Lohikeitto (Finnish salmon soup)
Ingredients
Method
- Peel the potatoes and cut them into 2 cm cubes. Wash the leek and slice it thinly. Peel the carrot and cut it into rounds. Cut the salmon into 3 cm chunks.
- In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the leek and soften it for 5 minutes without letting it brown.
- Add the potatoes, carrot, fish stock, allspice berries and bay leaf. The liquid should just cover the vegetables. Bring to the boil, then cook for 15 minutes over medium heat, until the potatoes are tender.
- Pour in the cream and add salt. When the soup simmers again, turn the heat down to the minimum and add the salmon chunks. Poach for 5 to 6 minutes over very low heat, without boiling and without stirring too much, until the salmon is just cooked.
- Remove the bay leaf. Season with white pepper, adjust the salt and stir in half of the chopped dill. Serve immediately, sprinkled with the rest of the dill, with rye bread and butter.
Notes
Tender salmon, potatoes, leeks, a creamy broth and a shower of dill: lohikeitto is the great classic of Finnish cooking. This Finnish salmon soup takes 45 minutes to make with simple ingredients, and it is a complete meal that warms you up through the long northern winters. In this lohikeitto recipe, we give you the traditional version, our tips for keeping the salmon moist and the best ideas to serve with it.
Lohikeitto, a traditional soup from Finland
In Finnish, lohi means salmon and keitto means soup. Lohikeitto is probably the best-known traditional soup from Finland. People eat it all year round, but above all in winter, at home as well as in canteens, restaurants and harbour cafés. With its thousands of lakes and its Baltic coastline, Finland has always cooked fish: salmon, trout, whitefish or perch. The potato, which arrived in the 18th century, became the other pillar of its cuisine. Lohikeitto brings the two together in a single dish.
Similar dishes are found all over Scandinavia: in Sweden and Norway they are called laxsoppa or laksesuppe. This Scandinavian salmon soup always has the same spirit: few ingredients, good produce and a gentle flavour. If you love Nordic food, it is the best Nordic salmon soup recipe to start with.
How to make lohikeitto soup: step by step
Wondering how to make lohikeitto? The recipe has four stages. First, soften the leek in butter. Then add the potatoes, carrot, stock and spices, and cook for 15 minutes. Pour in the cream, then poach the salmon for a few minutes over very low heat. Finally, finish with white pepper and plenty of fresh dill.
The base of the Finnish soup: salmon, leeks and potatoes
The trio of salmon, leeks and potatoes gives this Finnish salmon and leek soup all its flavour. The leek, gently softened in butter, adds a slightly sweet note. Choose waxy potatoes (Charlotte, Anya, Jersey Royal): they hold their shape and do not turn the soup into mash. Some of their starch still goes into the broth and thickens it naturally. The carrot is optional, but very common in Finland, and it adds a pretty touch of colour. Some families use a yellow onion instead of the leek: both versions are authentic.
Which fish for lohikeitto?
It is a question people often ask: which fish for lohikeitto? The classic recipe uses fresh salmon, a skinless fillet cut into large 3 cm chunks so that it does not fall apart. Ask your fishmonger to remove the pin bones, or run your finger along the fillet to feel them and pull them out with tweezers. Sea trout also works very well, for a slightly more delicate result. Some recipes add a little smoked salmon at the end for a stronger taste: use 100 g at most, as it is very salty. Frozen salmon is fine too; simply thaw it in the fridge the day before.
The traditional lohikeitto recipe and its broth
In the traditional lohikeitto recipe, the broth is a fish stock. In Finland it is often made with the salmon head and bones, simmered for 30 minutes with an onion, a carrot and a few peppercorns, then strained. This is the tastiest version. A good shop-bought fish stock diluted in water also gives a very good result. And many families simply use salted water: the salmon and vegetables already bring plenty of flavour. For a clear and elegant soup, skim off the foam that forms on the surface during cooking.
Salmon soup with dill and cream
What makes this creamy salmon soup with dill so comforting is its velvety texture. Whole liquid cream (or crème fraîche) binds the broth and softens everything. Add it before the salmon, then never let the soup boil again: the salmon must poach gently over very low heat to stay tender and pearly in the centre. Some Finns stir a spoonful of flour into the cream for a thicker soup. Dill is essential: it is the favourite herb of Nordic cooking. Add some to the soup and the rest when serving, to keep all its freshness.
An easy and quick creamy salmon soup
This is the ultimate easy creamy salmon soup. In 45 minutes, with no tricky technique, you get a complete meal that combines fish, vegetables and starch. More generous than a velouté, it is a true creamy fish soup, perfect for winter evenings. It is even better the next day, once the flavours have blended, as long as you reheat it gently. To prepare it in advance, cook the vegetable and cream base, then add the salmon only when you reheat it: it will stay perfect.
Spices for salmon soup
Lohikeitto is a mild dish, and its spices for salmon soup stay subtle. The most typical is allspice (maustepippuri in Finnish), also called Jamaica pepper: a few whole berries bring a warm note of clove and cinnamon, without any heat. The bay leaf completes the broth. When serving, white pepper is used rather than black: finer, it leaves no black specks in the pale soup. To learn all about how it differs from black pepper, read our article on pepper. And to discover other spices and their benefits, see our spice guide.
What to serve with salmon soup
In Finland, the side dish for salmon soup is always the same: dark rye bread (ruisleipä), dense and slightly sour, spread with butter. Its bold flavour goes perfectly with the softness of the cream and salmon. Otherwise, a wholemeal or multigrain bread will do. Add a few gherkins or pickled cucumbers for a tangy touch. Lohikeitto is a meal in itself as a main course: just plan a dessert to finish. For a complete Finnish meal, also serve it with karjalanpiirakka, the Karelian rice pies. And for the bread, follow our homemade ruisleipä recipe, the Finnish sourdough rye bread.
Frequently asked questions about lohikeitto
Can you make lohikeitto without cream?
Yes. There is also a clear version without cream, made with a simple fish broth. You can also replace the cream with oat cream for a dairy-free version.
Why did my salmon fall apart?
The soup boiled after the fish was added, or it was stirred too much. Cut the salmon into large chunks, keep the heat very low and stir gently with a spoon, just once.
Can you freeze lohikeitto?
It is not recommended: the potatoes become floury and the cream may split when thawed. However, it keeps for 2 days in the fridge.
