Okay, so, yesterday I decided, hey, let’s try making some proper Finnish food. I’ve heard about this creamy salmon soup thing, Lohikeitto, right? Sounds kinda fancy, but figured, how hard could it be?
First thing’s first, hit the store. Needed salmon, obviously. Got a nice big fillet, looked fresh. Then potatoes – grabbed a bag of those yellow ones, seem right for soup. An onion, some carrots… oh, and heavy cream. Can’t forget that, it’s the whole point of the creamy part. Dill too, that’s important for the flavor.
Got back home and started chopping. The onion went first, diced it up pretty small. Then the carrots, sliced ’em thin. Potatoes, peeled and cubed ’em. This took longer than I thought, honestly. Salmon, I cut into bite-sized pieces. Tried to make ’em look nice, you know, not just chunks.
Alright, big pot time. I threw the onion and carrots in with some butter and let ’em soften up a bit. Didn’t want ’em burnt, just nice and tender. Then in went the potatoes. Poured in some water, enough to cover everything. Added a bouillon cube for extra flavor, just because. Let that simmer for like, 15-20 minutes, until the potatoes were starting to get soft.
This is where the magic happens. I gently added the salmon pieces to the pot. Didn’t wanna just dump ’em in, figured they might fall apart. Let them cook for about 5 minutes, until they turned that nice opaque color. You gotta be careful not to overcook the salmon, nobody wants rubbery fish.
Then I poured in the heavy cream. A whole lot of it, actually. Stirred it all together and let it heat up. Not boil, just a nice gentle heat. Added some salt and pepper to taste. Oh, and a big handful of chopped dill. That stuff smells amazing.
Simmered it for a few more minutes, just to let the flavors all meld together. And then… boom! Lohikeitto. Served it up in a bowl, garnished with a little extra dill. Honestly? It was pretty damn good. Way better than I expected. Creamy, flavorful, the salmon was cooked perfectly. Even the wife liked it, and she’s a tough critic.
Couple of things I learned:
- Don’t skimp on the dill. It really makes a difference.
- Be gentle with the salmon. You don’t want it falling apart in the soup.
- Taste as you go. Salt and pepper are your friends.
I’m definitely making this again. It’s surprisingly easy, and it tastes like something you’d get in a fancy restaurant. Plus, it’s warm and comforting, perfect for a cold day.
