This Finnish Salmon Soup, known as Lohikeitto in the homeland, is to die for. Creamy and hearty, it is guaranteed to warm your soul on cold fall and winter days. Plus, it's really easy and quick to make - ready in a half an hour!
As an avid traveler, I have a list of my dream destinations. It's sort of a bucket list. One of these places is Lapland, Finland’s northernmost region. Yeah yeah, the place where Santa Claus and his elves live! However our Christmas symbol is not the reason why I want to get there. Or at least it wasn't the reason till my son was born three months ago. Now, it goes without saying that we would visit Santa's village together! I can't even imagine how happy my son would be there and it warms my heart to even think about it.
Let's get back to the main reason why Lapland is in my dream list. The Northern Lights. It's the unforgettable light show, created by Mother Nature, which you can observe in the sky. In Lapland the Northern Lights are visible on about 200 nights a year! How awesome is that? I even have a fantastic place in mind where I would love to be while gazing at the night sky - these AMAZING glass igloos. I've just shed a manly tear while looking at this picture.
There is one more thing you should know about Lapland. Winters are freezing cold and long there - the region lies north of the Arctic Circle. Temperatures can reach as low as -40°C or -40°
Why salmon? Well, Finland has an abundance of it. The Tana river, which flows through Lapland, is said to be the best salmon river in the whole world. Even the world's record for the biggest Atlantic salmon is held by a fish caught in this river - it was 36 kilograms (79 lb). It's something, isn't it?
I am actually a huge salmon fan. Life without salmon is barely worth living to me. I love it seared, baked, smoked, grilled, poached, cured in salt, you name it. I enjoy it in salads, spreads, patties, chowders and of course soups! Needless to say, Lohikeitto was right up my alley. This Finnish salmon soup uses cream as a base and is made of salmon chunks, potatoes, leeks and generously garnished with dill. It doesn't sound too fancy, but believe me, it has everything you need.
I used heavy cream but you can substitute it with lighter one. There are some versions of this salmon soup floating around the internet with cornstarch as a thickening agent, but the authentic recipe doesn't use any thickeners at all. The traditional recipe uses fish stock, so did I. I've made it from the salmon heads and bones by myself but you can easily use liquid store-bought one. It won't be a huge issue if you'll use water instead of the fish stock too.
To sum up - this salmon soup is definitely a winner. I can understand why it is so popular in Finland. It warms you up instantly and can keep you going all day long. Lohikeitto is full of flavor and has a wonderful texture. I've already eaten two plates of this goodness today. Thinking about grabbing the third one, but I probably won't have enough space in my stomach. Bummer! It's really filling! I don't know about you - but this is my new soup favorite. Cold winter days are approaching but with Lohikeitto I am not afraid of them. At all.
Finnish Salmon Soup - Lohikeitto
Ingredients
- ½ stick (¼ cup or about 50 grams) unsalted butter
- 1 leek, sliced (white and light green parts only)
- 5 cups (1,25l) fish stock (can be substituted with water)
- 1 lb (450g) potatoes, cubed
- 1 carrot, sliced
- 1 lb (450g) salmon fillet, de-boned, de-skinned and cut into small chunks
- 1 cup (250ml) heavy cream
- 1 cup (10g) fresh dill for garnish, finely chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a pot. Add the sliced leek and saute until translucent, about 7 minutes.
- Add the stock, carrot and potatoes. Bring to a boil and cook for about 10 minutes over medium heat. At this point the potatoes should be almost ready.
- Add the salmon chunks and the cream, and cook for about 5-7 minutes more, until it starts to boil.
- Turn off the heat and add the dill, salt and pepper. Close the lid and wait for another 10 minutes. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Patrik Sova
Hey from Finland! Great recipe. My version of this soup is this base (except I don’t use leek) + a little bit of caramelized onions (133 g) and fresh lemon juice (4 tbsp) at the end to balance butter, cream and sweet onions (2 tsp of sugar).
sara
You forgot the allspice
juliet
Is there any way to substitute the cream? I can't eat diary. Thank you!
V Brandt
Thicken some almond milk with flour and fish stock Ya won't notice the difference.
Hale
I usually use 1 egg and 1 lemon juice instead of cream you need to use hand blender to mix lemon and egg and add to soup right before turn off the stove.
Orly
Soup was sooo great tasting. Do healthy so day to make so filling
Since it’s Finnish soup snd you’re Finnish I added the lemon n sugar. Wow!! couldn’t stop eating it!
My maternal great grandmother came here from Finland n we loved all her cooking so we knew you gave us the right hints! Tks all!
Savvy
Hello!
We don't have fish stock at our local store, would clam juice work as a substitute along with water? Thank you! My MIL is from Finland and I can't wait to try this soup!
Dilbert Dilberstein
Wowzers, spiritual experience in a bowl.
The only thing I'll add, as someone was asking about the dill amount,
is I believe you're supposed to add 10g of dill (not a cup).
The recipe appears to have a little typo as it states:
1 cup (10g) fresh dill for garnish, finely chopped
One cup of dill would actually be 128g,
which might make the recipe a bit too DILL-licious. 😉
Otherwise a perfect dish.
Finn
Add at least one cup of chopped dill
Holly
Looks amazing! Now I just need a dairy free version!
Allie
I love this soup! It's so hearty and warming with a simple yet absolutely delicious taste! Not usually a fan of dill but it works so well here and really makes the dish come together.
Small tip: I've tried making this with dashi instead of regular fish stick, and it made the taste even fresher.
Kai
I made it with canned coconut milk /cream and it's delicious! 😊
Caroline
This came out exactly like the salmon soup I had (and loved) in Helsinki!
Will W
I'd never even tried this dish, but my Finnish partner talks about it all the time (we live in Thailand so pretty much impossible to find). Thought I'd give it a try because on paper it looks/sounds delicious. Was not disappointed! Absolutely wonderful, and she agreed. Brownie points for me!
Leann Welborn
I went there and this was my absolute favorite dish at Kakslauttanen. I cannot wait to go back. Thank you for sharing!!