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Finnish Trout Soup with Cream
Instructions
Prepare the ingredients for the Finnish-style trout soup with cream.
Peel, rinse and slice the carrot into thin rounds. If the rounds turn out large, cut them in half.
Pour the olive oil into a pot and add the carrot. Sauté the rounds over medium heat, stirring, for 5–7 minutes.
Peel, rinse and cut the potatoes into smallish cubes.
Add the potato cubes to the pot with the carrot. Stir and sauté together for 3–4 minutes.
Pour in the water and add the bay leaf, the peppercorns and the peeled onion. Bring to the boil and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes.
Add the pieces of fish and cook the soup with the trout for 10 minutes. Keep the heat at its lowest, avoiding a strong boil, so the pieces of fish don't fall apart.
Pour in the cream. If you have no cream, you can replace it with milk.
Season the soup with salt and pepper.
Stir gently, bring to the boil and cook for another 5 minutes. At the end of cooking, discard the onion.
The Finnish-style trout soup with cream is ready. Ladle it into bowls and serve at the table with sour cream. Add chopped herbs to each bowl.Bon appétit!
Tips
- 1
Sautéing the vegetables is the trick of this recipe. Without it, the soup loses its richness and the carrot doesn't give up its colour.
- 2
A minimal boil while the fish cooks keeps the pieces from falling apart. A quiet simmer preserves the texture of the trout.
- 3
Discard the onion – it has given up its aroma, and boiled onion looks unappetising in the finished dish.
- 4
10% cream is ideal for the rich trout. The same principle works for other kinds of soup made from red fish.
FAQ
Which trout to choose? +
Fresh or chilled rainbow trout is ideal – tender, pink flesh with a fine texture. Alternatives: salmon (a close relative), coho (richer), sockeye (premium). If frozen, thaw it in the fridge for 8–12 hours. A 300 g portion is a standard piece of fillet. Skinless and boneless is more convenient to serve. Karelian trout is the authentic choice for Finnish soup. For a premium version, use wild trout from Karelia or Norway. Don't confuse it with "sea" trout – freshwater trout has more tender flesh.
What can replace the cream? +
Alternatives: milk gives a "lighter" version; 10% coconut milk is an exotic vegan option. Sour cream of 15–20% diluted 1:1 with milk is a compromise. Cream of 33% will be "heavier" but tastier. Without cream you get a clear soup – a different concept altogether. For a "diet" version, use skimmed milk, though the flavour suffers. Butter (50 g at the end of cooking) is the "old-fashioned" option and partly replaces the cream.
How long does the soup keep? +
In the fridge in a covered pot – 2 days. Cream soups go off quickly. Reheat over low heat without bringing it to the boil. In the microwave – 3 minutes. Freezing is not something I recommend, as the cream and fish will separate. Make it for 1–2 meals. For freshness when reheating, add some fresh dill. Don't leave it at room temperature for longer than 2 hours – delicate fish and cream spoil fast.
What to serve the soup with? +
The Scandinavian classic: with a slice of lemon and a sprig of dill. With dark or rye bread. With sour cream (1 tsp) for double creaminess. With a glass of dry white wine (Riesling, Chardonnay) for a restaurant-style serving. For Finnish authenticity, serve it with dark Finnish bread. For a winter lunch, serve it with warmed bread. Garnish with a slice of lemon and fresh dill. For a diet or healthy-eating version, skip the bread and serve with a green salad. With herbal tea and lemon.
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