Clear and Deep Flavored Mussels Soup Recipe
Clear and Deep Flavored Mussels Soup Recipe
How to Make Refreshing Mussels Soup (Easy for Beginners)
Mussels are called ‘hong-hap’ in Korean, possibly due to their reddish flesh. Interestingly, the white inner flesh comes from male mussels, while the reddish hue indicates female mussels. Mussels are rich in Vitamin D, making them beneficial for bone health and osteoporosis prevention. Furthermore, their abundant taurine content makes them excellent for alleviating hangovers. Today, we’ll be making a mussels soup with a rich, refreshing, and deeply savory broth. This recipe will help you enjoy delicious mussels soup at home, just like from a restaurant!
Ingredients- 1kg fresh mussels
- 2L water
- 1/2 onion
- 2 white parts of leek
- 2/3 Tbsp coarse sea salt
- 1 Tbsp cooking wine (mirin or sake)
- A little red chili pepper
- A little Cheongyang chili pepper (optional, for extra spice)
- 2 stalks scallions
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
Before you start preparing the mussels, take a moment to inspect them. You might be surprised to find how clean they are, with very little to trim! You might rarely see mussels this clean. Gently pull off any byssal threads (beard-like strands) attached to the sides of the mussels by hand, or snip them off with clean scissors.
Step 2
Rinse the prepared mussels two to three times under cold running water. Mussels usually don’t contain much sand or grit, so a separate purging process is often unnecessary. After rinsing, drain the mussels thoroughly in a colander. Proper draining is key.
Step 3
Prepare the vegetables that will enhance the refreshing flavor of the mussels soup. Peel and roughly chop the onion. Use the white parts of two leeks. Wash the scallions, red chili pepper, and Cheongyang chili pepper cleanly. If you enjoy a spicier kick, feel free to adjust the amount of Cheongyang chili pepper.
Step 4
Now, get a pot ready and add all 1kg of your prepared mussels. Pour in 1 liter of water. Next, add the roughly chopped half onion and the white parts of the two leeks. (Tip: The green leaves of the leek can sometimes impart a bitter taste to the broth, so it’s best to focus on using the white parts.)
Step 5
Once the water begins to boil, add the remaining 1 liter of water. Dividing the water in this way helps to extract a richer flavor from the mussels, creating a deeper broth. A total of 2 liters of water is used. Now, add 1 tablespoon of cooking wine (like mirin or sake). The cooking wine contains ginger and helps effectively eliminate any potential fishy smell from the mussels.
Step 6
Start by boiling over high heat. As soon as the broth comes to a rolling boil, reduce the heat to medium-low and let it simmer gently. Continue simmering until a milky white, rich broth is formed. This process is crucial for developing the deep flavor of the soup. Simmer for about 10-15 minutes.
Step 7
Once the broth has sufficiently developed its flavor, add 2/3 tablespoon of coarse sea salt to season. (Taste the broth and adjust the salt according to your preference.) Finally, remove the onion and leeks that were added to the pot for a cleaner presentation.
Step 8
Voila! Your refreshing and deeply flavored mussels soup is ready. It’s truly amazing how such a rich and savory broth can be achieved using only the natural flavors of fresh mussels, right? Enjoy the warm, comforting broth and the chewy mussels in this soup, which is perfect for a hangover cure or as a delightful appetizer with drinks!
