Traditional Finnish Salmon Soup (Lohikeitto)
This comforting Finnish Salmon Soup (Lohikeitto) is creamy yet light and made with tender chunks of salmon, potatoes, carrots, a splash of cream and plenty of fresh dill. It's the kind of quiet, nourishing everyday food you'll find in homes, cafés and market halls across Finland, and it's also easy to make and incredibly delicious.
This recipe was inspired by my recent trip to Finland where I enjoyed lohikeitto on several occasions at food market halls, surrounded by ample displays of freshly caught fish and the hum of Finnish conversation and everyday life.
Looking for more soul-warming Nordic soups? Try my Swedish Pea Soup with Ham, Golden Beet Soup or Mushroom and Barley Soup next!
Finnish Salmon Soup At A Glance
- ⏰ Prep Time: 15 minutes
- 🔥 Cook Time: 25 minutes
- 👥 Yield: Serves 4
- ⭐️ Recipe Summary: A creamy yet light Finnish soup made with tender chunks of salmon, potatoes, carrots, a splash of cream and plenty of fresh dill.
Jump to:
Why You'll Love this Recipe
- ♥️ It tastes like a trip to Finland - no plane tickets or luggage required
- ♥️ It is simple and deeply comforting
- ♥️ Tender salmon is the star of this recipe
Ingredients
Ingredient Notes:
- Yukon Golds are my favorite choice of potato here. They become tender in the soup as they cook without falling apart.
- Find the very best fresh salmon you can for this recipe.
See recipe card for exact amounts and detailed instructions.
Substitutions
- You can substitute leftover cooked salmon for the fresh if you like. Simply cut the cooked salmon into bite sized chunks and simmer in the soup briefly until warmed through.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I have to let you know how much I loved your soup recipe. It was magnificent! Delicate and hearty at the same time. Thank you for sharing your wonderful recipe. - Sylvia
How to Make Traditional Finnish Salmon Soup
- Add water and potatoes. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cook until potatoes are just tender, about 12 minutes.
- Add cream and bring back to a simmer. Add salmon and gently simmer until just warmed through, about 5 minutes.
- Remove from the heat. Add lemon juice and dill. Season to taste with additional salt, white pepper and/or lemon juice. Serve immediately.
Expert Tips
- Avoid vigorously stirring the soup once the salmon has been added. This keeps the delicate fish from falling apart.
- Don't overcook the salmon! A gentle simmer for 5 minutes should be perfect. Remove from the heat immediately.
Finnish Salmon Soup FAQs
Yes. Make the soup up until the point that you are going to add the salmon. Cool and store the soup tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. When ready to serve, bring it back to a simmer and add the salmon. Proceed with the remainder of the recipe as directed.
Store leftovers tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Reheat as desired. This soup does not freeze well.
I prefer the salmon freshly cooked in the soup, but you can use leftover cooked salmon in this recipe if you like. Cut the cooked salmon into chunks and simmer in the soup until just warmed through.
If your soup is a little on the "hearty" side and you would like it to be more brothy, simply add a bit more water and maybe even an additional splash of cream. Be sure to adjust the seasonings (salt, white pepper and lemon juice) to accommodate the extra liquid.
Fresh dill is an important component of this recipe, and I don't recommend using dried dill in its place here.
What to Serve with Finnish Salmon Soup (Lohikeitto)
In Finland, this soup is always served with rye bread alongside for sopping up the delicious broth. I recommend Easy Finnish Rye Bread Rings (Ruisreikäleipä), Kavring (the easiest rye bread recipe - perfect for beginners), or Easy Overnight Danish Rye Bread (Rugbrød). Butter generously and enjoy!
More Finnish Recipes
Looking for more recipes to transport you to Finland? Try these:
If you tried this Finnish Salmon Soup (Lohikeitto) recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
Recipe
Traditional Finnish Salmon Soup (Lohikeitto)
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
Instructions
- 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.
- 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.
- 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).
- Remove from the heat. Stir in the lemon juice and chopped dill. Season to taste with additional salt and white pepper. Serve immediately.
Super delicious recipe, as are all of the ones I have tried from your website. I used a cup of evaporated milk rather than the cream to save on calories and fat. I only had half a pound of salmon, so I cut up some flounder fillets I found in the freezer and added that also. The lemon and the dill at the end really brighten up the flavor. Will definitely make this again.
Thanks for the feedback, Cecilia! I'm so glad you enjoyed it and were able to adapt well to what you had on hand. It's a very versatile recipe!
Kristi
So delicious. my soup was not as white 😂… my nutmeg and allspice? I sort of browned the onions, not burned, but everything was absolutely the recipe and very, very good. Thank you.
Hi Sarah,
If your onions were a bit browned that would definitely add more color but I bet the flavor was fantastic! So glad you enjoyed the soup. Thanks so much for leaving a comment!
Kristi
My grandmother came from the area where Russia bordered with Finland. She made a salmon soup - it had no cream and no spices but oh was it good. Some carrots and potatoes. The salmon had skin on and had bones - which added to the the flavor. Each person carefully removed the bones and skin as they ate. All those nutrients added to the flavor. It was called oo-HA.
That's so interesting, Irene! Sounds delicious, too. I love hearing about the different regional variations of simple dishes like this one!
Kristi
We make something similar in Alaska. Salmon, bones and skin, with potatoes, onions, salt and pepper. We boil it all together with salmon roe, if we have it. It's a staple meal in the summer when the salmon are running.
Hi Laureli,
That sounds amazing - I love the idea of using ALL that the salmon has to offer. I bet the salmon roe is a really delicious! Thanks for your comment!
Kristi
This looks Delicious!! How would I make it without cream? Following a low fat diet for heart health. Thanks!
Hi Janet,
Thanks for your question! You can skip the cream altogether and just replace it with an extra cup of water - the soup will still be delicious, just more on the brothy side. You can substitute an unsweetened plant based milk or a lower-fat dairy product, but I would at that at the very end (after the salmon has cooked) and just heat until warmed to avoid any curdling. Hope this helps!
Kristi
Thanks Kristi! I will try that!
This sounds perfect for one (or more... or each!) of the five, potluck dinners our local Scandinavian group has throughout the year. Can you suggest ingredient amounts for increasing the yield to more than four. We usually have 25-45 attendees, though as I mentioned it's a potluck, so it wouldn't have to feed everybody. Tack så mycket/ Takk!
Hi Sue,
That sounds like a perfect dish for your Scandinavian potlucks—this soup is wonderful for sharing. I’m so glad you’re considering it! For a potluck with 25–45 attendees, I’d suggest maybe 3x the recipe?
This amount fits nicely in a large stockpot and reheats well (before the salmon is added), which makes it ideal for a potluck setting. I recommend adding the salmon right at the end (as written in the recipe) so it stays tender.
I hope it’s a hit with your group—please let me know how it goes!
Kristi
I substituted evaporated milk for the cream. Soup was delicious.