This recipe for Ukha (Slavic fish soup) is light, herby, and full of tender salmon. It’s a childhood favorite, so simple, and uses only one pot!
Ukha, or fish soup, is another one of my favorite childhood soups. Fish is one of the less-commonly used ingredients in soups, but I promise it is so comforting and so easy and quick to make. There’s nothing like the contrast of the herby broth with the tender chunks of salmon, carrots, and potatoes.
My family grew up eating this classic soup, but we usually used a whole fish. I vividly remember the delicious taste of the soup as a child, but I also remember picking out the bones from each bit. Sometimes I enjoyed the extra effort, sometimes I didn’t. I’ve fixed this slight “problem” with this recipe by using salmon filets. You won’t have to deal with any fish bones if you don’t want to!
Did you know? Ukha is a popular Slavic fish soup. Different variations of the soup use various types of fish (and parts of the fish), seasonings, and veggies. It’s like the “chicken noodle” of fish soup!
How to Make Ukha
Making my family’s fish soup only requires a few ingredients and one pot. Below, find a quick overview of the recipe before you dive in.
- Prep the veggies: Slice up the onions, carrots, and potatoes.
- Cook the veggies & rice: In a large soup pot, bring the water to a boil. Then, add in the rice and season with salt, followed by the carrots and onions. Turn the soup down to a simmer.
- Add the potatoes & salmon: Add in diced potatoes and simmer until the potatoes are cooked through. Add in salmon and simmer for a few minutes.
- Top with herbs & serve: Top with the fresh herbs and immediately remove the soup from heat. Serve hot and enjoy!
Love making soups? If so, you need a solid soup pot. I love my Staub cocotte. It has a sturdy lid, can fit a ton of soup, and doubles as a Dutch oven.
Tips for Making the Best Ukha
Is it your first time making ukha? It’s okay, you’ll be a pro in no time. Below, find some tips to help you make the best fish soup.
- Choose fresh or frozen fish: In Ukraine where I grew up, ukha was a special treat to make when we had fresh fish. I usually use fresh fish when I make the soup, but frozen can be used as well.
- Opt for fresh herbs over dried herbs: Fresh herbs really elevate this soup. Dried herbs just don’t compare!
- Experiment with different cuts of fish: Ukha soup can be made with filets, fish heads, or even an entire fish. Experiment with different types of fish (rainbow trout, snapper, and bass are all great options), cuts, or mix a couple different kinds together. Remember, this soup is really forgiving!
- Use homemade fish stock for extra flavor: If you have homemade fish stock on hand, swap it in for the water for an extra depth of flavor.
- Consider a few reader suggestions: I love reading your comments, and often, you have the best ideas! I haven’t tried all of these suggestions myself, but some of you have suggested adding black peppercorns, bay leaves, and a drop of liquid smoke to the soup for more flavor. Others have mentioned that if you like a less liquid-y soup, reduce the water to about 3.5 quarts for a more “stew”-like soup. Give it a try and tell me what you think!
Serving Ukha
Serve ukha for lunch or dinner as a light, low-calorie meal all on its own. If you want to be ultra traditional, serve it alongside a chunk of buttery rye or wheat bread, or with a platter of fresh potato pierogi (cheese and potato filled dumplings).
Storing & Reheating Ukha
Ukha flavors continue to develop as the soup sits, so making enough for leftovers is a must! Some of you have mentioned how much better the soup actually tastes the next day! Follow these tips to best store and reheat the leftovers over the next few days.
- Refrigerator: Store leftover ukha in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.
- Reheat: Reheat small portions of the soup on the stovetop or in the microwave!
More Traditional Soups to Try
- Red Borscht Recipe: Beet and bone-in beef soup
- Cabbage Soup Recipe: Loaded with tons of veggies
- Split Pea Soup: My grandma’s famous recipe!
- Cabbage Roll Soup: Deconstructed cabbage rolls in soup form
Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 onion diced
- 1 carrot half rings
- 2 small potatoes cubed
- 1 lb salmon filets cut into bite sized pieces
- 4 quarts water
- 1/4 cup rice
- 1/3 cup parsley chopped
- 1/3 cup dill chopped
- 1 tbsp salt adjust to taste
- 1 tsp ground black pepper adjust to taste
Instructions
- Dice the onions. Slice the carrot into half rings and the potatoes into small cubes. Cut salmon into bite-size pieces.
- Bring 4 quarts of water to boil in a large soup pot.
- Add in the rice and season the water with salt and pepper. Add in the carrots and onions. Let the soup simmer until the rice is cooked and the veggies are easily pierced with a fork.
- Next, add potatoes. Let the soup simmer until the potatoes are fully cooked. Add salmon and let it simmer for a few minutes.
- Add the fresh herbs and remove the soup from heat.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
I made this using frozen salmon which I cubed while still frozen. I also added black peppercorns, bay leaves and a drop of liquid smoke per another commenters advice. It is pretty liquidy so you might want to reduce the water to 3 liters if you want it to be more like stew / main dish. Thank you for the recipe and blog post.
Hey Julie, Thanks for sharing your feedback and tips! I appreciate it!
i made this soup. at first i had my doubts, but pursued.i did exactly as instructed. my son and i had it for dinner and we both thought it was kind of bland. we put the leftovers in the fridge. the next day i had it for lunch and it was absolutely delicious. the flavors all came together and the fish was the star. i am making it today and we will eat it tomorrow. i'm so happy i stuck with it. i always make chinese fish soup. but this is a different breed of soup/ thank you for the recipe
Hi Ray, I am so thrilled that the recipe was a success and you stuck with it! Thank you for leaving such a detailed review. Enjoy!!
We just tried this soup the other day and we LOVED it. So so tasty!
Hi Jennifer, I am so glad you enjoyed the soup, thank you for taking the time to comment!
I've never had fish soup until now! It's absolutely delicious! I will be making it again very soon.
Anna, I am so glad you loved the recipe, thank you for taking the time to comment!
We love a good fish soup/stew in our house. We frequently enjoy Salmon Chowder, Cream of Salmon, or Tomato Saffron Fish Soup. Your Salmon soup is a welcome addition to our delicious fish soup rotation! Love the flavors! So good!
Betsy, those all sound so good and comforting, I am so glad you loved this recipe too, thank you for taking the time to comment!
I love your recipes.. but I think it would be easier for most people if you could write how long you cook food for or how long you boil your ingredients it would be so helpful especially for those that are learning how to cook
This a great tip, I will try to do a better job doing into detail. Thank you!
Wonderful recipes! I’ve been browsing on your blog for a while enjoying them, thank you for so much! I have been reminded of so many great meals I’ve been growing up with! This “Ucha” also looks very interesting even though it is as far from the original ucha as I’m from Siberia :)) please do not take offense but I could not pass this one. Ucha has been invented as fisher’s meal and has always been cooked using all the edible parts of assortment of fishes, not just fillets or just heads. Fishers would just cook whatever they caught in a pot over the fire with any addition they have (potatoes, millet or both, bay leaves and a must - whole black peppercorns). Often a little vodka would be added to the broth. Once the fish is ready, a chopped onion would be thrown in for a minute or too, followed by lots of grated black pepper and that’s the ucha! Super easy, super flavorful and not exactly easy to eat :)) But the home made version Included an extra step to remedy that: the fish was sorted into two groups: fillets and whatever else you’d like to see in your plate would go into one group and everything else (tiny fishes, bones, heads and tails) into another. Then a strong broth would be made from the second group + bay leaves and whole peppercorns. Once the broth is ready, it would be strained, the fish mass discarded and THEN the original recipe followed! This is the classic ucha, it’s still very easy to make, is deeply satisfying and packed with wild flavors (add a drop of liquid smoke for more resemblance to the version made over the open fire). And yes, no parsley, just dill.
I love the frugality of using the whole fish parts! And we know how good those Omega 3s are for us.
Hey Deborah, you can also do that. My kids prefer the boneless versions but my mom use to make one with whole fish parts.
Hey Natalia, thank you for sharing your story about Ucha, this is really interesting. I enjoyed reading it.
Hello again and the best to you and Family ,,happy mothers Day !! ya know Love to live cook and learn ,,been cooking for 70 years ,,I have many great recipes from those years. so many not used by todays your adults ,,,I would love to share some with you ,If you would like ?? this fish soup inspired me today to want to give you a recipe Learned in the Bajamas ,,so so good ,I have commented lately several times ,,on potato sausage ,bread and cabbage soup ,,your kielbasa recipe like my moms ..ya know no one ever uses Swiss chard recipes on line ?? my garden is growing great here inTexas this year ,all Heirloom veggies and a river and lake a short away ,bin here since Dec 2019 workin on dat garden daily ,,live in a 33 foot motor home wit my dog Barlee Rose ,we love it here GOD has blessed me with many gifts ,Prayer is powerful ,Peace be With You. mr. Joseph
Thank you, Joseph. Yes, I did see all your comments. Thank you for stopping by!
That looks lovely, Natalya. Just winter ingredients that I can find locally here in Montréal! I love fish soups. Hope you are enjoying the New Year, in both calendars! I always use the salmon head, which is full of gelatine - you can remove it if it disgusts any of your guests. I even make stock from salmon heads (which are very cheap at the fishmonger's) and freeze the stock for soup.
Yeah my mom uses a head but I like the boneless part. I like the stock idea, thanks for sharing with me.
I haven't had this in a while! My mom made the best version with everything just roughly chopped and placed in a pot to boil. Thanks for reminding me - now I want some
No problem at all 🙂 Ukha has been out of picture for us for the longest time. I am glad to find this recipe 🙂
I can't figure out if ur husband us russian or american?? Lol
He is totally Russian 🙂 from Siberia