Helsinki: Creamy Salmon Soup and the Importance of Dill

image from lonelyplanet.com

I started my visit to Helsinki by taking the train from the airport to central station, then walking through town to the harbour and the Market Square (Kauppatori in Finnish).  It is an open air market with fresh farmers local produce and lots of hot food vendors.  I was fascinated by the fresh fruit.

The yellow-orange berries are called sea buckthorn and they are quite tart with a bit of bitterness but I bet they would make a great sauce with fish.  I choose a box of raspberries for my snack while I explored the harbour further.

I've never thought of seagulls as attractive (we call them sea pigs in San Francisco), but this one was beautiful!

The road and buildings of Helsinki are often made from the local pink and grey granite.

I stayed in a lovely hotel that is actually a former prison, Hotel Katajanokka.  Not as creepy as it sounds as the rooms are well appointed and elegant with large bathrooms.  Downstairs there is an amazing restaurant called Linnankellari, that has its own kitchen garden within the outer walls.  

I also stopped by the Old Market Hall (Vanha Kauppahalli), which is filled with local food vendors and relaxed seating.  

I went to Story, which specialises in local cuisine, with a warm atmosphere and excellent service.

I ordered a latte and a vanilla-liquorice bun (vanilja-lakristsi rahka pulla).  So delicious.

It was here in this cafe that I first saw people enjoying large bowls of creamy salmon soup.  I was inspired to try making it at home.

This soup is eaten all over the Nordic countries, however, in Finland where the soup is most cherished, where they call it lohikeitto.  Tastes great served with rye bread and butter.

prep and cooking time: 30 minutes

serves 4

Ingredients:

• 8 firm potatoes
• 2 carrots
• 2 onions
• 2 bay leaves
• 5 allspice berries
• 250 ml/8 fl oz (1-1/4 c) cream
• 500 g/1 lb 2 oz salmon fillet
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 bunch dill

Directions:

1. Slice the potatoes into 5 mm/1/4” slices or 2 cm/3/4” cubes.  Cut carrots into 5 mm/1/4” slices.  Cut onions into wedges.
2. Put all the vegetables and aromatics (including salt and pepper) into a large pot and add enough water to cover them completely.  Bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Add the cream and adjust the level of salt.
4. Chop salmon into 2.5 cm/1” cubes
5. Continue simmering until the potatoes are almost done, then add the salmon to the pot.  Don’t stir the soup any more after adding the salmon.
6. Taste and adjust the seasoning one last time, then remove the pot from the heat and leave the salmon to sit in the hot liquid for a few minutes until just done. 
7. Pick dill fronds off the stems and chop roughly.
8. Sprinkle the dill over the soup just before serving.