Soup and a sandwich to greet spring

• Meet the garlic bread and cheese toastie
• ​More soup recipes for the last days of winter

All you need to get you through to what is technically the end of winter is a soup and a sandwich. Something as simple and comforting as this creamy Scandi-inspired fish soup chockers with fennel, potato and dill is great on its own – but team it with an egg mayo toastie on the side, made in a sandwich press or pan-fried until crisp, and it's a fortifying meal.

Salmon and fennel soup

2 tbsp butter

2 leeks, white part only, finely sliced

2 medium fennel bulbs, finely chopped

1.2 litres vegetable, fish or chicken stock, heated

400g potatoes, peeled and diced

1 tsp sea salt

2 tbsp chopped dill

1 tbsp chopped parsley

150ml cream

400g sustainable salmon or ocean trout, skinned

black pepper and extra cream for serving

1. Melt the butter in a heavy pan, add the leek and fennel and cook over low heat, tossing occasionally, for 10 minutes until softened.

2. Add the hot stock, potatoes and salt, and simmer, partly covered, until the potatoes are tender (about 20 minutes). Blend half the soup in a blender with half the dill and all the parsley, and return to the pan. Add the cream, and bring up to a simmer.

3. Cut the salmon into bite-sized chunks and add to the soup. Simmer for 3 minutes or until salmon is just cooked through. Serve with a swirl of cream, pepper and remaining dill.

Serves 4

Egg mayo toastie

4 large eggs

2 tbsp mayonnaise

1 tbsp plain yoghurt

2 tsp horseradish sauce

2 tbsp diced dill pickles, cornichons or gherkins

2 tbsp chopped chives or dill

8 slices of rye or white bread

soft butter for spreading

extra pickles for serving

1. Fill a pan with hot water from the tap, add the eggs, and bring to the boil. Simmer for eight minutes. Drain and cool the eggs in cold running water. Peel the eggs and finely dice.

2. In a bowl, beat the mayonnaise, yoghurt, horseradish, dill pickles, chives or dill, sea salt and pepper, then mix in the diced egg.

3. Butter eight slices of bread, and place two, butter-side down, on a pre-heated sandwich press or in a hot, dry frypan over medium heat. Quickly spread with the egg mayo mixture and cover each with another slice of bread, butter-side up. Press lightly, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until crisp (turning once if pan-frying). Serve hot with extra pickles.

Serves 4