I’ve been waiting till now to share Anya’s salmon soup recipe, a perfect choice for this time of year! It’s exactly the right color for all the festivities, not to mention that it’s a wonderful addition to a fish-filled menu for my many friends whose holiday celebrations include such a custom.

It’s 60 degrees in Cleveland in December, and I don’t know whether to laugh or cry. But this recipe should help. On the one hand, it’s so good it makes me smile. On the other hand, I can cry in my soup if I feel like it.

My friend, Esther, who sent this recipe, and whose parents immigrated to the U.S. from Russia, knows an authentic salmon soup recipe when she tastes one. I had to do a little tweaking; this recipe is so real that the original quantities were conveyed as a rough estimate. But not to worry — Esther says that this soup is so delicious she slurps it up!

6 cups vegetable broth or water
3 medium-sized Yukon Gold potatoes (washed, peeled, diced)
1 large, sweet Vidalia onion, diced (peeled, diced)
3 carrots (washed, peeled, diced)
1/2 pound salmon filet
3/4 cup Greek yogurt, plain
salt and (white if you have) pepper to taste
fresh dill to garnish

Heat 6 cups of broth (or water) on medium-high heat, and add potatoes, carrots, onions, salt and pepper. Once the water begins to boil, cook approx 10-12 minutes until vegetables are softening. Add salmon filet and continue to heat 3-5 minutes until salmon turns light pink. Use a fork to gently flake apart the fish while it cooks. Taste and adjust seasonings. Turn off heat, cover, and leave soup to sit on stove for 30 minutes, allowing flavors to blend.

Rewarm on low-medium heat for 5 minutes, ladle into bowls, and stir a heaping spoonful of yogurt into each bowl, as desired. Sprinkle with dill and serve. Serves 4-8, depending on whether it’s a first course or the centerpiece of your beautiful meal.