Mussels Soup with Vegetables

Ingredients

• 2 kg mussels
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 Garlic cloves
• 1 Carrot
• 2 shallots
• 1 stalk Celery
• 1 bell pepper
• 1 sprig thyme
• 250 ml white wine
• 10 peppercorns (coarsely crushed in a mortar)
• 250 ml heavy cream
• 250 ml chicken stock
• 2 saffron strands
• 2 fennel bulbs
• 20 ml Pernod
• 40 ml Noilly Prat
• Salt
• pepper (ground)

Instructions

1. 1.

   Wash, clean, peel and dice carrots, shallots, celery, and bell pepper into about 3 mm cubes. Slice fennel bulbs into thin strips, set aside the fennel fronds.

2. 2.

   Rinse mussels thoroughly and clean them. Heat olive oil in a large pot. Sauté the diced vegetables and fennel strips. Finely chop garlic and sauté briefly. Add mussels to the pot, pour in white wine and chicken stock. Stir in crushed peppercorns, thyme, saffron, Pernod, and Noilly Prat. Cover and simmer mussels for about 4 minutes. Remove mussels, extract the meat, discard any still closed shells. Refill the broth with heavy cream. Return mussel meat to the soup, add chopped fennel fronds, heat through, season with salt and pepper. Serve in soup bowls and garnish with mussel shells.