Lohikeitto is Finland's comfort food in a bowl: salmon, potatoes, carrot and leek simmered in a light broth, enriched with cream and finished with a heap of fresh dill. It turns up at lunch counters, family kitchens and summer cottages alike, and in a country with over a hundred thousand lakes and a long Baltic coast, nobody has to be told twice to eat more fish. The seasoning is quietly Nordic: whole allspice berries for warmth, a little salt and pepper, and nothing to hide the salmon.

It takes about half an hour, uses one pot and is gentle enough for a Sunday morning race when the alarm went off far too early. The trick is in the timing: the salmon goes in at the very end and cooks in a few minutes, so it stays silky.

The soup

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 leek
• 2 medium carrots
• 1 1/2 lb (680 g) waxy potatoes such as Yukon Gold
• 4 cups (950 ml) fish stock or water
• 8 whole allspice berries
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon fine salt
• 1 lb (450 g) skinless, boneless salmon fillet
• 1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream
• 1/2 cup fresh dill
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground white or black pepper

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