Zimmy's Nook

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soup recipe

Spicy Mussels and Shrimp “Soup”

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A beautiful copper pot filled with mussels, shrimp, lemons and kale. This pot is surrounded by a bowl filled with this soup, a wooden bowl of chili peppers, wine, wine glasses, lemons and a loaf of bread.

Spicy Mussels and Shrimp “Soup”

Have a little fun around the dinner table as you get your hands dirty digging into bowls full of deliciousness! We LOVE mussels in a flavourful sauce, but it’s sad to see the sauce left in the bowl or pot, then discarded. So, I’ve added broth, kale & shrimp and turned mussels, into “mussels & shrimp soup!” No one ever leaves soup in a bowl, so problem solved!

Ingredients
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 shallots, diced
  • 2 long chilies, thinly sliced (red or green)
  • 4 large garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 teaspoons fennel seeds
  • 2 teaspoons dried crushed red pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning
  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • 1/2 cup chopped cilantro, plus more for serving
  • 1 bunch curly kale, chopped
  • 2 cans (398 ml/13.5 oz) diced tomatoes (or 1 can 796ml/27 oz)
  • 2 1/2 cups stock (chicken, vegetable or seafood – no salt or low sodium)
  • 2 pounds fresh mussels, scrubbed, de-bearded*
  • 12 large wild shrimp, shell on, deveined (see cook’s note)
For serving
  • Crusty bread, 1/2-inch thick slices
  • 1 lemon, cut into 8 wedges
  • Hot sauce (optional)
Preparation

Heat a 5 quart pot, pan or Dutch oven over medium heat.

Add oil and lower heat to med-low. Next, add the shallots, salt, chilies and cook until soft. Add fennel seeds, crushed red pepper and garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes.

Raise heat to med-hi, add wine, cook for 1 minute. Add tomatoes and chicken stock, bring to boil. Next, add cilantro & kale, cover and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add mussels, cover and cook for 3 minutes. Add shrimp, nestle them into the liquid. Cover and cook for 4-5 minutes more. Discard any mussels that do not open. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro.

Bring the whole pot to the table and let everyone scoop small portions at a time. Serve mussels with bread for dipping, lemon wedge and hot sauce (if using). Don’t forget a bowl for the discarded mussel & shrimp shells.

Cook’s note:

I like using shrimp with the shell on as it adds additional flavour to the broth. Since we eat the mussels off the shell, scooping up broth, we are getting our hands dirty anyway, so we peel the shrimp as we eat. If preferred, peel shrimp before cooking.

*De-bearding simply means removing the seaweed-like fibers found sticking out of the shell. I pull them off when scrubbing them clean.

Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Serves: 4

Hope you enjoy my Spicy Mussels and Shrimp “Soup”! We would love to hear from you, please leave us your feedback in the comment box below.

Have a delicious day! James (aka Zimmy) & Elaine

This recipe was made (and served) in my gorgeous Hestan CopperBond Induction Copper 5qt Essential Pan and on my Hestan Dual Fuel Range.

Proud Hestan Culinary  & Hestan Ambassador. Opinions in this post are my own.

Roasted Vegetable Soup

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Two bowls of soup with croutons, cheese and pepitas plus a pot of soup.

This roasted vegetable soup started out as a way to clean up some odds and sods of vegetables I had in the kitchen… but after my mother proclaimed this to be one of her favourite soups ever, I figured I’d better write the recipe so that I can recreate it for her again.

Ingredients
  • 5 tablespoons olive oil (plus more for roasted vegetables)
  • 2 pound butternut squash (halved lengthwise, seeds removed)
  • 3 carrots (cut into 2 inch pieces)
  • 1 medium red onion (quartered)
  • 1 stalk of celery, roughly chopped
  • 2 tablespoons yellow onion, diced
  • 3 medium yellow potatoes (cut into 1 inch pieces)
  • 1 small sweet potato (cut into 1 inch pieces)
  • 3 leeks (large white and tender green parts, thinly sliced, raised well & dried)
  • 7 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 8 cups stock (vegetable or chicken – no salt added)
  • 1/2 teaspoons salt (plus more for roasted vegetables)
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper (plus more for roasted vegetables)
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
For serving
  • blue cheese, crumbled
  • pumpkin seeds, toasted
  • croutons
Preparation

Position oven rack in middle position of oven. Preheat the oven to 400°.

Lightly brush the cut side of the squash with olive oil, season with salt and pepper. Place the squash, cut side down, on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Add the carrots, red onion, sweet potato, and thyme drizzle with olive oil and season with salt & pepper. Roast for 20 minutes, mixing carrots, onions and sweet potato and thyme halfway through. Remove carrots onions and sweet potato, discard woody thyme sprigs then return squash to the oven and roast for 20 minutes more until tender. Let cool slightly. Using a spoon, scoop the squash from the skin.

Roasted squash, cut side down, on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Meanwhile, in a large heavy saucepan warm the olive oil over low heat. Add the yellow onion, celery, leeks and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Add the carrots, red onion, sweet and yellow potatoes, salt, pepper and cinnamon to the pot, then pour in the stock. Simmer over moderate heat for 20 minutes. Add the squash and cook for 10 minutes more until potatoes are tender.

Stock poured into a saucepan with onions, celery, leeks, carrots and potatoes, salt and pepper.

Use an immersion blender and purée until very smooth. Alternatively, use a blender or food processor to puree the soup in batches until smooth. Pour the soup back into the pan, taste, and season with salt and pepper if required.

To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with sprinkle of blue cheese, toasted pumpkin seeds, croutons and a drizzle of quality olive oil. (Or try sour cream, chives & bacon)

A pot of roasted vegetable soup surrounded by vegetables.
This soup was made and served in my Hestan ProBond Forged Stainless Steel 4-quart Saucepan

Hope you enjoy this Roasted Vegetable Soup recipe! I would love to hear your feedback in the “comments” below!

Have a delicious day! James (aka Zimmy)

Proud Hestan Culinary Ambassador. Opinions in this post are always my own.