MAIN, SOUP, STARTER, TO COOK, FISH AND SEAFOOD MAIN, SOUP, STARTER, TO COOK, FISH AND SEAFOOD

Saffron & Mussel Tomato Soup

It's getting colder here in Berlin, all of the trees in front of our windows are finally naked, their last colourful leaves swept away in a single stormy night. Before the winds came, the light in our living room was golden and warm, filtered through autumn's pretty yellow linden leaves. Now that they're gone, the light is much harder. All of a sudden, the city seems a bit more harsh, which made me long for a cozy soup.

Seafood has been on my mind for weeks, sweet mussels from the North Sea, adding their fine taste to a thick, fruity tomato soup refined with aromatic saffron. It warms the body and caresses the soul, what else could you want on a cold and misty November day? This dish may seem elaborate but that's not at all the case, it's a quick one. The fruit's red juices only cook for a bit longer than 10 minutes and the mussels sink into a fragrant broth of white wine and spices for just 5 minutes. I use the wine, infused with a soft hint of the sea and the noble taste of saffron, to stir into my glowing soup. It's supposed to serve 3-4, which I still believe is quite realistic, but we loved it so much that we almost emptied the large pot of soup in one go at lunchtime. We were hungry.

Saffron and Mussel Tomato Soup

Serves 3-4

For the mussels

  • mussels in shells  1 kg / 2 1/4 pounds

  • olive oil

  • medium onion, finely chopped, 1

  • garlic, thinly sliced, 2

  • large cloves

  • white wine 200ml / 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons

  • bay leaves 2

  • saffron threads 1/8 teaspoon / 1g

  • sea salt 1/2 teaspoon

  • ground pepper

For the tomato soup

  • olive oil

  • tomatoes, finely chopped, 1 kg / 2 1/4 pounds

  • garlic, thinly sliced, 1 big clove

  • broth, used to cook the mussels, 400ml / 1 2/3 cups

  • a pinch of sugar

  • sea salt

  • ground pepper

For the topping

  • fresh parsley, roughly chopped, 4 heaping teaspoons

Rinse and scrub the mussels under cold water and cut off the beard, discard any broken mussels.

For the mussels, heat a splash of olive oil in a large pot and cook the onion and garlic on medium heat for a few minutes or until golden and soft. Add the wine, bay leaves, saffron, salt and pepper, stir and bring to the boil. Turn the heat down to low, gently add the mussels to the pot, shake the pot or stir with a slotted ladle and close with a lid. Cook for 5 minutes or until the shells open, shake the pot once or twice while cooking. Take the mussels out with a slotted ladle, discard any mussels that don’t open. Measure 400ml of the mussel broth, together with the onions and the bay leaves, and set aside. Peel the mussels out of their shells, leave about 6-8 inside the shells for the topping of the soup (optional). Set the mussels aside.

Heat a splash of olive oil in a large pot, add the tomatoes and garlic and cook for 4 minutes on medium-high heat (open), stir once in a while. Add the mussel broth with the onions and bay leaves, sugar, salt and pepper and cook for about 7 minutes (open) or until the tomatoes are soft and the soup is thick. Season to taste and, if necessary, chop the tomatoes with a knife if they are too chunky, or purée the soup in a food processor. Stir in the mussel meat, divide the soup between bowls, sprinkle with fresh parsley and pepper and garnish with the mussels in their shells.

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