Scandinavian cuisine is very unusual and surprising; most of its dishes are prepared with seafood. One of the world-famous dishes is classic Finnish salmon soup. But this is not just fish soup, but a creamy salmon soup called “lohikeitto”.
This dish is amazing in taste, combining the incompatible: cream (milk) and fish. The rich, tender stew perfectly saturates and warms. It is very useful for all family members, because... salmon is a product with a very valuable nutritional composition. Let's take a closer look at the recipe for Finnish cream and salmon soup.
What is ukha called in Finnish?
There are two names for this dish - “Lohikeytto” and “Kalakeitto”.
The word “kalakeitto” itself is translated from Finnish as “fish soup”, and because of one ingredient (milk) it is sometimes called “milk soup”. According to its ethnic place of origin, the recipe belongs to the category of Finnish-Karelian cuisine.
Classic Kalakeitto is a vegetable soup with the addition of milk and “white” fish, i.e. white meat fish such as cod, whitefish or flounder. If in the recipe you replace the white fish with red fish, for example, salmon or trout, and add cream instead of milk, then instead of Kalakeitto you will get a festive version of the Finnish fish soup called Lohikeitto.
So, to summarize, what is the difference between Lohikeitto and Kalakeitto:
- Kalakeitto – fish soup with white fish and milk
- Lohikeitto – fish soup with red fish and cream
It is customary to serve Finnish fish soup with croutons, toast, fried bread or croutons made from white wheat bread.
In addition to traditional recipes, there are other options for preparing Finnish fish soup. We will talk about them in this article.
Choosing the “right” parts of the fish
For Finnish creamy salmon soup, I recommend using a red fish soup set, which usually consists of bony parts (belly, spine, etc.). So, the soup turns out to be inexpensive and does not put a strain on the family budget. Moreover, using such an inexpensive version of red fish will not affect the final result in any way, and it is better to bake steaks or fillets of red fish in the oven.
Finnish fish soup with milk - a classic recipe
Kalakeitto is a classic traditional Finnish fish soup recipe. As mentioned above, for traditional Kalakeitto you will need white fish and milk.
Main Ingredients:
- An average piece of fish fillet with white meat – 300-400 g.
- 4 medium sized potatoes.
- 1 glass of milk.
- Parsley – you need to separate the leaves for serving, and use the stems for the broth.
- A little less than 1 tablespoon of flour.
- 1 small head of white onion.
- Salt and pepper - to taste.
Preparing the soup takes about an hour:
- Place a saucepan with water, fish, half an onion and parsley stalks on the fire.
- When the broth boils, simmer for another 10 minutes.
- Peel and coarsely chop the potatoes.
- Finely chop the onion.
- Remove the fish from the broth and place on a plate.
- Discard onions and stems.
- Add potatoes and onions to the soup, cook over low heat, covered, for 10 minutes.
- Cut the fish into pieces and place in a pan.
- Add salt and pepper.
- Add a glass of milk and flour to the bowl where the fish was, stir, and then pour into the soup.
- Boil.
- Serve with parsley. Bon appetit!
Some people add lemon to the plates, which will make the soup tastier and the aroma of the milk more noticeable.
Finnish fish soup with melted cheese
Well, now let’s move on to the varieties of kalakeitto - these are variations on the theme of traditional fish soup with the addition of different ingredients.
We will need:
- Red fish (any) – 400-500 g;
- Processed cheese – 4-5 slices;
- Milk – 1 glass;
- Onions – 2 pcs.;
- Potatoes – 2 pcs.;
- Carrots – 1 pc.;
- Greens (dill, parsley) – 1 bunch;
- Salt and pepper - to taste;
- Bay leaf – 2-3 pcs.;
- Vegetable oil - for frying onions and carrots.
Preparation:
- Let's prepare the broth: put the fish in a saucepan with water, bring to a boil and cook for another 10 minutes. After this, remove the fish from the pan and set it aside.
- After this, add coarsely chopped potatoes to the broth. Fry grated carrots and finely chopped onions. Add the frying agent to the broth only after the potatoes are cooked.
- Cut the previously set aside fish fillet into large pieces and place in a pan. Add salt and pepper.
- Bring the broth to a boil and add a glass of milk. Let it boil again.
- Add finely chopped dill and melted cheese (tear into pieces). Mix. Add salt/pepper to taste. Continue stirring for another 2-3 minutes.
- Finnish fish soup with melted cheese is ready! Bon appetit!
Finnish soup with red fish according to Ville Haapasalo's recipe
Ville Haapasalo is a Finnish and Russian actor who loves to cook. He cooks the soup differently, adding bell pepper to it. The following products are needed:
- salmon fillet - 300 g;
- onion - 1 pc.;
- potatoes - 4 pcs.;
- water - 500 ml;
- heavy cream - 250 ml;
- milk - 250 ml;
- bell pepper - 1 pc.;
- vegetable oil - for frying vegetables;
- garlic - 2-3 cloves;
- salt and seasonings.
Heat the oil in a saucepan and fry the onion and garlic, which must be finely chopped in advance. After a couple of minutes, add grated carrots and diced peppers, cleared of seeds. Pour a couple of tablespoons of warm water, cover and simmer for about 10 minutes.
Place the sliced potatoes into a saucepan, add the remaining water and cook until soft. At this time, you can cut the fillet into pieces. First, add salmon to the soup and cook for seven minutes. After 2-3 minutes, you can pour in the cream and milk, mix everything thoroughly. Remove the dish from the heat, add salt and spices to taste.
You can limit yourself to just milk or, conversely, cream. In the second case, the stew will be very fatty and liquid, so you should add a little more water. To thicken, you can mash the potatoes with a fork and then return them to the pan. It is advisable to let the dish brew before serving.
Recipe for creamy salmon soup with cream and tomatoes - preparing a festive Lohikeitto
Lohikeitto is a festive soup, so it should look as bright and appetizing as possible, which is why milk is replaced with cream (to give a more delicate and sweet taste), and white fish with red. Otherwise, the dish is prepared in a very similar way with minor changes. For the broth you need:
- Soup set (head, tail, ridge);
- Onions – 1 pc.;
- Green onions – 2 pcs.;
- Potatoes – 3-4 pcs.;
- Carrots – 1 pc.
Everything is thoroughly washed and cleaned, and cooked until it boils, the foam is removed and it should continue to cook over medium heat for about 15-20 minutes. Next you need to prepare other ingredients:
- Red fish fillet – 400-500 g;
- Tomato – 3-4 pcs.;
- Cream – 400-500 ml;
- Butter – 30-40 g;
- Green onions – 1 pc.;
- Carrots – 1 pc.
While the broth is cooking, you need to peel and grate the carrots. The onion is cut into small rings and the whole thing is fried in a deep frying pan in butter. Immediately cut the washed tomatoes (preferably into cubes) and also place them in the frying pan for 5-7 minutes. At this time, the contents are removed from the broth, and the liquid is filtered. Leave only potatoes and carrots from the contents, the rest will no longer be useful. The broth is put on the fire until it boils, after which some cream (200 ml) is added, and the potatoes and carrots are chopped, after which they go into the frying pan. After 5-10 minutes, add the fillet and remaining cream to the pan.
Lohikeito creamy soup with tomatoes
You can prepare creamy fish soup with tomatoes, which will add a slight sourness to the broth. Cooking takes about 25-30 minutes, since fillet is used and not a soup set. Even children who don’t like fish will like the first dish. The taste of the soup is very delicate with a subtle aroma. What is required for cooking:
- red fish fillet with skin - 500 g;
- water - 1200 ml;
- potatoes - 4-5 pcs.;
- medium-sized tomatoes - 4 pcs.;
- onion - 1 head;
- carrots - 1 pc.;
- heavy cream - 250 ml;
- vegetable oil - 30 ml;
- salt and spices - to taste;
- fresh dill - for serving.
Heat the oil in a thick-bottomed saucepan, fry first the finely chopped onion, and then the chopped carrots. Sauté the vegetables for about 5 minutes to soften them. Next add the tomatoes - peel them and cut them into large cubes. Reduce heat to low and simmer for another 5 minutes until excess liquid has evaporated.
Pour water over the vegetable mixture and bring to a boil, then add the diced potatoes. At this stage you can add salt and pepper. Cook covered for about 10 minutes. Cut the fillet into large slices, add to the half-cooked potatoes and cook for another 7 minutes.
At the very end, pour in the cream, stir and add chopped herbs. Remove the fish soup with Lohikeitto cream from the heat and let it sit for 10-15 minutes.
It is better to cook Finnish fish soup with tomatoes and cream at once. When heated, the cream may curdle and the tomatoes may turn into mush.
Recipe for Finnish chanterelle soup with cream and trout or red fish
This is one of the varieties of lohikeitto where mushrooms are added. The ingredients remain almost the same:
- Trout fillet – 400-500 g;
- Onions – 1 pc.;
- Cream – 200-250 ml;
- Chanterelles (can be replaced with other mushrooms if desired) – 300-400 g;
- Carrots – 1-2 pcs.;
- Classic broth – 1-2 l;
Spices (or fresh herbs) are added to taste to complement the mushrooms. The cooking principle is exactly the same as the classic lohikeitto, only chanterelles, not tomatoes, are added to the frying pan with grated carrots and onions. Once cooked, serve with a small amount of greens on top.
How to cook Lohikeito soup in a slow cooker
It is not necessary to cook Finnish fish soup on the stove; you can use kitchen appliances, including a slow cooker. For soup you need to take the following products:
- Salmon fillets.
- Potato.
- Leek.
- Carrot.
- Salt.
- Butter.
- Cream 22%.
- Spices - to taste.
Finnish fish soup should be prepared using the “soup”, “frying”, “stewing”, and “heating” programs.
Actions:
- Rinse fish fillets.
- Peel the potatoes and cut into medium cubes, just like the salmon meat.
- Carrots and fish are also cleaned and cut into medium-sized strips.
- Place potatoes and carrots in a multicooker bowl, add water, add salt and spices, mix everything.
- Close the lid and set the “soup” program.
- Select a cooking time of 40 minutes.
- Press the “start” button.
- 25 minutes before completion, add cream and butter to the bowl.
- 15 minutes before cooking, pour the onion and salmon fillet into the bowl.
- Cook until the end of the program.
Finnish salmon soup
Culinary experts note that the best fish for fish soup is red, especially salmon. It contains no harmful substances, so it does not harm the human body. Salmon contains unsaturated fatty acids, which can prolong youth and normalize hormonal levels. Salmon contains 22 minerals and vitamins, which makes consumption beneficial for the body. Salmon helps to quickly restore strength, in particular, after heavy physical exertion or illness. This type of fish also strengthens muscle and bone tissue and increases the elasticity of blood vessels.
Finns do not add a lot of spices to salmon fish soup so as not to interrupt the taste of the fish. It is better to limit yourself to bay leaves, onions and peppercorns.
Ingredients:
- 2 salmon steaks.
- 3-5 potatoes.
- 1 carrot.
- 1 onion
- 200 grams of processed cheese.
- 50 grams of butter.
- Salt - to taste.
Cooking process:
- Rinse the fish and place in a pan along with a bay leaf, add water.
- Cook for 20 minutes. Foam will appear, do not remove.
- Salt the broth.
- Remove the fish and place on a plate to cool.
- Cut the washed potatoes into strips.
- Finely chop the onion.
- Grate the carrots.
- Fry onions and carrots in butter and simmer until fully cooked.
- Pour the potatoes and stewed vegetables into the broth and cook until the potatoes are ready.
- Cut the processed cheese into cubes.
- Add to broth and cook for 5 minutes. The cubes should completely dissolve.
- Separate the salmon meat from the bones and pour into the soup. After boiling for five minutes, you can turn it off.
The fish soup should be brewed. It should be eaten hot.
For this version of Finnish fish soup, culinary experts advise buying salmon that has clean scales, no mucus, and no yellow or brown spots. The color of the meat should be natural, but if it is very rich, then this indicates the addition of dyes to the fish.
Processed cheese for fish soup should be chosen thicker, without vegetable fats, additives and dyes.
Finnish soup with pink salmon
In order to prepare this version of red fish soup, you need to take the following ingredients:
- Pink salmon – 1 piece.
- 4 potatoes.
- 1 carrot.
- 1 onion.
- Black peppercorns – 8 pieces.
- 2 pieces bay leaves.
- 20 grams of vegetable oil.
- 200 milliliters cream 10%.
- 2 liters of water.
- 1 PC. lemon
- 1 bunch of greens.
- Spices and salt - to taste.
Preparation will take 1 hour 10 minutes.
Step-by-step instruction:
- Separate the head and tail from the fish, from which the broth is cooked. It must be strained and set aside.
- Divide the fish into several parts. You will need a few pieces for the fish soup; the remaining parts can be frozen.
- Peel and wash the vegetables, cut them into pieces, and grate the carrots.
- Add two liters of water, fish and potatoes to the broth. You need to cook over medium heat.
- Fry the onions and carrots, pour into the broth.
- Add spices and bay leaf.
- Add cream when potatoes are soft.
- Reduce heat and after five minutes remove the fish soup from the stove.
Serve with herbs and lemon slices to decorate the ear.
Cooking steps
We pre-defrost the fish for Finnish soup on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. If you are lucky enough to buy chilled fish, rejoice, the soup will turn out even tastier.
Place the fish in boiling water and cook until done - about 5-7 minutes.
Then we take all the fish for our Finnish soup out of the pan using a slotted spoon into a separate plate, and strain the fish broth.
While the raba cools, let's prepare the remaining ingredients. Peel the onion and cut into very small cubes.
We also cut the potatoes quite finely, approximately like mine in the photo.
Melt the butter in a thick-bottomed saucepan and fry the onion until translucent.
Next, pour the strained fish broth into the pan and add the potatoes. Cover the pan with a lid and cook until the potatoes are ready - about 20-25 minutes.
Meanwhile, remove all the bones from the fish. I’ll tell you something else about the lesson... It’s more convenient, of course, to use red fish fillets, but then preparing the soup wouldn’t be so interesting
