Mussel Soup

Name: Mussel Soup
Prep time: 30 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: Makes 4 servings
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: Salt and black pepper to taste; Chopped fresh basil or chervil leaves for garnish, optional; 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste; Salt and black pepper to taste; ¼ teaspoon cayenne, or to taste, optional; ½ cup heavy cream, optional; 2 garlic cloves, minced; Large pinch of saffron; Chopped fresh basil or chervil leaves for garnish, optional; 2 leeks, white and light green parts only, sliced and well rinsed; 3 tablespoons butter or extra virgin olive oil; 3 tablespoons butter or extra virgin olive oil; 2 cups dry white wine; 2 shallots, sliced; 4 pounds mussels, picked through and cleaned

Preparation info

Makes
4
servings

Difficulty
Easy
Ready in
30 min

Appears in

The Best Recipes in the World

By Mark Bittman

Published 2005

About

This delicate soup is classy yet simple, and leaving the mussels in their shells makes for a beautiful presentation; a touch of cream is a nice addition but an optional one. Serve this with a loaf of good, crusty bread; soaking the bread in the broth is one of this dish’s great pleasures.

You can transform this into an entree, using pasta.

Ingredients

Europe
France
Fish course
Pescatarian
Mediterranean
Soup
Gluten-free

Ingredients

Method