Mussel Soup

After an errand that took me to the north end of Whidbey Island, I could not resist the temptation of stopping at Penn Cove to grab a few mussels for dinner. 

Easy hike across the sand dune from the north access point to the mussel beds:

Grab a dozen or more mussels off of the rocks and on my way!

Always check to ensure you can safely harvest before collecting shellfish:  DOH Website for Penn Cove

I love cioppino but never have time to make this delicacy at home, instead I have developed this quick and easy mussel soup.  Tracy does not eat mussels, and usually the boys have refused Dad's strange foods, but today Carter ate some of the mussels through he would not try the soup.  The soup was excellent - roasted garlic, rosemary, tomato, and mussels make an excellent taste combination that I need to try in other dishes.

Tomato, Garlic, and Rosemary Mussel Soup

Recipe:  Mussel Soup - two servings

1 Tablespoon of Butter
3 Cloves of Baked Garlic - Baked a head of Russian Red Garlic the night before
1 Can Tomato Soup (10.75 oz)
2 Cans Water
2 Sprigs Rosemary
15 Fresh Mussels

In a small pot, melt butter.  Add baked garlic.  Maybe chopped garlic would work?  But baked garlic is soft and melt into the sauce so that it disappears, only to resurface on the taste buds.  Brown garlic and butter.

Add can of tomato soup and two cans full of water, bring to boil.

Add two sprigs of rosemary - fresh or dried both seem to work well. 

Add mussels to boiling soup, cover for 3-5 minutes until all shells are open and cooked.  If any shells do not open, they are bad and should not be eaten.

Fish out rosemary, serve in bowls with a fork and spoon and a secondary location for the shells.

Enjoy!