Finnish salmon and potato soup

Recipe by Rachel Zammit Cutajar

Photo by Rachel Zammit Cutajar

This salmon and potato soup is just the trick for fighting off the winter cold. A Finnish recipe – and who knows cold weather better than the Finns? – with salmon, potatoes, leeks and dill all brought together in a creamy stock, the level of comfort from this recipe rivals its intense flavours. Grab a hunk of crusty bread and cuddle up under a blanket on the sofa with a steaming hot bowl of this. It’s definitely one that goes well with a Netflix binge. 

Lohikeitto – Finnish salmon and potato soup

Ingredients

• 6 potatoes, peeled and diced 
• 2 large carrots, roughly chopped 
• 2 leeks, rinsed and sliced
• 400g salmon fillet, cut into large chunks, reserve the skin 
• 200ml cream
• 1l fish stock 
• 4 tbsp fresh dill 
• 1 bay leaf 
• ¼ tsp allspice
• Salt and pepper

Method

1. In a large soup pot, melt the butter and saute the leeks for approx. 10 mins until soft, taking care not to brown them. 
2. In a pot boil bring the fish stock to the boil and add the reserved fish skin. Simmer gently for 10 mins. 
3. Strain the broth and add the clear broth to the leeks, with the potatoes, carrots and half the dill. Cook for another 10 mins until the potatoes are tender.
4. Add the salmon chunks, cream and allspice and gently simmer on a low heat until just cooked through (just a few mins).
5. Add the remaining dill and season season with salt and pepper.