Creamy Mussel Soup

🥣 Creamy Mussel Soup

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs (about 1 kg) fresh mussels, cleaned and debearded
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 leek, white part only, thinly sliced
• 2 medium carrots, diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 1 tsp thyme (fresh or dried)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cup dry white wine (or fish stock if you prefer)
• 4 cups seafood stock (or chicken stock)
• 1 cup heavy cream (or half-and-half for lighter)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish
• Optional: a squeeze of lemon juice for brightness

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Instructions:

1. Steam the mussels:

   • In a large pot, add wine (or stock) and bring to a simmer.
   • Add mussels, cover, and cook for 5–7 minutes until they open.
   • Remove mussels with a slotted spoon (discard any that don’t open).
   • Strain and reserve the cooking liquid. Remove most mussels from shells, leaving a few whole for garnish.

2. Make the soup base:

   • In another large pot, melt butter with olive oil.
   • Sauté onion, leek, carrots, celery, and garlic until softened (about 5–7 minutes).
   • Stir in thyme and bay leaf.

3. Add broth:

   • Pour in reserved mussel liquid and seafood stock.
   • Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and let simmer for 15 minutes.

4. Make it creamy:

   • Stir in cream and season with salt, pepper, and lemon juice if desired.
   • Add shelled mussels back into the soup and gently heat through (don’t boil after adding cream).

5. Serve:

   • Ladle into bowls, garnish with parsley and a few whole mussels on top.
   • Serve with crusty bread for dipping.

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👉 This soup is velvety, briny, and comforting — perfect for a cozy evening!