There’s a chill in the air on this midwinter day — and a warm, mouth-watering aroma wafting from the kitchen. That’s right: the Lutheran Ladies are brewing up savory pots of soup in an all-new Iron Ladle Challenge! Erin leads off with a Finnish salmon soup (lohikeitto) that leaves her co-hosts drooling. Rachel then shares a trio of seasonally appropriate soups: seafood chowder for holiday decadence, “feel-better soup” for post-holiday recovery, and curried butternut soup (AKA sunshine soup) for midwinter malaise. Finally, Sarah shares her foolproof formula for improving the perfect, healthful (Instant Pot) soup every time. Finnish Salmon Soup (Lohikeitto) (From Erin)Serves 4-6 Ingredients:1# salmon fillet 2T butter 1 large leek, sliced .25# mushrooms, thinly sliced 8 cups chicken stock or bone broth, divided 1 jar clam juice .5# russet potatoes, peeled and diced 1 lg carrot, sliced 1t whole allspice Fish sauce for salt .5# bag frozen kale (or 1 large bunch of fresh kale) (spinach is too delicate) 10g fresh dill, finely chopped, divided 4-8 tablespoons heavy cream Instructions:Heat 4 cups of stock and gently poach the salmon fillets until just cooked. Remove the salmon to a plate and reserve the salmon broth. When fillets are cool cool, remove and discard the skin. Meanwhile, melt butter in a soup pot and saute the leeks and mushrooms for ~10 minutes. Add all of the stock (4 c from salmon and 4 c remaining) to the pan with the leeks and mushrooms, along with the potatoes, carrots, allspice, and half of the fresh dill. Cook for 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are just tender. Add the kale and return to a simmer. Stir in a couple of dashes of fish sauce for salt (less than 1 teaspoon). Add the salmon pieces to the soup and gently heat until warmed through, just a few minutes.  Add cream, the remaining dill, and salt and pepper to taste. If Freezing (you will use less stock initially) Heat 4 c stock and gently poach the salmon fillets until just cooked. Remove the salmon to a plate and reserve the salmon broth. When fillets are cool cool, remove and discard the skin. Meanwhile, melt butter in a soup pot and saute the leeks and mushrooms for ~10 minutes. Add the 4 c salmon broth to the pot with the leeks and mushrooms, along with the potatoes, carrots, and allspice. Cook for 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are just tender. Add a couple of dashes of fish sauce (less than 1 teaspoon). Strain the vegetables, reserving broth until cool. Divide among 4 freezer containers: Poached salmon Frozen kale and dill. 2oz clam juice/container Vegetables (kale, mushrooms, potatoes, carrots Broth (start with ¾ cup, and distribute the remaining) To serve, heat on the stove until hot, adding a 1 cup container of bone broth to fill out the rest of the broth. While soup is reheating, put a small puddle of cream (1-2 tablespoons) in soup bowl and slowly add hot soup. Seafood Chowder (From Rachel)HT Cari Haan Saute together over medium heat for approx 5 minutes:1 stick of butter1/2 onion - diced1 tsp garlic salt or powder1/2 tsp thymeMix in:1/2 cup flour1 cup half 'n' half2 cups milk4 oz (half block) of cream cheese (softened in microwave)1 can cream of potato soup1/2 tsp black pepper8 oz. can of minced clams (with juice)8 oz can of tiny shrimp (with juice)16 oz of flaked crab broken up in desired sized pieces (I use the artificial crab meat)16 oz of frozen salad-sized (extra small) shrimp(May add milk as needed for desired consistency . . . will need to do this when heating leftovers) Heat until hot throughout. Serve with oyster crackers and shredded Cheddar cheese. Note: May substitute or add additional seafood as desired. The more you put in, the tastier it gets. :) Rachel's Feel Better SoupNote: quantities are approximate. I rarely measure anything for this recipe. Saute in 2 T olive oil:1 lb. diced chicken1 c diced celery1 c diced carrotsCook until chicken is browned and vegetables are beginning to soften. Add 2-4 cups chopped cabbage and/or kale. Cook lightly. Add 4-6 cups chicken broth or an equivalent combo of bullion and water. Add salt, thyme, and turmeric to taste. Add starch of your choice: barley, rice, or noodles. Cook through. Serve with warm tortillas or crusty bread. Curried Butternut Squash Soup (From Rachel) Halve, remove seeds, and oven roast one butternut squash, upside down in a little water. (350 oven for about an hour or until soft throughout)Cool slightly, then use a tablespoon to remove squash from peelsUse blender, immersion blender, or foley mill to puree squash In saucepan, combine squash puree with chicken broth (approx. 2 cups), 1 can unsweetened coconut milk, and 1-2 cubes of Golden Curry flavor. Cook over medium heat until all ingredients are blended and soup is hot. Do not boil. Non-curry option: Use whole milk instead of coconut milk, and flavor with salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, or other favorite seasoning. Sarah's Instant Pot Soup FormulaSingle serving4(ish)oz meat (beef, chicken, salmon, etc)8oz baby carrots4oz green beans or peas (or other legume)50g cabbage (or a handful lol)2oz butternut squash1 Tbs olive oil1 cup water2 tsp Celtic gray salt (or to taste)black pepperBrown meat (not necessary with fish) in olive oil.Place all ingredients in Instant Pot. Steam for 0 minutes (will vary by IP make/model)Instant pressure release.Connect with the Lutheran Ladies on social media in The Lutheran Ladies’ Lounge Facebook discussion group (facebook.com/groups/LutheranLadiesLounge) and on Instagram @lutheranladieslounge. Follow Sarah (@hymnnerd), Rachel (@rachbomberger), and Erin (@erinaltered) on Instagram!Sign up for the Lutheran Ladies' Lounge monthly e-newsletter here, and email the Ladies at [email protected].