• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Subscribe
Subscribe by email Connect on Facebook Connect on Pinterest Follow Me on Instagram

Hunter Angler Gardener Cook

Finding the Forgotten Feast

  • Shop
  • Video Course
  • Stories
  • About
    • Public Events
    • Privacy Policy
  • Wild Game
    • Venison Recipes
    • Duck Recipes and Goose Recipes
    • Rabbits, Hares and Squirrels
    • Pheasants, Turkey, Quail
    • Dove Recipes
    • Wild Pig and Bear Recipes
    • My Best Taco Recipes
    • Wild Game Sauces
  • Charcuterie
    • Homemade Sausage Recipes
    • Smoker Recipes
    • Bacon, Jerky, Hams, etc
    • Salami Recipes
    • Confit, Pate, Terrines
  • Fish
    • General Fish Recipes
    • Salmon Recipes
    • Snapper Recipes
    • Crabs, Shellfish and Squid
    • Little Fish and Oddballs
  • Gathering
    • Preservation Recipes
    • Mushrooms
    • Sweet Things
    • Wild Greens and Herbs
    • Acorns, Nuts, Starches
  • Podcast
Home » Fish » Mussel Soup

Mussel Soup

By Hank Shaw on April 27, 2021, Updated May 27, 2022 - Leave a Comment

Jump to Recipe Pin Recipe Comment
5 from 2 votes
Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Mussel soup, Italian style, is a sort of a hybrid between a pasta sauce and a soup, and really can go either way. As a soup, you need some crusty bread to sop up the briny tomato sauce, or you could drop in some small pasta shapes, such as elbows or orzo, and get the same effect.

A bowl of mussel soup with tomato.
Photo courtesy of Shutterstock

I developed this recipe from one I found in Marcella Hazan’s classic, Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking.

The question of removing shells from a mussel soup is up to you. They’re pretty in the bowl, but if you are gathering your own mussels, you are very likely to get gritty bits because mussels get hitchhikers on them that fall off during cooking. This is not normally a problem with farmed, supermarket mussels.

Many times I will remove most of all of the shells from my shellfish soups, which makes them easier to eat. A happy compromise is to keep a few nice ones for show.

It is a very simple mussel soup: Steam the mussels open, use the broth for the soup, strained of any grit. Add tomatoes, garlic, olive oil and cilantro or parsley. Maybe drizzle some balsamic vinegar over at the end. Easy-peasy.

I prefer this soup chunky, but if you want you can puree everything, or everything except for the mussels. If you have cherry tomatoes, add a few in because they look cool.

You can substitute oysters or clams for the mussels, if you want. Or, if you have mussels and want to take your soup another way, try this Sardinian shellfish soup.

Another cool option would be to throw in some smoked mussels at the last minute — they’re already cooked so just need to be heated up.

Once made, this soup does not keep very well, maybe a day or two at most in the fridge, but it is definitely best the day it’s made.

Side note: If, like me, you are foraging for your own mussels, choose small ones. I don’t like the super large mussels for this soup. But that’s just my personal preference.

A bowl of mussel soup with tomato.
Print Recipe
5 from 2 votes

Mussel Soup with Tomatoes

You'll want to take most of your mussels out of their shells to make the soup easier to eat. It's a two-step process: Steam the mussels out of their shells and remove the meats, then strain and use the mussel broth for the soup.
Prep Time15 mins
Cook Time30 mins
Total Time45 mins
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 278kcal
Author: Hank Shaw

Ingredients

  • 4 pounds mussels, in their shells
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • 4 finely chopped garlic cloves
  • 1 shallot, finely chopped
  • 1 quart of crushed tomatoes
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley or cilantro
  • 12 cherry tomatoes, halved (optional)
  • Balsamic vinegar, for garnish

Instructions

  • Pour about 1 cup of salty water — ideally boiled seawater — into a large, wide pot with a cover and bring to a boil. Add the mussels and steam until they all open, about 3 to 5 minutes. NOTE: If you are using wild mussels, you will need to scrub and debeard them all first.
  • When the mussels are open, pick out the meats of all but your "show mussels" and put in a bowl. Toss with a little olive oil and set aside. Strain the mussel broth through cheesecloth or a paper towel into another bowl.
  • In a soup pot, get the olive oil hot over medium-high heat. Add the shallot and sauté for 2 minutes, stirring often. Add the garlic and sauté another 2 minutes.
  • Pour in the mussel broth, tomatoes and cayenne and mix well. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. You can puree this mixture and run it though a sieve to make it a refined soup, or leave it rustic. Your choice. Add the mussels and cook for another 3 minutes. If you're using the cherry tomatoes, add them at the last minute.
  • Garnish with the parsley or cilantro, and drizzle a little balsamic vinegar over everyone's bowl.
  • Serve hot with a nice medium-bodied Italian red, a dry rose or an amber beer. Be sure to have lots of crusty bread to serve

Nutrition

Calories: 278kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 43mg | Sodium: 659mg | Potassium: 1076mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 768IU | Vitamin C: 33mg | Calcium: 105mg | Iron: 9mg
Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @HuntGatherCook or tag #HankShaw!

Thanks for Sharing This!

19 shares

Filed Under: Fish, Italian, Recipe

Avatar for Hank Shaw

Hank Shaw

Hey there. Welcome to Hunter Angler Gardener Cook, the internet's largest source of recipes and know-how for wild foods. I am a chef, author, and yes, hunter, angler, gardener, forager and cook. Follow me on Instagram and on Facebook.

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Hank Shaw holding a rod and reel in the American River

Hi, my name is Hank Shaw; I’m a James Beard Award-winning author and chef. I started this site back in 2007 to help you get the most out of all things wild: fish, game, edible wild plants and mushrooms. I also write cookbooks, have a website dedicated to the intersection of food and nature, and do a podcast, too. If it’s wild, you’ll find it here. Hope you enjoy the site!

More about Hank...

Featured Recipes

Closeup of sliced, smoked venison backstrap on a platter
Venison 101: How to Cook Venison
pickled pike recipe
Pickled Pike
Slices of smoked venison roast on a cutting board.
Smoked Venison Roast
Conejo en adobo on a plate
Conejo en Adobo
A platter of fried walleye with lemon.
Fried Walleye
A plate of pine nut cookies.
Pine Nut Cookies

As Seen In

As seen on CNN, New York Times, Simply Recipes, Martha Stewart, Food and Wine, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, Field and Stream, Outdoor Life, and The Splendid Table

Never Miss a Recipe

Receive recipes direct to your inbox.

 

 

Back to Top
  • Home
  • Shop
  • Video Course
  • About
  • Podcast
  • Stories
  • Wild Game
  • Charcuterie
  • Fish
  • Gathering
Subscribe by email Connect on Facebook Connect on Pinterest Follow Me on Instagram

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

© 2023 Hunter Angler Gardener Cook, All Rights Reserved.

Site built by: Site by Status Forward

19 shares
  • Print
  • Pinterest
  • Facebook
  • WhatsApp
  • Save
  • Email
19 shares