Lohikeitto

- 3 mins read

Lohikeitto, a creamy Finnish salmon soup, is the epitome of Nordic comfort food that warms both body and soul. This luxurious yet surprisingly simple dish combines chunks of fresh salmon with tender potatoes and leeks in a velvety broth enriched with cream and fresh dill, creating a meal that’s both elegant and satisfying.

Chunks of Salmon float in a cream sauce with potatoes, carrots, leeks, and dill.

Ingredients

  • 4T Butter, softened
  • 2 Russet Potatoes, peeled and cubed
  • 2 Leeks, sliced and washed
  • 2 Carrots, quartered and sliced
  • 4oz Chardonnay or other white wine
  • 1 Lemon, zested and cut into cheeks
  • 2T Better than Bullion Vegetable
  • 5C Water or Fumet/Fish Stock
  • 30g AP Flour (roughly 2 Tbsps)
  • 2C Whole Milk (or half as much cream plus 1C water), room temp
  • 3 Dill Sprigs, minced
  • 2-3 Salmon Tails or 1 6oz Salmon slab, skinned and cubed

Steps

  1. In a heavy dutch oven pot, melt 2T of butter over a medium heat.
  2. Add potatoes, carrots, and leaks. Sweat until leaks begin to soften.

Note: Salt and pepper throughout, tasting as you go. Remember, you can always add salt, you can’t remove it.

  1. Add Chardonnay and cook until alcohol smell dissipates.
  2. Stir in 2T of Better than Bullion Vegetable base and allow to lightly caramelize.
  3. Add water and bring to a boil. Cook at a high boil until potatoes reach an internal temperature of 200F or are easily mashed with a spoon.
  4. In a small bowl, mix together 2T AP Flour and 2T butter forming a Beurre Manie.
  5. Whisk in the Beurre Manie and reduce to a low flame.
  6. Start a small sauce pan with 3-4C of water over a high flame.
  7. In a small bowl, temper broth and milk to prevent curdling. Once warmed, add to the soup.

Note: Curdling is caused by the denaturing of milk proteins under rapid temperature change. To prevent this, we gradually warm the milk by adding a tablespoon or two of stock at a time until the milk is warm and will survive the thermal shock of being added to the soup.

  1. Lay fish flesh side down (skin up) on a quarter sheet tray and pour the boiling water over the back of the fish. This will allow you to gently peel the skin away. Discard the skin or save in the freezer for making fumet (fish stock).
  2. Cube the fish and introduce to the soup along with dill and lemon zest, stirring gently as to not break apart the fish.
  3. Allow the fish to heat through.
  4. Enjoy!

To Serve

We like to serve this in high sided bowls topped with fresh lemon juice and a few cracks of black pepper alongside a fresh sourdough loaf!