Traditional Norwegian fiskesuppe: the creamy salmon and cod soup of Bergen

Bergen, the city of fjords and rain, has a dish that defines it: fiskesuppe, the creamy fish soup sold at the harbor market and made in every home since fishermen came back with what they could not sell. It is white, velvety, slightly tangy and full of pieces of fish that cook only in the final minutes.

The secret is in the balance: generous cream, a stock made well with the bones, vegetables cut into fine sticks that stay crisp, and the acidity of a little vinegar or lemon at the end, without which the soup is heavy. Bergen uses a pinch of sugar with the vinegar, a legacy of the north's sweet-and-sour taste.

Salmon and fresh cod are the classic pair, and fish balls or peeled shrimp go into many versions. It is a whole-meal soup, served with bread and butter.

Recipe card

• Origin: Bergen, west coast of Norway
• Category: Creamy soup, main course
• Difficulty: Easy
• Preparation time: 25 minutes
• Cooking time: 40 minutes
• Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

• 400 g skinless salmon fillet in 3 cm cubes
• 400 g fresh cod fillet or other white fish in cubes
• 1.2 liters fish stock (made with bones and heads, or from a good-quality cube)
• 2 carrots in fine sticks
• 1 leek in thin rounds (white and light green parts only)
• 1 celery stalk in thin slices
• 2 medium potatoes in small cubes
• 40 g butter
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 300 ml heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar (or lemon juice)
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 cup chopped chives
• Salt and white pepper to taste
• 200 g cooked peeled shrimp (optional)

Method

1. Melt the butter in a large pot and sauté the leek, celery and carrot over low heat for 5 minutes, without browning.
2. Sprinkle in the flour, stir for 1 minute and add the stock little by little, stirring so it does not lump.
3. Add the potato and cook for 15 minutes, until tender.
4. Add the cream and let it return to a gentle simmer.
5. Season with the vinegar, sugar, salt and white pepper; the soup should be slightly tangy.
6. Add the fish cubes, lower the heat and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, without stirring much, until the fish is opaque and tender. Add the shrimp in the last minute.
7. Sprinkle with chives and serve with fresh bread and butter.

Tips and variations

• Overcooked fish falls apart and dries out: 5 minutes over low heat is enough.
• Homemade stock: simmer fish bones and head with onion, bay leaf and water for 30 minutes and strain.
• Ready-made fish balls (fiskeboller) are the most Norwegian addition.
• An egg yolk beaten with a little cream, added off the heat, makes the soup even more velvety.
• Do not freeze once finished: the fish loses its texture. Freeze the base without fish.
• Fresh dill instead of chives is the version from the north of the country.
• Serve with dark rye bread or crusty wheat bread.

Fiskesuppe is the Norway of the fjords in a deep bowl: fresh fish, cream and a tangy touch that warms and refreshes at the same time. Ideal for a rainy day.