On my first trip to Brittany, France, I had tried various mussel dishes, including the Creamy Sweet Potato Mussel Soup. In Brittany, Bouchot mussels, for example, from the Bay of Mont Saint Michel or bay of Brest, have dedicated quality labels. Therefore, it is common to see different recipes throughout the regions.
I eat mussels quite often, but always the version that cooked in white wines and served typically with French fries. So, this recipe has caught my attention the very first time. Creamy Sweet Potato Mussel Soup has a smooth structure and can be served either as a starter or a main dish.
What are the main ingredients?
Mussels
It is important to ensure the freshness of the mussels. Their shells should be closed to make sure they are alive. However, in German supermarket, mussels are usually not sold fresh. Quite often, they are removed from their shells, then cooked, vacuum-packed and frozen. Sometimes I can still find the fresh mussels from the fish counter. So, I cook this soup using both versions of mussels, whenever available.
White wine
In general, any white wine is good for this recipe. I bought Saint Emilion Grand CRU for this recipe and to accompany my meal. The white wine is a product of France.
Herbs
The original recipe uses thyme and parsley for the cooking. However, I usually use one of them and the result is good as well. You can always adjust to your personal taste by adding or reducing seasonings and herbs.
Black pepper
The flavour of fresh cracked pepper is more vibrant and powerful. It changes the flavour of food, adding depth and some spice. Once I ran out of black pepper and the soup did not taste good. That’s why I consider the black pepper being a main ingredient for this recipe.
Other ingredients
Other ingredients used for this recipe are stock, cream, onion, olive oil, curry powder etc. For a complete list of ingredients, please refer to the recipe below.
How to cook Creamy Sweet Potato Mussel Soup
Cook Mussels
Fresh mussels need to be cleaned thoroughly. Then, boil mussels in white wine and thyme. Depend on the amount of mussels you use, you might need to cook in portions. Transfer the mussels to another pot and keep the cooking liquid.
Mash Sweet potatoes
Peel sweet potatoes and cut them into small cubes. Heat olive oil in a large wok. Then, add fine-diced yellow onion and fry until the onion is translucent. Now add sweet potatoes and curry powder to the wok, heat the mixture for about 5 minutes.
Then, add the cooking liquid of the mussels and vegetable stock to the wok. Cover the wok and cook for about 30 minutes. The sweet potatoes should be soft by then. Use a Waffle-Head Potato Masher to mash the sweet potatoes. If you want a better result, you can use a hand mixer to mash the sweet potatoes.
Afterward, mix the cream with the sweet potatoes.
Assembly the soup
Transfer the sweet potato puree into soup bowls and place the cooked mussels. Top some chopped fresh parsley (sometimes I leave out this herb for this recipe) and season with black pepper.
Tips for this recipe
Garlic toasted bread or Grilled Bread (Fettunta) are perfect to accompany the Creamy Sweet Potato Mussel Soup.
Did you like the recipe?
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Creamy Sweet Potato Mussel Soup
Ingredients
- 500 g fresh Bouchot mussels
- 400 g sweet potatoes
- 80 ml white wine
- 400 ml vegetable stock
- 1 bulb yellow onion finely diced
- 100 ml cream
- 1 sprig Thyme
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp curry powder
- Salt
- Black pepper fresh ground
Instructions
- Clean the mussels thoroughly.
- Add white wine, thyme, mussels to a wok and cover. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. Then reduce the heat to the medium level and cook for 10 minutes.
- Discard any mussels that fail to open.
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer mussels to a pot. Remove thyme and reserve the cooking liquid aside.
- Peel sweet potatoes and cut them into small cubes.
- Heat olive oil in the wok. Then, add yellow onion and fry until the onion is translucent.
- Add sweet potatoes and curry powder to the wok, heat the mixture for about 2minutes.
- Now add the cooking liquid of the mussels and vegetable stock to the wok. Cover the wok and cook for about 30 minutes.
- Use a waffle-head potato masher to mash the sweet potatoes. Alternatively, use a hand mixer to mash the sweet potatoes.
- Mix the cream with the mashed sweet potato.
- Transfer the sweet potato into four large soup plates and add the cooked mussels.
- Season with black pepper and salt. Optionally, spread some chopped fresh parsley.
- Serve warm immediately.