Italian Soups Recipes - Mussel Soup (Zuppa di Cozze) Recipe

Ingredients

• 225 g/8 oz/1 1/3 cups dried white cannellini beans

• 1 large onion

• 5 ml/1 tsp olive oil

• 1 garlic clove, crushed

• 1.2litres/2 pts/5 cups stock

• 225 g/8 oz mussels, scrubbed and beards removed

• 1 bay leaf

• 3 carrots, chopped

• 100 g/4 oz fresh or frozen peas

• 4 leaves of fresh parsley, chopped

• 4 tomatoes, skinned, seeded and diced

• 3 celery sticks, chopped

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

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Method:

1. Place the beans in a large bowl, cover with cold water and soak overnight. Drain. Place in a large saucepan. Cover with cold water.

2. Bring to the boil and boil rapidly for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat and simmer for 1 hour. Drain.

3. Chop the onion and place in the saucepan with the oil and garlic. Cook until they are translucent.

4. Pour in the stock, add the mussels and the bay leaf and simmer for about 10 minutes. Skim the surface of the soup if necessary.

5. Add the remaining ingredients and the cannellini beans and cook, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

6. Remove any mussels that have not opened and discard. Remove the bay leaf before serving.