What is Lohikeitto
Lohikeitto is a delicious and aromatic cream-based salmon soup that comes from Finland. As you might have guessed, in Finnish, lohi means salmon and keitto means soup.
Is Lohikeitto unique to Finland
Nope! Since this is a hearty soup perfect for cold winter nights, and because salmon is so prevalent in Nordic countries, other Nordic countries have adopted their versions of salmon soup. In Sweden, they call their version laxsoppa.
Tips for Making Lohikeitto
Here are a few cooking tips to make your life easier and consistently make delicious lohikeitto every time.
Easy way to separate the salmon skin
Removing the skin from the salmon is often challenging and frustrating. However, to easily accomplish this feat, just bring a pot of water to boil, lay the salmon skin-side-up on a plate, and gently pour over a bit of boiling water, waiting a few seconds, and pouring a bit more water. As you do this, let the water drain by holding the plate at an angle over the sink. At this point, you should be able to use your fingers to pull off the skin in one single piece. Easy peasy!!
How to properly cut leeks
Most of the leek is too tough and flavorless to eat. Therefore, with a sturdy chef knife, you should chop off the dark green part as well as the very last part with the stems. With the remaining white and light-green parts, slice it vertically in half and then slice the halves horizontally into half-moon shapes. Since leeks tend to accumulate dirt, rinse them in a bowl of cold water before using in your recipe.
Sauté the Veggies
While the more traditional method involves just boiling the vegetables in the soup, sauteing them first unleashes the Maillard effect, bringing a delicious but subtle sweetness to this soup.
Substitutions
If you can’t find fish stock in the stores and don’t have enough fish to make your own fish stock, feel free to use chicken stock instead (we ended up just using chicken Bouillon with 5 cups of water). Again, while not entirely traditional, it gets the job done and makes for delicious lohikeitto.
Other Unique Salmon Recipes
If you enjoyed this recipe, make sure to check out some of our other delicious salmon recipes at GradFood:
- Creamy Garlic Salmon Florentine
- Open-Faced Smoked Salmon and Egg Croissant Sandwiches
- Homemade Tagliatelle with Smoked Salmon Sauce
Lohikeitto (Finnish Creamy Salmon Soup)
Ingredients
- 1 lb salmon cut into large chunks
- 1 leek halved and sliced
- 2 large carrots halved and chopped
- 2 medium potatoes roughly chopped
- 1 bunch dill
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 4 tbsp butter
- 5 cups fish stock
- 1 pinch allspice
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Melt 2 tbsp butter in a pan on medium-high heat and add the leeks and carrots. Saute until starting to become golden and crispy. Dump them into a large pot and pour in the fish stock.
- Melt the remaining 2 tbsp butter in the original pan and saute the potatoes until starting to become golden before adding them to the fish stock as well. Add a pinch of allspice and salt/pepper, to taste.
- Bring the pot to a simmer and let cook for about 10-15 minutes.
- At this point, add the salmon,cream, and half of the dill and let simmer for an additional 6 minutes.
- Serve warm, garnished with the remaining dill.
Notes
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