Finnish Salmon Soup - Lohikeitto

This creamy Finnish Salmon Soup Recipe, known as Lohikeitto in Finnish - is rich and hearty with heavy cream, plenty of salmon, leeks, potatoes, and fresh dill. This traditional salmon soup is easy to make, but also incredibly comforting and filling. It comes together quickly for a delicious meal!

Please note: This recipe was originally published in January of 2021. We have improved the recipe as well and created new photos as of March 24, 2024. We hope you enjoy the new look!

This creamy salmon soup is popular in Finland, and you can find similar variations in other Nordic countries. In Norway, it's called 'fiskesuppe', and in Sweden, it's called 'laxasoppa'. What do they all have in common? They're all delicious!

This traditional dish in Finnish cuisine boasts warm, comforting flavors. The fresh dill and leeks make it perfect and light for spring, while it's also hearty enough for cold winter nights. You'll love this delicious yet unpretentious and authentic recipe.

If you're looking for more Nordic recipes, make sure to check out our Swedish shrimp toast (toast skagen), our homemade lingonberry jam, or this agurksalat (Norwegian cucumber salad)! Both are very popular condiments, especially when served with Swedish meatballs.

Speaking of Swedish meatballs, you may enjoy our keto Swedish meatballs, or these Norwegian meatballs with brown gravy!

You may also enjoy this delicious single layer Swedish almond cake (Toscakaka)!

❤️Why we love this recipe

• Perfect for busy weeknights. Don't have much time? Make the perfect weeknight meal in under 45 minutes. Truly it's perfect for any time you're not wanting to spend a lot of time cooking, but craving something really satisfying.
• Made with fresh, simple ingredients. This recipe is made with only 11 ingredients for this recipe. You can find everything you need at nearly any grocery store if you don't already have them in your fridge or pantry.
• Comforting and hearty soup. This fish soup is decadent and creamy, yet somehow still light and not too heavy. The creamy broth is so flavorful, with hearty veggies, chunks of salmon, sweet leeks, and fragrant dill. This soup is truly a winner!
• A nostalgic taste for those craving Nordic comfort food. If you haven't tried Nordic cuisine, you're going to love it! For those of us with an affinity for it, this recipe is one of the easiest ways to try a taste of the Nordic countries right here in the United States! The warming allspice is reminiscent of Nordic recipes Bri grew to love as an exchange student in Norway in high school, as well as Finnish and Swedish family heirloom recipes she remembers so fondly from childhood.
• Naturally gluten-free. The ingredients in this recipe are naturally wholesome and gluten-free, making it easy to serve to a variety of people!

🥔Ingredients

Here are the ingredients we used for this recipe. You can find more information for substitutions below.

• Skin on fresh salmon fillets. We'd recommend using skin-on salmon. We use the skins to make our own fish broth, which adds a ton of flavor. 
• Unsalted butter. A key component for that rich and creamy flavor we are going for.
• Leeks. A traditional ingredient in this recipe. Don't skip this! Just make sure they're properly cleaned, as leeks tend to carry a lot of trapped dirt between the layers.
• Allspice. This is a common ingredient in many Nordic countries, and it adds such a lovely, earthy warmth to the dish. Don't skip this!
• Carrots. Peeled and cut into rounds. You can also use baby carrots.
• Potatoes. We love using new potatoes or red potatoes, as they have thin skin that doesn't need peeling. You can use whatever you like. Russet potatoes would need peeling, however.
• Fresh dill. This is a key flavor component. There is truly nothing like fresh dill, we think you're going to love the flavor it adds if you aren't already familiar. We don't recommend using dried dill here. You'll need a lot of it, and it's so mild, that it's hard to add too much.
• Heavy whipping cream. This is the essential ingredient for making this soup creamy.

Visit the recipe card for the full quantities and nutritional information.

✨Substitutions & Variations

The main ingredients in this dish are all very straightforward, so we recommend not making any substitutions if possible for a more authentic flavor. However, here are a few things you can do.

• Dairy free. Use a dairy free or vegan butter or olive oil instead of butter. You can replace the heavy cream with full-fat coconut milk.
• Use onions in place of leeks. Though admittedly leeks make the soup, you can use yellow onions if you don't have any leeks. We'd really like to mention that leeks is a huge part of the flavor in this traditional recipe, and we don't recommend skipping it! 
• Low carb. To make a low carb version of lohikeitto, use turnips or cauliflower florets in place of potatoes. Everything else in this soup is already naturally low carb.
• Substituting for fish broth. If you don't have fish broth or salmon skin to make your own, you could use chicken stock (or broth), or vegetable stock (or broth) if you prefer. We highly recommend using fish broth or stock however, as it adds another layer of umami to the soup. You can also use fish stock cubes with water. *If using store-bought fish stock or broth, be mindful of the amount of salt you add, as these usually contain salt on their own.  
• Dried dill for fresh. We highly recommend using fresh if possible, but if you only have dried dill on hand, you can use that instead. For everyone one tablespoon of fresh dill, you use one teaspoon of dried dill.
• Lighter version. Heavy cream is what makes this dish so rich and hearty, but you can lighten it up a bit with half and half. We don't recommend using anything less creamy than half and half, however, or the soup will be too thin.

🔪Prep Work

• Set the skin aside and save to make for fish stock. If not making your own fish stock, you can discard or cook it, and enjoy the crispy salmon skin as a snack.
• Cut leeks into thin rounds, discarding the dark green part. Set the light green and white parts into a bowl with water. Allow to sit for 5 minutes or so to loosen the dirt from between the layers, and rinse again. Set aside to dry.
• Peel the carrots and cut into rounds.
• Chop potatoes into bite-sized pieces. Peel them if you'd like.
• Separate the dill fronds from the stems, and chop the dill.
• Measure out the remaining ingredients.

Start by peeling the skin off of salmon fillets. You can either cut off the skin from the salmon, or use the hot water method (our preference). It's really easy, and it ensures that you don't waste any valuable salmon!

Put the salmon fillets skin side up on a cooling rack on top of a baking pan. Pour boiling hot water over the salmon skin for 5-10 seconds until the salmon visibly shrinks a little bit. (Image 1)

Gently wiggle the skin loose from the thickest part of the salmon, and carefully peel the skin back. The skin should come right off! (Image 2)

To make the fish stock, bring water to a boil in a large stockpot or a Dutch oven. Add the salmon skins, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cover the pot.

Simmer for 10 minutes, then remove the skins from the water. Set the broth aside for later. (Image 3)

Discard the skin, freeze it again for later use, or crisp up the skin with a bit of oil and salt for a crispy snack.

⭑Pro tip: Traditionally, this stock is made with both skin and fish heads. If you happen to have any of those on hand, you can add those in with the skin for a more intense fish flavor.

To the same pot, add the butter and melt over medium heat. Add the leeks with a pinch of salt and cook until beginning to soften.

Add in the black pepper and allspice, and cook, stirring often, for another 30 seconds or so to bloom the spices. (Image 4)

Add the potatoes, carrots, the fish stock, and more salt. (Image 5)

Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce immediately to a simmer and cover. Cook for 10-15 minutes, until the potatoes have softened considerably. (Image 6)

Note: If using store-bought fish stock or broth, be mindful of the amount of salt you add, as these usually contain salt on their own.  

After the potatoes have softened, reduce the heat to low, then add in the cream, salmon chunks, and dill with more salt. (Image 7)

Cook over low heat, stirring often to allow the salmon pieces to cook through completely. This should only take only 2-4 minutes. (Image 8)

⭑Pro tip: Do not allow the mixture to boil at all, as this will cause the cream to curdle. To avoid overcooking the salmon, you can remove the pot of soup from the stove.

Serve with more pepper and dill. Rye bread like these homemade rye rolls and good butter are especially great with this. You can also try serving it with some crusty bread and a dollop of sour cream. Enjoy!

✨Tips & tricks

• Use fresh, high-quality ingredients. There are no shortcuts in this recipe, plus, you don't really need them with so few ingredients! Using the freshest and highest quality ingredients you can makes all the difference in this recipe! This recipe has very few ingredients, so each one makes a big impact.
• Don't overcook the salmon. Since the salmon is cut up into small pieces, it will cook incredibly quickly in the hot liquid. Keep a close eye on it, stirring often, and remove it from the heat once it's done, or even right before! The residual heat will continue to cook the salmon.
• Don't be shy with the salt! This soup contains lots of hearty ingredients, and it will need quite a bit of salt to make all of the flavors shine through properly.
• Don't curdle the cream. Make sure to go low and slow the last few minutes of bringing this soup together. If the heat is too high, the cream will curdle. Once the cream is added, we don't want to boil anything at all!