Mussel and tomato soup, an incredibly easy recipe to make, preferably with fresh ingredients, although nothing prevents you from using the mussels with shells available in the supermarket freezer, especially if you don’t have a nearby fish market. Obviously, my advice of using fresh products in some recipes comes from the desire to have an impeccable final result and to favor local products that don’t always have high costs, in fact, most of the time they are quite affordable. The main issue in having to use fresh mussels in this case is their cleaning. If your trusted vendor cannot clean them for you with the appropriate machine, I’ll explain how to do it, guiding you step by step in the first photos of the recipe. Below, I leave you some ideas with this fantastic ingredient.
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- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 4 people
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All Seasons
Ingredients
- 2.2 lbs mussels (fresh, with shell)
- 8 cloves garlic
- 8 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsps tomato sauce
- to taste fine salt
- to taste parsley (fresh)
Tools
- 1 Knife
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Colander
- 1 Sieve
- 2 Pans
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Spoon
- 1 Lid
Steps
To make mussel and tomato soup, first clean the mussels thoroughly. First of all, after opening the mesh containing the mussels, discard any broken ones to avoid broken shell pieces getting into the soup and compromising the final result. With a sharp knife, carefully pull off the beard with a firm motion from the pointed end moving downwards. Scrape the shell to remove impurities as much as possible and then, once this operation is complete, wash the mussels well under cold running water.
In a large pan, sauté half of the garlic in the oil. You can choose to use it peeled, minced, or whole. Add the mussels and cover with a lid. Over low heat, allow the mussels to open, releasing their cooking liquid. It will take 10-15 minutes.
Strain the liquid with a sieve and clean half of the mussels, removing their shells. Store in a bowl. You can leave the other half of the mussels in the shell, removing the empty half.
In another pan, again sauté the remaining garlic in the oil, add the strained mussel juice, freshly chopped parsley, and tomato sauce. Mix well and, if necessary, adjust the salt.
Add the previously cleaned mussels, stir again with a spoon, and cook for another 10 minutes over low heat, stirring occasionally. It will not be necessary to cover them with the lid again, as the sauce should thicken slightly.
This soup is perfect hot or warm, ideal for quickly dressing pasta, especially spaghetti or short pasta, but it is also great served with toasted bread and enjoyed as it is.
You can also prepare the soup the day before and, after letting it cool to room temperature, let it rest in the refrigerator, covered until ready to use, within a day of preparation.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
Can I replace fresh garlic with garlic powder?
My advice is to always use fresh ingredients in these not too elaborate recipes, but you can easily adapt them to your tastes and preparation times.
