This Creamy Norwegian Fish Soup (Fiskesuppe) is the ultimate Scandinavian comfort food - a rich, velvety broth loaded with tender salmon, shrimp, and cod, plus potatoes, root veggies, and tons of fresh dill. I fell in love with this soup during my time as an exchange student in Norway, and it's been a favorite in our kitchen ever since! It's rustic, hearty, and comes together in under an hour. 🤤
Save This Recipe! 💌
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Norway's Coziest Fish Soup 🇳🇴
If you've tried our Finnish salmon soup (lohikeitto), you'll notice these two are cousins! The Finnish version focuses on salmon in a simpler broth, while the Norwegian fiskesuppe goes bigger - more seafood varieties, more root vegetables, and an even creamier finish. We serve ours with warm homemade rye rolls slathered in butter, which is absolutely the way to do it. 😊
The beauty of fiskesuppe is that it's impressive enough for company but easy enough for a weeknight. The broth comes together while your veggies simmer, then you gently poach the seafood right at the end so everything stays tender. Don't skimp on the fresh dill - it's what makes this soup taste like Norway! 🇳🇴
🧈Ingredients
This soup relies on simple, quality ingredients - butter, leeks, fresh seafood, and plenty of dill. We're using a mix of salmon, shrimp, and cod for that classic fiskesuppe variety, but you can adjust based on what looks best at your market.
How to Make This Creamy Scandinavian Fish Soup✨
This soup comes together quickly once you get started, so have everything prepped and ready to go before you hit the stove! Here's how:
- Step 1: Start by removing the skin from your salmon and cod. Our favorite trick? Place fillets skin-side up on a cooling rack over a baking sheet and pour boiling water over the skin for 5-10 seconds.
The skin shrinks slightly and peels right off without wasting any fish! Cut the salmon and cod into bite-sized chunks and set aside.
🐟 Fish stock: Homemade is easy - just simmer your salmon skins in water for 10-15 minutes! Otherwise, store-bought seafood stock works perfectly. Chicken or vegetable stock are fine substitutes too, or dissolve a fish bouillon cube in water. If your stock is salted, go easy on the additional salt and adjust at the end.
- Step 2: Slice your leeks into rounds, using only the white and light green parts. Leeks trap a lot of dirt between the layers, so separate them and soak in a bowl of cold water for about 10 minutes, swishing gently to release any grit. Drain, repeat if the water is still dirty, and dry thoroughly.
Save the dark green parts and use them in this leek pasta or leek butter!
- Step 3: Melt the butter in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the cleaned leeks with a generous pinch of salt and cook for 4-5 minutes until they start to soften. Stir in the allspice and let it toast for about 30 seconds - your kitchen is going to smell amazing.
✨ About the allspice: This is actually more common in Finnish salmon soup than Norwegian fiskesuppe - but we love it so much we add it anyway! It brings a subtle, earthy warmth to the broth. Skip it if you prefer a more traditional Norwegian version.
🧈We use Plugrà European-Style Butter, the official butter partner for our blog! Plugrà's 82% butterfat (vs 80% in standard American butter) creates an extra-silky, rich, and flavorful soup base.
- Step 4: Add the potatoes, parsnips, carrots, fish stock, more salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 7-9 minutes until the potatoes are fork-tender. If your stock is salted, go easy on the additional salt and adjust at the end.
🥔 Potato options: Waxy potatoes like Yukons or reds are ideal here - they hold their shape nicely in the broth. We used russets because that's what we had (they work fine!), but they're starchier and will break down a bit more as they simmer.
🥕 Root veggie options: We love parsnips in this soup, but it's flexible! Turnips, rutabaga, or extra carrots all work great - use what you have. Sidenote: Traditionally, the root vegetables are julienned into thin matchsticks for an elegant presentation. We went rustic here, but either way works beautifully!
- Step 5: Once the veggies are tender, reduce the heat to low. Stir in the heavy cream, then gently add the salmon, cod, shrimp, more salt, and about half the dill. Keep the heat LOW from here on out - if the soup boils after the cream is added, it can curdle. A gentle simmer is all you need.
🐟 Seafood options: We used salmon, cod, and shrimp, but fiskesuppe is flexible! Use whatever looks fresh at your market - haddock, mussels, crawfish, or scallops all work beautifully.
- Step 6: Stir gently and continuously over low heat for 4-5 minutes, or until the seafood is just cooked through. The salmon and cod will flake easily, and the shrimp will be pink and opaque. Don't walk away here - seafood cooks fast, and overcooked fish turns rubbery! If you're unsure, pull it off the heat a touch early - the residual heat will finish the job.
🌿 Fresh dill is key: Don't sub dried here - fresh dill has a delicate, bright flavor that really makes this soup taste like Norway. And don't be shy with it! It's hard to overdo.
Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt, pepper, and the fresh dill. Ladle into bowls and serve immediately with warm rye rolls and good butter. This soup is best enjoyed fresh - the seafood doesn't love being reheated!
🌟Tried this Nordic Fish Soup? Leave a review!
Make sure to leave a 5-star review below! This helps other readers find our recipes via Google, and encourages them to try them. Also be sure to leave a comment with your experience!
Take a photo and share with us by tagging us on Instagram or follow along on Pinterest for more ideas!
📖 Recipe
Norwegian Fish Soup (Fiskesuppe)
Equipment
- large dutch oven or stockpot
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 medium leeks white and light green parts only, cut into small rounds and cleaned
- 4-6 teaspoons kosher salt divided, to taste
- ¼-½ teaspoon allspice
- ½ teaspoon black pepper to taste
- ¾ pound potatoes peeled and quartered
- ¾ pound parsnips peeled and cut into small pieces
- 3 large carrots peeled and cut into rounds
- 4 cups fish stock
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ pound salmon skin removed, cut into chunks
- ½ pound cod skin removed, cut into chunks
- 1 pound shrimp peeled and deveined
- ⅓-½ cup fresh dill chopped
Instructions
- In a large stock pot, add unsalted butter over medium heat to melt. Add cleaned leeks and season generously with salt. Cook for 4-5 minutes until beginning to soften, then add in an optional ½ teaspoon of allspice and stir to toast the spices.6 tablespoons unsalted butter, 4 medium leeks, 4-6 teaspoons kosher salt, ¼-½ teaspoon allspice
- Add potatoes, carrots, and parsnips with seafood stock, more salt, and pepper.½ teaspoon black pepper, ¾ pound potatoes, ¾ pound parsnips, 3 large carrots, 4 cups fish stock
- Bring to a boil, then cover. Cook for 7-9 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork-tender.
- After the potatoes are softened, reduce the heat to low, then pour in the heavy cream, along with the salmon, cod, and shrimp with more salt, pepper, and fresh dill.⅓-½ cup fresh dill, 1 cup heavy cream, ½ pound salmon, ½ pound cod, 1 pound shrimp
- Stir the soup often over low heat until the shrimp and fish are cooked through, about 4-5 minutes, being careful not to overcook!
- To serve, add more fresh dill, black pepper, and salt to taste. Serve with freshly made rye rolls topped with butter and enjoy!
Save This Recipe! 💌
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Notes
- Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 2-3 days. We don't recommend freezing - the seafood texture suffers. Reheat gently on the stovetop over low heat or at 50% power in the microwave. Only reheat what you plan to eat, as the fish continues to cook each time and can turn rubbery.
- Fresh dill: This is non-negotiable! Dried dill doesn't have the same bright, delicate flavor. Use it generously - it's hard to add too much.
- Allspice: Technically more common in Finnish lohikeitto than Norwegian fiskesuppe, but we love the subtle warmth it adds. Leave it out for a more traditional Norwegian version.
- Fish stock: Save your salmon skins and simmer in water for 10-15 minutes for quick homemade stock. Store-bought seafood stock, chicken stock, vegetable stock, or fish bouillon cubes all work as substitutes.
- Seafood: Salmon, cod, and shrimp are our go-to, but swap freely based on what's fresh - haddock, mussels, crawfish, or scallops are all great options.
- Potatoes: Waxy varieties like Yukon gold or red potatoes hold their shape best. Russets work but will break down more as they simmer.
- Root veggies: Parsnips are our favorite, but turnips, rutabaga, or extra carrots are all fair game.
Anne Leonardi says
I made the soup for the second time, and absolutely love it! Because I am following a low-carb diet, I skipped the potatoes and parsnips, and added celery and asparagus. Also, I didn’t have any fish stock on hand, so I used chicken broth.
Excellent recipe, Bri and Char!
Anne
Briana says
Love that you added even more veggies, that sounds so yummy!! So happy you enjoy this recipe so much Anne! Thank you so much for leaving your thoughts on this one!! 😀
Briana says
Chamere and my little brother LOVE this recipe. It's one of my favorites too, but it's a classic in our household! We know it will become a favorite in your home as well if you give it a try! 🙂