Finnish Salmon Soup (Lohikeitto)

4.9 of 234 votes
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
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Here is an easy and comforting recipe, perfect for cold winter nights: a Finnish salmon soup. Lohikeitto as it is called in Finland is a creamy salmon soup made with leeks, potatoes and especially plenty of fresh dill! This is a very popular dish in nordic countries.

Zoom on a pot of Finnish salmon soup with dill

What I particularly like in this traditional finnish salmon soup is that it is a full meal and especially that you can prepare in advance and reheat easily. It tastes sometimes even better the next day!

Plus, it’s a one-pot recipe so not only this Finnish soup is quick to prepare but you don’t need much to clean afterwards!

Zoom on a pot of Finnish salmon soup with dill

List of ingredients

For this salmon soup recipe you only need a few relatively easy to find ingredients. 

  • Salmon: You need a fresh salmon filet without the skin. I prefer a relatively thick fillet so that I can cut large cubes of fish. You can also use frozen salmon. Since this is one of the main ingredients of this recipe, I really recommend you to choose a high quality fish.
  • Leeks: I used fresh leeks. I only kept the white part and the beginning of the green part.
  • Potatoes: I recommend firm potatoes. I used small potatoes so I could keep the skin on. 
  • Carrots: You need fresh carrots. You can replace the carrots with other root vegetables such as parsnip or sweet potatoes cut in cubes.
  • Fish broth: Ideally, you need fish broth, which can be found in the form of a fish stock cube or sometimes liquid. Look at the instructions to see how to dilute it. If you can’t find fish stock, you can replace it with vegetable stock or chicken stock. Of course, you can make your own fish stock with fish bones and heads.
  • Dill: You will need a large bunch of fresh dill! If you can’t find it, you can buy it frozen or use dried dill. If you don’t like dill, you can substitute it with parsley or coriander. 
  • Heavy cream: I used a French crème fraîche with 30% fat content. You can replace it with your favorite heavy cream or low-fat cream or liquid cream. 
  • Lemon: This is not part of the traditional recipe but I like to add a drizzle of lemon juice to give this soup a little freshness.

You will find the exact quantities in the recipe card

Zoom on a pot of Finnish salmon soup with dill

How to prepare this Finnish salmon soup?

  • PREPARE: Cut the leeks into thin strips and wash them well. Peel and slice the carrots and cut the potatoes into cubes. Cut the fresh salmon into large cubes. Chop the dill finely. 
  • SAUTÉ: In a large saucepan, sauté the leeks and slice carrots in butter or olive oil. 
  • COOK: Once the leeks have reduced in volume by half, add the potatoes and fish stock. Season with salt and black pepper. Simmer for 15 minutes at medium heat until the potatoes are cooked.
  • SALMON: 10 minutes before serving, add the salmon chunks and cream. Cook over medium heat for 3-5 minutes until the salmon is cooked. The cream should not boil. Close the lid and wait another 5 minutes.
  • SERVE: To finish, add the fresh dill. Serve in a bowl and decorate with more dill, black pepper and a drizzle of lemon juice if you like.

Serve this Finnish salmon soup recipe with rye bread and a glass of white wine like a Sauvignon Blanc or a creamy Chardonnay!

Zoom on a pot of Finnish salmon soup with dill

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Frequently asked questions 

How long will this salmon soup keep?

This Finnish style salmon soup can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 days. You can reheat it in a microwave on medium power or in a saucepan on low heat. 

 Can I freeze this fish soup? 

Not really… the cream doesn’t freeze well, so I don’t recommend freezing it. However, it is not bad for your health. Also be careful if your salmon was frozen not to defrost this soup either. 

Can I make a lactose-free version?

Yes, of course! Replace the cream with a vegan cream from soy, cashew or with a white bean puree. 

Zoom on a bowl of Finnish salmon soup with dill

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Portrait of Geraldine Leverd, author of La Cuisine de Géraldine, a blog of simple, healthy French recipes.

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Finnish Salmon Soup (Lohikeitto)

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4.9 of 234 votes
This Finnish salmon soup also called Lohikeitto is so delicious and easy to prepare. It's become one of my absolute favourites!
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Course Main course
Cuisine International
Servings 4
Calories 542 kcal

Equipment

Ingredients
 
 

  • 500 g salmon
  • 400 g potatoes firm
  • 3 leeks
  • 3 carrots
  • 1,2 liter fish broth
  • 200 ml heavy cream
  • 1 bunch of dill fresh
  • 1 lemon
  • Salt and pepper

Instructions
 

PREPARE

  • Cut the leeks into thin strips and wash them well. Peel and slice the carrots and cut the potatoes into cubes. Cut the fresh salmon into large cubes. Chop the dill finely.

SAUTÉ

  • In a large saucepan, sauté the leeks and slice carrots in butter or olive oil.

COOK

  • Once the leeks have reduced in volume by half, add the potatoes and fish stock. Season with salt and black pepper. Simmer for 15 minutes at medium heat until the potatoes are cooked.

SALMON

  • 10 minutes before serving, add the salmon chunks and cream. Cook over medium heat for 3-5 minutes until the salmon is cooked. The cream should not boil. Close the lid and wait another 5 minutes.

SERVE

  • To finish, add the fresh dill. Serve in a bowl and decorate with more dill, black pepper and a drizzle of lemon juice if you like.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 542kcalCarbohydrates: 37gProtein: 36gFat: 28gSaturated Fat: 13gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 126mgSodium: 1114mgPotassium: 1653mgFiber: 5gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 9585IUVitamin C: 45mgCalcium: 215mgIron: 4mg
Tried this recipe?Tag @la.cuisine.de.geraldine on Instagram and let me know how it was!
4.86 from 234 votes (196 ratings without comment)

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76 Comments

  1. This is our new favorite soup. I cannot get over the flavor in this recipe. Well done! We used plant-based heavy cream, and I even adapted it for my Instant Pot.

  2. 5 stars
    Just made this for dinner! I’ve never had Finnish food before, so I was excited to try this! So delicious! Will be on my dinner rotation list!

  3. 5 stars
    Excellent soup! I didn’t have cream or fish stock. I used milk and water with bouillon and it still tasted great! Big hit with the family!! 👍🏼👍🏼

  4. 4 stars
    Married to a Finnish / Swedish man , I as a Mediterranean like to incorporate some of the Nordic dishes as part of our recipes , such as the yanson’s temptation potato oven dish 🤪.
    Will be trying this salmon soup recipe soon ! The ingredients are delicious 🤤

  5. 5 stars
    I fell in love with this soup on my visit to Heslinki. I use vegetable/chicken stock and leave out the cream and it is still delicious! One of my family favorites!

  6. 5 stars
    This is 100% one of the best soups I have eaten. And it is so easy to make! I usually use chicken stock because that’s what I have, but that doesn’t matter, the soup is still always great.

  7. Honestly, I was so skeptical about this, but committed to try because my husband is part Finnish and I wanted to make some food from his country of origin. This was so good, and I either bravely or stupidly make it the first time to take to dinner at his parents’ house–everyone approved. So, so good!

  8. 5 stars
    Perfect for this cold night, very warming. Took a cue from someone else and added a handful of spinach (sorry Finland). Perfect with a baguette for a hearty and delicious dinner. Merci Géraldine. Now to make the other soups….

  9. 5 stars
    Very simple yet delicious, thanks for sharing this in English! I lived in Finland when I was young and this brought me back to an amazing time ❤️

  10. 5 stars
    This soup was phenomenal! I pretty much doubled the salmon for extra protein, and used heavy whipping cream in place of the more viscous cream used in the video. This was just what I was looking for :).

  11. 5 stars
    Absolutely delicious! Made it for my mom while visiting her for the holidays. We both loved it. I added a few cloves of thinly sliced garlic, as I think nearly everything tastes better with garlic and it’s good for you, and I also used a bit of chicken broth to supplement the fish broth. Otherwise I followed the recipe exactly and it all was perfect. I think both my mom and me will be making this dish again and again. The fresh dill is what makes the dish; also the fresh lemon.

  12. 5 stars
    Very yummy recipe! I made it for Christmas Eve and my husband loved it, requesting it become a staple in our dinner recipes. I read the ingredients first and made the soup, realizing later in the description that crème fraiche could be used. I recommend putting this in the written recipe. I used heavy cream, but would prefer crème fraiche. I bet the thickness and tang would be delicious. Next time! 🙂 Thank you for the great recipe.

  13. 5 stars
    This soup is delicious. My toddler loves it very much. Will be a staple in my household moving forward. Thanks for the recipe! ❤️

  14. 5 stars
    Y’all, this recipe has changed my life! Such a beautiful combination of savory and creamy delight. I was a bit hesitant because I have never heard of salmon in soup but it looked so good and the weather has been cold so I couldn’t resist. The salmon surprisingly leaves the soup tasting more buttery than fishy and the dill adds that secret touch. Highly recommend, this will be a staple in our home for the winter months 🫶🏽

  15. 5 stars
    This was such a lovely recipe. Very easy to make and reminded us of our visit to Finland. I will be saving this one to make again and again.:)

  16. 5 stars
    Very delicious soup recipe! At least once a week we have been making it for dinner since found this recipe. Thank you so much!

  17. 5 stars
    Wonderful soup. I make it with veggie stock and then separate out a portion before adding the salmon, to make a lemon-marinated tofu version for my vegetarian son. always looking out for easy recipes to convert for veggies while the rest of the family likes fish, so this is perfect.

  18. 5 stars
    I’m doing these a couple of time per year, best soup ever. First time I’ve tried it in Finland, while working on the ferry we were getting this dish every Wednesday in the staff mess. I prefer it with fresh dill and jalapeno pickles, the best combination after my opinion.

  19. Geraldine,
    this is is best recipe! Our family loved it- we used salmon, cod and haddock and loved the additional dill in your recipe- also added some left over sweetcorn.
    Thanks for your Instagram – its fab

    1. Thank you so much! It’s a good idea to add more fish variety! So happy you are following me on Instagram.

  20. This recipe is fantastic. I’ve never made a soup that had so much flavour the first day, and the ingredients are so simple. We’re kinda obsessed

  21. 5 stars
    This recipe is fantastic. I’ve never made a soup that had so much flavour the first day and the ingredients are so simple. We’re kinda obsessed

  22. 5 stars
    Bonsoir, cette recette est délicieuse ! Je n’ai pas trouvé de saumon frais, j’ai donc ajouté de gros morceaux de saumon fumé cuit. Merci de l’avoir partagée !