Lohikeitto (Finnish Salmon Soup)

About This Recipe

Lohikeitto is the definitive Finnish comfort soup, found in home kitchens, school cafeterias, and high-end restaurants throughout the country. Finland's exceptional access to fresh Baltic salmon and its culture of simple, ingredient-led cooking make this soup a natural expression of Finnish cuisine. The preparation is straightforward — a clean vegetable broth is enriched with cream, then gently cooked salmon is added so it barely poaches in the soup. A generous handful of fresh dill is non-negotiable. The result is a soup of extraordinary elegance: the rich, oily salmon against the clean, creamy broth is one of the most perfectly balanced flavor combinations in Nordic cooking.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 600 gfresh salmon fillet, skin removed, cubed
• 500 gpotatoes, peeled and diced
• 2 mediumcarrots, sliced into thin rounds
• 1 largeleek, white and light green parts, sliced
• 1 mediumonion, diced
• 800 mlfish stock or water
• 300 mlheavy cream
• 2 tbspbutter
• 1 tspwhite pepper
• 1.5 tspsalt
• 1 tspallspice berries (optional)
• 4 tbspfresh dill, finely chopped

Instructions

1. 1

   Sauté the aromatics

   Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion and sliced leek and cook gently for 5 minutes until soft and translucent. Do not let them color.

2. 2

   Add vegetables and stock

   Add the potatoes, carrots, and fish stock (or water). Add allspice berries if using. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook for 12–15 minutes until the potatoes are just tender.

3. 3

   Add cream

   Pour in the heavy cream. Season with salt and white pepper. Stir gently and bring back to a gentle simmer.

4. 4

   Add the salmon

   Add the salmon cubes to the simmering soup. Cook for 4–5 minutes until the salmon is just cooked through and flakes easily. Do not boil vigorously or the salmon will become tough.

5. 5

   Finish with dill and serve

   Remove from heat and stir in most of the fresh dill. Taste and adjust seasoning. Ladle into bowls and garnish with the remaining dill. Serve with rye bread and butter.

Variations

• •

  Use trout instead of salmon for a slightly milder flavor.

• •

  Add a handful of shrimp in the last 2 minutes for a more luxurious version.

• •

  Smoked salmon variation: add 200g of cold-smoked salmon at the very end instead of cooking.

• •

  Vegetarian: swap the protein for roasted king oyster mushrooms, smoked tofu or cooked chickpeas — adjust seasoning slightly upward to compensate.

Storage

Store in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat very gently without boiling. The soup does not freeze well due to the cream and fish.

Frequently Asked Questions