Traditional Finnish Salmon Soup (Lohikeitto)

Name: Traditional Finnish Salmon Soup (Lohikeitto)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Finnish
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons unsalted butter; 1 yellow onion (diced small); 2 carrots (cut into ½ inch dice); 1 teaspoon salt; ½ teaspoon ground white pepper; ¼ teaspoon ground allspice; ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg; 4 cups water; 3-4 medium Yukon Gold potatoes (cut into ¾ inch cubes (about 1 pound)); 1 cup cream; 1 pound fresh salmon (skin removed and cut into 1 inch cubes); 1 ½ tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice; ½ cup chopped fresh dill

Lohikeitto is a classic Finnish salmon soup combining tender salmon chunks, potatoes, and carrots in a light cream broth finished with fresh dill. It's a weeknight-friendly Nordic comfort dish that balances richness with bright, herbaceous flavor.

🌍Finnish 🌍Nordic 🥗Pescatarian 🏷️Salmon soup recipe

Traditional Finnish Salmon Soup (Lohikeitto)

Total

40 min

Servings

4

Difficulty

Medium

Est. Cost

$25–$41

Recipe Source

View original recipe

From True-north-kitchen

Ingredients

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 yellow onion (diced small)
2 carrots (cut into ½ inch dice)
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground white pepper
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
4 cups water
3-4 medium Yukon Gold potatoes (cut into ¾ inch cubes (about 1 pound))
1 cup cream
1 pound fresh salmon (skin removed and cut into 1 inch cubes)
1 ½ tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
½ cup chopped fresh dill

13 Ingredients

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Instructions

1
Melt butter in a large dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Once the foaming subsides, add the onion and carrots. Saute until the onions are soft and translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the salt, white pepper, allspice and nutmeg. Continue to cook until fragrant, about 1 minute more.
2
Add the water and the potatoes. Bring to a boil over medium high and then reduce the temperature to a simmer. Cook until potatoes are just tender, about 12 minutes.
3
Add cream and bring back to a simmer. Add the salmon cubes and gently simmer until just cooked through, about 5 minutes (no aggressive stirring once the salmon is added - we want the cubes to stay intact).
4
Remove from the heat. Stir in the lemon juice and chopped dill. Season to taste with additional salt and white pepper. Serve immediately.

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Tips & Notes

Pro tips

Cut potatoes and carrots to ¾-inch cubes for even cooking; undersized pieces become mushy, oversized ones won't soften in time.
Add salmon in the final 8–10 minutes of simmering to prevent it from breaking apart or becoming dry.
Stir in cream gently at the end and warm through without boiling to prevent curdling.
Taste and adjust salt after adding salmon; salt can concentrate as water reduces.

Substitutions

Heavy cream → crème fraîche or sour cream (stir in off heat to avoid curdling)
Yukon Gold potatoes → waxy new potatoes or red potatoes (avoid russets, which break down too easily)
White pepper → black pepper (white pepper is milder and more traditional but black works)
Fresh dill → fresh parsley or tarragon (dill is essential to flavor; substitutes alter the character)