Inexpensive mussels are a boon for busy cooks, as they cook up in a matter of minutes. This recipe takes advantage of prepared red curry paste. Available at almost any grocery store, commercial curry pastes vary significantly in their heat level, so you might to reduce the quantity if yours is very spicy. Serve the mussels with a loaf of crusty bread so that you can sop up all of the delicious liquid.
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
6 minutes
Servings
4 to 6
Ingredients
2 Tbs. canola oil
1/2 cup sliced shallots
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1/4 cup (2 oz./60 g) red curry paste
2 Tbs. minced garlic
2 tsp. grated fresh ginger
Pinch of red pepper flakes
2 cans (each 15 oz./470 g) coconut milk
2 Tbs. fish sauce
2 Tbs. fresh lime juice
2 lb. (1 kg) mussels, well scrubbed and debearded
Salt, to taste
Chopped fresh cilantro for garnish
Lime wedges for serving
Directions
In a 4-quart (4-l) sauté pan over medium heat, warm the canola oil. When the oil is shimmering, add the shallots and bell pepper and sauté until the shallots are translucent and the bell pepper is soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the curry paste, garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes and cook for 30 seconds. Add the coconut milk, fish sauce and lime juice and bring a boil.
Add the mussels to the pan, discarding any that do not close to the touch. Cover the pan and steam the mussels until they open, shaking the pan occasionally so they cook evenly, 4 to 6 minutes. Discard any unopened mussels. Season to taste with salt.
To serve, spoon the mussels into large warmed soup bowls, ladle some of the broth over them and sprinkle with the cilantro. Serve with lime wedges alongside. Serves 4 to 6.
Rated 5 out of
5 by
dorado from
Excellent Mussel RecipeWe have made this twice and really enjoyed it both times. Luckily we had fresh PEI mussels so all were very good. We served it like a soup over basmati rice and will have it again in the future. Note we used green curry paste because we were out of red, but I doubt it was a major change - still very good.
The All-Clad 4 qt essential pan has become one of my favorites for dishes like this and paella although we have "paella pans" too.
Date published: 2015-02-07
Rated 5 out of
5 by
VIEENROSE from
Fantastic Easy SoupI cannot begin to say how great and easy this soup was to make. I followed the recipe given except that I used frozen Mussels (defrosted before going into the pot) and added cleaned and peeled Brown Gulf Shrimp, tails removed, for some extra protein. All the flavors and spices were very well balanced. I did not add any extra salt, it was perfect the way it was. My husband and father just loved it. I cooked it in a 5 quart Calphalon Nonstick Pot; clean-up was a breeze.
I can see the broth base of this soup being very versatile. If you are allergic to / just do not care for shellfish, I can see this totally working with shredded chicken as well. As stated in the description, this is perfect with bread to dip in the broth. However, for variation for the next time I make this, I plan to serve it over some rice just to see what it is like.
Date published: 2015-02-02
Rated 5 out of
5 by
kacherin from
WOW! THIS IS A KEEPER:-)I made this on a cold night for my family--one of which is not a shellfish person. She told me that I can make this anytime-- and I will! I followed the recipe exactly;, and it was spot on. I didn't add any salt. The broth that was made from this was also delicious. We all enjoyed this as well. This might be a good recipe for the non-shellfish eaters in your household.
