Clam Vegetable Soup

Ingredients

• 500 g fresh littleneck clams
• 1 onion
• 1 Garlic clove
• 125 g celery stalks
• 100 g carrots
• 50 g sun‑dried tomatoes in oil
• 1 bay leaf
• 100 ml White wine
• Salt
• Pepper
• 400 ml Vegetable broth
• 0.5 bunch Basil
• 1 tsp lemon juice

Instructions

1. 1.

   Wash the littleneck clams thoroughly under cold water and remove any that are damaged or already open.

2. 2.

   Peel and finely dice the onion and garlic. Wash, trim, and finely dice the celery; set aside the celery leaves. Peel, trim, and finely dice the carrots as well.

3. 3.

   Drain the sun‑dried tomatoes, reserving the oil. Slice the tomatoes into strips.

4. 4.

   Heat 3 tsp of tomato oil in a pot. Sauté the onion and garlic until translucent. Add the bay leaf, celery, carrots, and tomato strips; cook briefly. Deglaze with white wine. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for about 8 minutes.

5. 5.

   Add the clams and simmer in the closed pot for about 5 minutes until all have opened; shake the pot occasionally. Remove any clams that remain closed and discard them.

6. 6.

   Lift the clams from the pot with a slotted spoon and let them cool slightly. Pour in the vegetable broth, bring to a boil, and simmer everything for 10 minutes.

7. 7.

   Meanwhile, wash, dry, and finely chop the basil and celery leaves. Separate the clam meat from the shells. Add the meat, basil, and celery leaves to the soup and heat through. Season the soup with salt, pepper, and lemon juice.