Asian Mussel Soup

Ingredients

• 2 kg fresh littleneck mussels
• 1 untreated lemon
• 1 onion
• 200 ml white wine
• 1 pinch nutmeg
• 2 sprigs coriander leaves
• 2 Bay leaves
• 3 small pak choi
• 100 g shiitake mushrooms
• 1 red chili pepper
• 2 Garlic cloves
• 50 g butter
• 2 tbsp flour
• 300 ml Vegetable broth
• 400 ml coconut milk
• Pepper
• Salt

Instructions

1. 1.

   Wash, brush and discard any broken mussels. Grate the lemon zest and squeeze out the juice. Dice the onion finely. Combine both with wine, nutmeg and herbs in a large pot and bring to a boil. Add the mussels to the boiling broth, cover and simmer for 4-5 minutes until they open. Remove the mussels, discard any that remain closed, remove the herbs and reserve the cooking liquid.

2. 2.

   Wash the pak choi and separate stems from leaves. Slice stems and leaves into thin strips separately. Clean the mushrooms and slice them thinly. Wash the chili pepper, cut it lengthwise, deseed and slice into fine rings. Dice the garlic cloves. In a large pot melt butter slowly and sauté the pak choi stems, mushrooms and chili for 5-10 minutes. Sprinkle flour over the mixture, stir well and cook for about 1 minute. Remove from heat and gradually pour in the reserved cooking liquid and vegetable broth. Return to heat, add the pak choi leaves and simmer for about 2 minutes while stirring. Add coconut milk and season with pepper and salt. Then add the mussels back and warm through for about 2 minutes. Taste and serve.