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Salmon Ukha (Fish Soup)

2025-11-13

Salmon Ukha (Fish Soup)

Salmon ukha differs from the classic river-fish version by tasting richer and almost faintly creamy, thanks to the natural fattiness of salmon or trout. The recipe itself stays simple, with just a handful of vegetables and seasonings so nothing competes with the flavor of the fish — that restraint is what separates real ukha from a fish soup loaded with extra ingredients.

The broth works best made from the head, backbone, and fins left over after filleting the fish, with the fillet pieces added later so they stay tender and don’t overcook. If all you have on hand are steaks, the broth can be made from those instead — just shorten the cooking time for the fish itself.

The onion is traditionally simmered whole and then discarded — it lends the broth a mellow sweetness without falling apart into pieces in the bowl. Fresh dill is best stirred in right at the end, off the heat, so its aroma stays bright instead of cooking away during a long simmer.

Serve the soup right away, while the fish is still tender, with a lemon wedge and extra herbs if you like. It’s a light but satisfying soup that warms you up without weighing you down.

Prep: 20 min Cook: 45 min Servings: 4 servings 160 calories per serving

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. If using a whole fish, separate the fillets from the head, backbone, and fins — the trimmings go into the broth, while the fillets get cut into portions.
  2. Combine the head (gills removed), backbone, and fins with 2-2.5 liters of cold water, bring to a boil, skim off the foam, and simmer over low heat for 25-30 minutes.
  3. Strain the broth, return it to the pot, and season with salt.
  4. Cut the potatoes into cubes, leave the onion whole, and slice the carrot into rounds.
  5. Add the potato, onion, carrot, bay leaves, and peppercorns to the broth and simmer for 12-15 minutes, until the potato is tender.
  6. Add the pieces of fish fillet to the simmering broth and cook for another 7-10 minutes, until the fish turns opaque and flakes easily with a fork.
  7. Remove the onion and bay leaves, stir in the finely chopped dill, and let the soup rest, covered, for 5-10 minutes.
  8. Ladle into bowls and serve with a wedge of lemon.
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