This Classic Finnish Salmon Soup (Lohikeitto) is everything I love about Nordic cooking - simple ingredients, cozy flavors, and a richness that warms you from the inside out. Tender salmon, buttery potatoes, sweet leeks, and fresh dill swim in a velvety broth that's rich and silky with heavy cream and homemade salmon stock, with a warming hint of allspice that's so distinctly Nordic. It comes together in under an hour, but tastes like it simmered all day. Finnish Soul food, that's a family favorite in my house! 🤍
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Lohikeitto: The Coziest Salmon Soup & One of Finland's Most Beloved Recipes 🇫🇮
I spent my senior year as an exchange student in Norway, and those cold, dark winters had me eating a lot of creamy fish soup - I'm not complaining! With Finnish and Swedish heritage, these flavors just taste like home, and Norway just sealed the deal.
Everyone knows and loves Swedish meatballs, but this salmon and potato soup is just as iconic in Finland. It's classic home-cooked Finnish comfort food - the kind of everyday meal that's found on dinner tables and restaurant menus alike, perfect for a quick weeknight or a cozy weekend. My little brother and Chamere request it constantly!
Think of it like Finland's answer to chowder, but with a distinctly Nordic twist. Instead of bacon and corn, you get sweet leeks, loads of fresh dill, and a warming hint of allspice that makes it feel like a hug in a bowl. It's perfect for cold winter nights, but those bright leeks and fresh dill make it just as welcome in spring.
You'll find similar creamy salmon soups all across the Nordic countries. In Sweden, it's called laxsoppa. Our Norwegian fish soup (fiskesuppe) is very similar, but uses a medley of different seafood and root veggies. This Finnish version keeps things beautifully simple, cozy, and absolutely perfect.
🐟 Ingredients for Finnish Salmon Soup
Simple, fresh ingredients do all the heavy lifting here - salmon, potatoes, leeks, dill, and cream. That's really it!
How to Make Lohikeitto (Finnish Salmon Soup) ✨
This soup comes together in two parts - a quick homemade fish stock, then the soup itself. Don't skip the stock, it adds so much flavor!
- Step 1: Start by removing the skin from your salmon fillets. We love the hot water method - place the salmon skin-side up on a cooling rack set over a baking sheet, then pour boiling water over the skin for 5-10 seconds until it visibly shrinks a bit.
Gently wiggle the skin loose from the thickest part and peel it right off. Cut the salmon into bite-sized chunks and set aside.
💡 Why skin-on salmon? We use those skins to make a quick fish stock that adds incredible depth of flavor. Don't skip this step!
💡 Short on time? Skip the homemade stock and use 4 cups of store-bought fish stock or seafood broth instead. Jump straight to Step 3!
- Step 2: Add the salmon skins to a stockpot or Dutch oven with 5 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover for 10 minutes. Remove the skins and set the broth aside. 💡Quick tip: You can discard the skins, freeze them for reuse later, or crisp them up in a hot pan with oil and salt for a snack!
💡 Want even more flavor? Traditionally, this stock is made with fish heads and bones, too. If you have them on hand, toss them in!
🧅 Before you start - clean the leeks. Leeks trap a lot of dirt between their layers! Slice them first, then soak in a bowl of cold water for a few minutes.
Swish them around, let the grit sink, and lift them out. Now you're ready to cook!
- Step 3: In the same pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the sliced leeks with a pinch of salt and cook until they start to soften. Stir in the pepper and allspice and cook for another 30 seconds to bloom the spices.
🫚 White pepper is traditional in Finnish cooking - it adds warmth without the black specks. Black pepper works perfectly fine, too!
- Step 4: Add the potatoes, carrots, fish stock, and another pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then immediately reduce to a simmer.
Cover and cook for 10-15 minutes until the potatoes are fork-tender. The veggies should be tender but not falling apart.
🥔 Best potatoes: We love new potatoes or red potatoes here - their thin skins don't need peeling. Russets work too, but you'll want to peel them first.
💡 Using store-bought fish stock? Just be mindful of salt - taste as you go, since most store-bought stocks are already seasoned.
- Step 5: Reduce the heat to low. Add the cream, salmon chunks, and fresh dill with a bit more salt. Stir gently and let everything cook for just 2-4 minutes until the salmon is cooked through.
🐟 Don't overcook the salmon! It cooks fast in that hot broth. You can even pull the pot off the heat and let the residual warmth finish the job.
⚠️ Don't let it boil! Once the cream is in, keep the heat low - boiling will cause the cream to curdle.
- Step 6: Taste and adjust seasonings. This soup needs a good amount of salt to make all those flavors shine, so don't be shy!
🌿 Fresh dill is a must here. Dried just doesn't have the same brightness. You'll need a lot - but it's so mild, it's hard to overdo it!
In Finland, lohikeitto is almost always served with rye bread and good butter. Our rye rolls are perfect here. Crusty sourdough or pumpernickel works beautifully, too. Keep it simple and let the soup be the star. It's almost better the next day, once everything has had time to meld together.
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If you make this Traditional Finnish Salmon Soup, we'd love to hear from you! Leave a comment below with your rating for the recipe. Share with us by tagging us on Instagram! We love seeing your creations! 📸
📖 Recipe
Creamy Finnish Salmon Soup Recipe - Authentic Lohikeitto
Equipment
- large dutch oven or stockpot
Ingredients
Fish Stock (if making your own)
- Salmon skins from salmon fillets
- 5 cups water reduces to ~4 cups
Salmon Soup
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 medium leeks white and light green parts only, sliced into thin rounds and cleaned
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt divided and to taste
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- ½ teaspoon white or black pepper to taste
- 1.5 pounds new potatoes or red potatoes cut into bite-sized pieces
- 3 large carrots peeled and cut into rounds
- 4 cups fish stock homemade or store-bought
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 pounds salmon skin removed, cut into bite-sized chunks
- ⅓ to ½ cup fresh dill chopped (plus more for serving)
Instructions
Fish Stock (skip if using store-bought)
- Remove the skin from the salmon using the hot water method: Place fillets skin-side up on a cooling rack over a baking sheet. Pour boiling water over the skin for 5-10 seconds until the salmon visibly shrinks. Gently peel the skin back - it should release easily. Cut salmon into bite-sized chunks and set aside.
- Add salmon skins and 5 cups water to a stockpot or Dutch oven. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 10 minutes. Remove and discard the skins (or crisp them up for a snack!). Set stock aside - you should have about 4 cups.Salmon skins, 5 cups water
Salmon Soup
- In the same pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the leeks with a pinch of salt and cook until beginning to soften. Stir in the pepper and allspice and cook for 30 seconds to bloom the spices.4 tablespoons unsalted butter, 4 medium leeks, 1 tablespoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon white or black pepper, ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- Add the potatoes, carrots, fish stock, and another teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook 10-15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.1.5 pounds new potatoes or red potatoes, 3 large carrots, 4 cups fish stock
- Reduce heat to low. Add the cream, salmon chunks, and dill. Cook gently, stirring occasionally, until the salmon is just cooked through - about 2-4 minutes. Do not let the soup boil once the cream is added.2 pounds salmon, 1 cup heavy whipping cream, ⅓ to ½ cup fresh dill
- Taste and adjust salt and pepper. Serve immediately with extra fresh dill, crusty bread, or buttery rye rolls.
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Notes
- Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days. Do not freeze - the salmon texture suffers.
- Reheating: Warm gently on the stovetop over low heat (don't boil!) or in the microwave at 50% power. Only reheat what you plan to eat, as the salmon continues to cook each time.
- Fish stock substitutions: If you don't have salmon skins, use 4 cups store-bought fish or seafood stock. Bottled clam juice also works well. Chicken stock is a last resort - it works, but you'll lose that seafood depth. If using store-bought stock, taste before adding salt, as many are already seasoned.
- Traditional fish stock: For a more intense flavor, add fish heads or bones to the stock along with the skins - this is how it's traditionally made in Finland.
- White pepper: White pepper is traditional in Finnish cooking - it adds warmth without the black specks. Black pepper works great too if that's what you have.
- Best potatoes: We recommend new potatoes or red potatoes - they have thin skins that don't need peeling and hold their shape beautifully in soup.
- Fresh dill: Fresh dill is essential here - dried just doesn't compare. Use it generously! If you must substitute, use 1 teaspoon dried dill for every 1 tablespoon fresh.
- Serve with: This soup is traditionally served with rye bread and butter. Our soft rye rolls are perfect here, or try pumpernickel or a crusty sourdough.
Debbie says
Tasty, easy recipe - it reminded me of the soup I ate and loved in Helsinki! I don't eat dairy, and appreciated how easy it was to eliminate that from the recipe. Next time, I think I'll skip the alternative cream altogether, and just use a little more fish broth. I'd never made fish broth before, and found that to be quite easy as well - and the boiled water method for skinning the salmon is brilliant. Thanks for making this treat so easy to make!
Briana says
Hi Debbie, thank you so much for taking the time to leave your review! So glad this soup reminds you of your Helsinki trip, we're jealous! We haven't had the chance to make it over there yet, but I need ask my grandma for the contact details of my relatives over there! 🙂 Let me know how it goes when you try it without a cream alternative next time, I think that would be very tasty still, because the base flavors of the soup are so good. Also glad you found that trick helpful, admittedly, we learned it somewhere on the internet (can't remember where) and now it's the only way we remove salmon skin. So easy!
Natasha says
So delicious, left my whole entire house smelling amazing!
Briana says
We're so happy to hear this, Natasha! Thank you so much for trying this, and for your review! 🙂
Anne Leonardi says
This soup was fantastic! I made the homemade fish stock but only had half the amount I needed. So I added clam juice. I also swapped out the potatoes for cauliflower to lower the carbs. I didn’t have enough dill either, about half. It definitely could use the full amount! Very good, filling and satisfying soup. 1 serving is about 2 cups. Thanks B and C!!
Briana says
Oooh we're so thrilled Anne!! Thank you so much for trying it and for letting us know about your substitutions. Great thinking with the clam juice, we can't believe we forgot to mention that one. 🙂 Thanks again for trying it!
Summer Fullerton says
Amazing 10/10 will make again! I added some shrimp and veggies to my fish stock and used less potatoes.
Briana says
Mmmm! Love that you added shrimp to the stock, that sounds awesome!