Finnish salmon soup
This Nordic soup comes together in about 30 minutes with one pot and lots of vegetables you’ll find from the farm throughout fall.
I'll be honest — when I first found this recipe, I wasn't sure about it. Ten ingredients, most of them mild... That's not usually my style. I tend to reach for big spices and bold flavors.
But this one surprised us.
It's warm and creamy without being heavy. The leeks melt into the broth, the salmon cooks in minutes, plus the dill at the end pulls everything together and is one of my very favorite flavor combinations with fish.
Ethan and I were both amazed at how satisfying a bowl of something so simple could be.
What makes this soup work on a weeknight
The method is simple enough to have memorized by the second time you make it: soften the leeks in butter, add broth and root vegetables, boil until tender, add salmon and cream, simmer until done. That's it. No roux, no blending.
Why leeks are worth trying
If you've never cooked with leeks before, this soup is a great starting point. They look like giant green onions, and that's basically what they are, but they’re mellower, a little sweet, and wonderful when softened in butter.
To prep them: trim off the dark green tops and the root end, then slice the white and light green parts into rounds. Give them a rinse (leeks can hide dirt between their layers) and you're ready to go.
We grow leeks through the fall and into early winter. They're one of those vegetables that actually gets sweeter after a frost, which makes them a natural fit for cold-weather cooking.
Don't have leeks? A couple of shallots or half a sweet onion work well as a substitute. If you're cooking this in spring before the new crop comes in, green onion whites are a nice lighter swap.
A note on the broth
Fish stock gives this soup its depth. If you don't have it on hand, chicken or vegetable broth works as a substitute — the flavor will be a little lighter, but it's still a really good soup.
Finnish salmon soup
Ingredients:
¼ cup butter
1 leek, trimmed and sliced into rounds (white and light green parts only)
4 cups fish stock
1 lb. potatoes, cubed
1 medium carrot, sliced
1 lb. salmon, cut into large chunks
1 cup cream
Salt and pepper to taste
½ bunch fresh dill, chopped, for serving
Directions:
Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the leeks and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until wilted and softened.
Add the fish stock, potatoes, and carrots. Bring to a boil and cook for 10 to 15 minutes until fork-tender.
Add the salmon and cream and bring to a simmer. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes until the salmon is cooked through. Season with salt and pepper.
Stir in half of the dill. Ladle into bowls and top with the remaining dill.
