Name: Lentil and mussel soup
Yield: Serves 6–8 as a first course, 4 as a main
Cuisine: United Kingdom
Ingredients: 300 g brown or green lentils, rinsed well; 1 tablespoon lemon juice; ½ teaspoon ground cumin; 1 kg mussels; freshly ground black pepper; 1 bay leaf; 1 small onion, sliced; snipped chives, to garnish; 1.5 litres vegetable stock or water; 1 stick celery, sliced

Preparation info

Serves
6–8
as a first course

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Winter Food

By Jill Norman

Published 2005

About

This soup, which originated in the Belgian port of Ostend, is satisfying enough to serve as a main course. The earthiness of the lentils provides a good background for the delicate flavour of the mussels.

Ingredients

300 g brown or green lentils, rinsed well
1 small onion, sliced
1

Method

Put the lentils into a large pan with the onion, celery, bay leaf and stock or water. Season with pepper and cumin, bring slowly to the boil, then cover and simmer until the lentils are soft, about 40 minutes. Remove from the heat and purée until smooth. Add the lemon juice.

While the lentils are cooking, scrub the mussels and remove the beards, discarding any that are broken or