Finnish Chanterelle Soup (Kanttarellikeitto)
Kanttarellikeitto Say it: KAHN-tah-rel-lee-KAY-toh
Kanttarellikeitto is Finland's autumn in a bowl: a silky, golden soup built on wild chanterelles, softened onion and a little cream. From high summer into September, families head into the forest with baskets, and the day's pick often ends up in this pot. It tastes woodsy and gently sweet, with a soft peppery edge, and it is served as a first course or a light supper. Simple and quick — the mushrooms do most of the work.
Finnish Chanterelle Soup (Kanttarellikeitto)
Kanttarellikeitto
Pronounced KAHN-tah-rel-lee-KAY-toh
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Total
- 50 min
- Level
- Easy
Also nut-free and egg-free.
Allergens: contains gluten, milk. Check labels on packaged ingredients.
Ingredients
Amounts are scaled. Cooking times and pan sizes stay the same.
For the soup
To finish
Method
Clean the chanterelles well. brush off pine needles and grit, or rinse them very quickly under cold water and dry them on a clean towel. Tear large mushrooms into bite-size pieces so they cook evenly.
Melt 2 tbsp (30 g) of the butter in a wide pot over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms with a pinch of salt and cook for 6–8 minutes, stirring now and then, until the liquid they release has evaporated and the edges are golden and squeaky-tender.
Spoon about 1/3 cup (80 ml) of the fried mushrooms into a small bowl and set aside for the garnish.
Add the remaining 1 tbsp (15 g) butter and the chopped onion to the pot. Lower the heat to medium and cook for about 5 minutes, until the onion is soft, translucent and glossy but not browned.
Sprinkle the flour over the onion and stir constantly for 1 minute, until it smells toasty and evenly coats the vegetables.
Pour in the hot stock in a thin stream, whisking as you go so no lumps form. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 5 minutes, until the soup is lightly thickened.
Return the mushrooms to the pot, add the thyme and stir well. Pour in the cream and heat gently for 3–4 minutes — the soup should steam but never boil hard.
Taste and season with the salt and white pepper, adding a little more if needed. Ladle into warmed bowls and top with the reserved mushrooms, a scattering of parsley, a thyme sprig and a final crack of white pepper.
Regional variants
Some cooks thicken the soup with a grated potato instead of flour — add it with the stock and simmer until tender, then mash it into the broth. A spoonful of crème fraîche or a splash of dry sherry stirred in at the end is a popular modern touch.
Cook's notes
- Chanterelles soak up water like sponges, so brush them clean whenever you can and only rinse quickly if they are really gritty — wet mushrooms steam instead of browning.
- Keep the cream at a bare simmer; boiling it after it goes in can make the soup grainy.
- The soup thickens as it stands, so loosen leftovers with a splash of stock rather than more cream.
Serve with
Dark rye bread and butter, and cold water or a crisp dry white wine.
Make ahead and storage
Keeps 2 days covered in the fridge; reheat gently without boiling and thin with a little stock. Not ideal for freezing once the cream is in.
