Finnish Salmon Soup (Lohikeitto) • authentic recipe! (2024)

Finnish Salmon Soup, or Lohikeitto, is a simple Nordic salmon chowder and a comforting 30 minute meal made with a light cream broth, melt-in-your-mouth chunks of salmon, and tons of fresh dill!

Finnish Salmon Soup (Lohikeitto) • authentic recipe! (1)

traditional salmon soup is a spring favorite

I’m obsessed with this healthy Finnish soup (in Sweden the soup is called Laxsoppa, in Norway, Fiskesuppe.) It’s utterly simple and so satisfying ~ made with fresh salmon, chunky potatoes, carrots, and leeks. The flavors are unpretentious and clean, with a traditional dill infused broth touched with allspice. I make it in the spring, of course, when wild salmon is in season, but it’s become one of my favorite winter meals, too. It’s healthy comfort food whatever the calendar says.

ingredients for salmon soup

  • skin-on salmon ~ wild is best both for flavor and nutritional value. For convenience you can buy it frozen, there’s no loss of nutrients.
  • leek ~ this gives a nice mild onion flavor and adds color to the soup. Be sure to remove those tough outer layers before slicing.
  • potatoes ~ any type you like: russet potatoes will soften and melt into the soup, while waxy potatoes will remain firmer.
  • carrots ~ add color and lots of Vitamins A and C.
  • fresh dill ~ you can’t beat this feathery herb ~ fresh dill is nice and mild so you can’t really over do it.
  • cream ~ you can lighten up with half and half, either will work.
  • butter
  • allspice ~ unexpected to the American palate, but wonderful!
Finnish Salmon Soup (Lohikeitto) • authentic recipe! (2)

the key to a great fish soup? it’s the stock!

There’s only one hitch to making a great fish soup, and that’s the stock. Most of us don’t have fabulous fresh fish stock in the fridge, and canned stock isn’t the greatest quality, so we need to get creative.

my secret homemade fish stock hack

I’ve come up with a way to make a pretty good fish stock substitute and it starts with buying salmon with the skin on. I remove it and simmer it in water to make a quick broth. A quick strain and it’s ready to use. The flavor gets even better the next day after the flavors have had a chance to develop.

Finnish Salmon Soup (Lohikeitto) • authentic recipe! (3)

“Finnish approved! I was born and raised in Finland and I was raised on this. I grew up cooking a recipe very similar to this salmon soup in school. This is great and authentic Finnish salmon soup.”

~ Joonas

no shortage of delicious salmon recipeson my blog

We love salmon and eat it more than any other type of fish. Did you know that salmon is one of the best sources of vitamin D?

I make my rainbow salmon skewersall the time because they literally take about 15 minutes to throw together. We eat them with couscous or salad.

Another favorite salmon meal is salmon and zucchini burgers, I serve the warm burgers over a fresh green salad ~ heaven!

When I’m feeling the need for some hearty comfort food, I turn to mysalmon coconut curry orcreamy lemon dill salmon,both are family favorites.

Finnish Salmon Soup (Lohikeitto) • authentic recipe! (4)

Finnish Salmon Soup – Lohikeitto

3.64 from 532 votes

Finnish Salmon Soup, or Lohikeitto, is a simple Nordic salmon chowder and a comforting 30 minute meal made with a light cream broth, melt-in-your-mouth chunks of salmon, and tons of fresh dill!

Print RecipePin RecipeRate Recipe

Prep Time:10 minutes minutes

Cook Time:20 minutes minutes

Total Time:30 minutes minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 lb skin-on salmon filet
  • 4 Tbsp unsaltd butter
  • 1 large leek, trimmed, sliced, and well rinsed
  • 5 cups water (you can also use fish stock)
  • 1 lb russet potatoes, peeled and diced
  • 1 large carrot, sliced
  • 1 cup fresh dill for garnish, finely chopped, divided
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1/4 tsp allspice, use more to taste
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Remove the skin from the salmon and cut into largish chunks. Remove any small pin bones and discard. Reserve the skin.

  • Melt the butter in a soup pot and saute the leeks for 10 minutes, or until nice and soft.

  • While the leeks are cooking, put 5 cups of water and the reserved fish skin in a saucepan and bring to a boil, turn down the heat and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Note: if you are using fish stock you can skip this step.

  • Strain the broth and add to the pan with the leeks, along with the potatoes, carrots, and half of the fresh dill. Cook for another 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are just tender.

  • Add the salmon chunks to the soup along with the cream and allspice, and gently simmer on low heat until cooked through, just a few minutes. Add the remaining dill, and salt and pepper to taste.

Notes

  • If you can get your hands on great fish stock, by all means use it! Clam broth can also be used. I’ve sometimes even used clam juice as a base for fish soup.
  • I’ve occasionally made this soup with hot smoked salmon (the kind that comes in a chunk) and it gives great flavor.
  • Serve this soup with some rustic artisan style bread ~ rye or pumpernickel would be amazing! I have a great recipe for Pumpernickel Biscuits on the blog which would be perfect with this Finnish salmon soup
  • Consider doubling the recipe so you can have the leftovers the next day, it gets even better!

*I lightly adapted this recipe from Cooking the Globe

NEW FEATURE! Click here to add your own private notes.

Course: Soup

Cuisine: Finnish

Author: Sue Moran

Keyword: appetizer, dinner, leeks, potatoes, salmon, soup, winter

Nutrition

Calories: 576 kcal · Carbohydrates: 27 g · Protein: 27 g · Fat: 41 g · Saturated Fat: 22 g · Trans Fat: 1 g · Cholesterol: 174 mg · Sodium: 193 mg · Potassium: 1165 mg · Fiber: 2 g · Sugar: 2 g · Vitamin A: 4190 IU · Vitamin C: 10 mg · Calcium: 89 mg · Iron: 2 mg

Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although The View from Great Island attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.

Did You Make This?We love seeing what you’ve made! Tag us on social media at @theviewfromgreatisland for a chance to be featured.

Finnish Salmon Soup (Lohikeitto) • authentic recipe! (5)
Finnish Salmon Soup (Lohikeitto) • authentic recipe! (2024)

FAQs

Is salmon soup Finnish? ›

Salmon chowder (Finnish: lohikeitto, Swedish: laxsoppa) is a common dish in Finland and other Nordic countries. It consists of salmon fillets, boiled potatoes, carrots and leeks. The dish is served hot, and typically seasoned with fresh dill, allspice, salt and black pepper.

What is the cultural significance of Lohikeitto? ›

This traditional Finnish soup, featuring the goodness of salmon, potatoes, and dill, is a celebration of the country's rich maritime heritage and the bounties of its pristine lakes.

What is kalamojakka? ›

We will start with Kalamojakka a Finnish Fish stew that was made by fisherman with their fresh catch. The Fins used to pride themselves on making it with only what they caught. In slimmer times when the fishing wasn't as good they would add potatoes or parsnips to fill out the stew.

What is salmon soup made of? ›

This post may contain affiliate links. This easy and bright salmon soup uses simple ingredients and comes together in just over 20 minutes. Delicate, almost creamy chunks of salmon tucked in a flavor-packed broth with potatoes, carrots and fresh dill. A splash of lemon juice brings it together.

What is the traditional fish dish in Finland? ›

The typical dish of Savo in Eastern Finland, kalakukko (Finnish fish pie) is made of local small fishes (usually vendace or perch) baked for hours inside a dark rye bread.

What country eats the most salmon? ›

The United States, the European Union, and Japan are the largest consumers of salmon. The United States consumed approximately 420,000 metric tons, while the EU consumed roughly 1.2 million metric tons. Japan accounted for about 300,000 metric tons of consumption.

What do you eat on St Urho's Day? ›

"Lihamojakka, Finnish Stew with Beef, is a favorite meal at Finnish-American St. Urho Day celebrations.

Is Finnish salmon soup good? ›

the soup is light but rich in flavor and full of cooked veggies like carrots, leek, and potatoes. a great way to use salmon fillet. kids and adults love this dish.

What is the white stuff coming out of cooked salmon? ›

The white stuff that oozes out of salmon is called albumin, a type of protein in the fish (other foods with albumin include eggs, beef and milk). You can't see albumin when the fish is raw—it only appears when the salmon is exposed to heat. As salmon cooks, the albumin turns from its liquid state into a semi-solid one.

What is the white stuff that comes out of salmon called? ›

It's called albumin. And it lives in your salmon whether it's cooked or not, no matter where it's from, how it's raised, or how much you paid for it. Albumin is a liquid protein that solidifies when the fish is cooked, seeping out as the muscle fibers contract under heat, becoming thick and a bright white.

Is Finland famous for salmon? ›

River Teno on the border between Finland and Norway is the most prolific salmon river in Europe and famed for its big salmon, weighing more than 15 kilos. The largest specimens weigh over 20 kilos.

Is salmon popular in Finland? ›

While the choice fish tend to depend upon region, salmon is the most popular staple found throughout the entire country followed closely by herring. Other common fish include the arctic char, pike-perch, rainbow trout, vendace, and whitefish.

What country is fish soup from? ›

Generally fish soups are found in France (bourride, chaudrée), Greece, Italy (zuppa di pesce), Portugal (caldeirada), Spain (sopa de pescado y marisco, Catalonia (suquet de peix), and all the countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea.

What country is Vichyssoise soup from? ›

Vichyssoise has, as its name suggests, distinctly French roots, but its soul belongs to Manhattan. The dish was created by a chef named Louis Diat, who modeled it after a beloved leek and potato soup his doting mother made him as a boy growing up in Montmarault, France.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Nicola Considine CPA

Last Updated:

Views: 5947

Rating: 4.9 / 5 (49 voted)

Reviews: 88% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Nicola Considine CPA

Birthday: 1993-02-26

Address: 3809 Clinton Inlet, East Aleisha, UT 46318-2392

Phone: +2681424145499

Job: Government Technician

Hobby: Calligraphy, Lego building, Worldbuilding, Shooting, Bird watching, Shopping, Cooking

Introduction: My name is Nicola Considine CPA, I am a determined, witty, powerful, brainy, open, smiling, proud person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.