Creamy Scandinavian Salmon Soup Recipe with Dill and Potatoes

Salmon Soup is a light, creamy fish chowder brightened with fresh dill and made hearty with potatoes, carrots, leeks, and bite-sized pieces of salmon. It’s warming and comforting on cold winter evenings, yet light and quick enough for a last-minute meal any time of year. Serve it with crusty bread, butter, and a simple salad for an easy, satisfying main course.

Known across Finland and other Nordic countries as lohikeitto, this salmon chowder is traditionally finished with a pat of butter and a sprinkle of fresh dill, and often served alongside sturdy brown bread and butter. In Finland it’s a family and schoolhouse favorite, appearing on menus frequently because it’s both nourishing and simple to prepare.

Lohikeitto is forgiving and adaptable: it’s elegant enough for unexpected guests and quick enough for busy weeknights. Below you’ll find ingredients, equipment, and clear instructions to make this classic salmon soup at home.

Salmon Soup Recipe

I like to serve this soup with a quick one-hour sandwich loaf when time is short, or a fresh loaf like Papa’s Dilly Bread when there’s more time. Either way, a good bread makes the meal complete.

Salmon Soup Ingredients

1. Butter
2. Leeks (white and light green parts)
3. Bay leaves
4. Waxy potatoes
5. Fish stock (or chicken/vegetable stock)
6. Carrots
7. Fresh salmon (boneless, skinless)
8. Heavy cream (or half-and-half/whole milk)
9. Fresh dill
10. Salt and black pepper

Equipment

1. Chef’s knife
2. Cutting board
3. Dutch oven or heavy pot
4. Liquid measuring cup
5. Long-handled spoon

Finnish Salmon Soup

If your store sells pre-cleaned leeks, they speed preparation, but whole leeks are easy to handle: trim the white and light green portions, slice thinly, and rinse thoroughly to remove any grit. If leeks aren’t available, a diced onion makes a fine substitute.

Choose waxy potatoes—golden, red, or baby creamer varieties work well. Leaving the skins on is optional; I often leave them on for texture and convenience. Heavy cream gives the fullest, creamiest finish, but half-and-half or whole milk can be used if preferred. Avoid low-fat milks, which won’t provide the same richness.

If you don’t have prepared fish stock, you can substitute chicken or vegetable stock, or make a quick homemade fish stock from salmon trimmings and simple aromatics (recipe below).

To make a quick fish stock: combine up to 2 pounds of salmon heads, skin, and bones with a halved onion, a scrubbed carrot, a celery stalk, a couple pinches of salt, and about 5 cups of water in a saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth-lined colander; the resulting stock adds a clean, briny depth without much effort.

How to Make Fish Stock for Salmon Chowder

Add salmon heads, skin, and bones (up to 2 pounds), a halved onion, a scrubbed carrot, a celery stalk broken in two, and a couple pinches of salt to a large saucepan. Cover with about 5 cups of water and bring to a gentle simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer 10 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth and the stock is ready.

Salmon Soup

Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-low heat. Add the thinly sliced leeks and 1 teaspoon kosher salt, stirring to coat. Reduce heat to low and sweat the leeks gently until they are semi-translucent and tender, about 6–8 minutes.

Add 4 cups fish stock (or chicken/vegetable stock), 1 bay leaf, and two halved potatoes to the pot and raise heat to medium-high. Bring to a boil and cook 5 minutes, then add the cubed potatoes and sliced carrots. Reduce heat to medium and simmer 10–15 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.

Remove the halved potatoes and mash them briefly, then return the mashed potato to the pot and stir to thicken the broth slightly. Cut 1½ pounds of salmon into bite-sized pieces.

Add the salmon and 1 cup heavy cream to the pot and maintain a gentle simmer for 5–7 minutes, until the fish is just cooked through and the soup begins to steam (do not overboil). Turn off the heat, stir in half of the chopped dill, and season to taste with salt, black pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg. Cover and let rest for 5 minutes to allow flavors to meld.

Remove the bay leaf and serve garnished with the remaining dill and chopped chives. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave until just hot—avoid returning the soup to a vigorous boil to preserve the texture of the salmon and cream.

Finnish Salmon Soup Lohikeitto

Rebecca Lindamood

Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 30 mins

This creamy salmon soup, served throughout Scandinavia and known as lohikeitto in Finland, combines a light dill-flecked broth with tender potatoes, carrots, leeks, and salmon for a simple, comforting meal.

Equipment

• chef’s knife
• cutting board
• Dutch Oven or Heavy Pot
• liquid measuring cup
• Long Handled Spoon

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 leek thinly sliced (white and light green parts only)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 4 cups fish stock or vegetable or chicken stock.
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 large potatoes peeled and halved
• 1 pound potatoes scrubbed and cubed
• 2 carrots scrubbed and sliced
• 1 ½ pounds salmon boneless and skinless, cut into pieces
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup fresh dill finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh chives finely chopped

Instructions

• Melt butter over medium-low heat and add sliced leeks with kosher salt. Stir to coat and sweat the leeks until tender, about 6–8 minutes.
• Add fish stock, bay leaf, and two halved potatoes. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil for 5 minutes.
• Add cubed potatoes and sliced carrots, reduce heat to medium, and simmer 10–15 minutes until vegetables are tender. Remove the halved potatoes, mash them, and return them to the pot to thicken the broth.
• Cut the salmon into bite-sized pieces.
• Add salmon and cream, and keep at a gentle simmer 5–7 minutes until cooked through. Turn off heat, stir in half the dill, season with salt, pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg, cover, and let rest 5 minutes.
• Remove the bay leaf and serve garnished with remaining dill and chives. Refrigerate leftovers up to 3 days and reheat gently without boiling.

Notes

Quick fish stock: simmer salmon heads, bones, onion, carrot, celery, salt, and water for 10 minutes, then strain.

Nutrition

Calories: 508kcalCarbohydrates: 16gProtein: 44g

Nutritional information is an estimate. Calculate values using your exact ingredients if needed.

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