepper
  • 1/4 t. spanish smoked hot paprika
  • naturally smoked sea salt
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 14 oz. can peeled diced tomatoes
  • 2 T. worcestershire sauce
  • lemon juice
  • smoked chicken, shredded by hand
  • smoked oysters

In a soup pot, sauté onion, fennel, celery, garlic, and red pepper flakes in olive oil until the vegetables are softened.

Add chicken stock, clam juice, sherry, worcestershire, bay, and tomatoes to the pot. Bring to a boil then simmer for 20 minutes. Remove bay.

Paprika Fumé Espagnol & Oak Smoked Oysters in Olive Oil

Add smoked chicken and smoked paprika to the pot. Continue to simmer until the chicken is heated through. Add a good squeeze of fresh lemon juice and naturally smoked sea salt to taste. (Be sure to use sea salt that has been smoked over a natural fire, not infused with smoke-flavorings). Finish by gently adding whole smoked oysters to the soup until they are warmed. To serve, remove the oysters to a bowl and top them with a squeeze of lemon juice and a little smoked sea salt.


Ladle soup into bowls, then top each bowl of soup with the warm whole oysters.
Serve with grilled bread brushed with olive oil.

The original inspiration for my Smoked Soup was Chef Hopkins’ Chowder which is made with shrimp & buttermilk and can be found here.

16 thoughts on “Smoked Soup”

  1. The combination of the oysters wth the chicken does interest me and then you have that sherry. (I think you will be famous for the sherry). I would like to play with this. My local grocer just got a host of smoked salts – but don’t know if the salt was smoked or infused with liquid smoke…. details…details. If I can come up with something as gorgeous as your soup, I would indeed be in bliss.

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