Moroccan Carrot Soup With Mussels

By Florence Fabricant

Moroccan Carrot Soup With Mussels
Tony Cenicola/The New York Times
Total Time
1 hour
Rating
4(27)
Notes
Read community notes

This is a Moroccan-style carrot soup, which can be served either hot or cold. Subtle sweetness (carrots), acidity (lemon), spice (cumin), fragrance (cilantro) and a touch of salinity (mussels) mirror the very aromas and flavor notes that the best of these German spätlese riesling wines deliver . The soup can also be made without the mussels, but not without the cilantro.

Featured in: If It's Spring, It Must Be Riesling

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Ingredients

Yield:6 servings
  • 2tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1medium onion, coarsely chopped
  • 2teaspoons ground cumin
  • 2bunches carrots, peeled, in 1-inch pieces
  • Salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 1pound mussels, scrubbed
  • ½cup finely chopped cilantro leaves
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

162 calories; 7 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 4 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 16 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 6 grams sugars; 11 grams protein; 500 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat ½ tablespoon oil in a 3-quart saucepan. Add onion. Cook over low heat until starting to soften. Stir in cumin, cook briefly, stirring. Add carrots and 6 cups water. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer, covered, until carrots are very tender, about 20 minutes. Cool briefly. Purée in a blender in two batches. Return soup to saucepan, season with salt and pepper and add lemon juice. Set aside until shortly before serving.

  2. Step 2

    Place mussels in a shallow 2-quart saucepan or sauté pan. Add ½ tablespoon oil, toss over high heat about a minute, reduce heat to low, cover and cook until mussels open, 7 to 8 minutes. Remove mussels, draining well so juices stay in pan. Discard any that do not open. When mussels are cool enough to handle, shuck them into a bowl, discard shells and toss mussels with remaining oil and the cilantro. Strain mussel broth and add to soup.

  3. Step 3

    Reheat soup. To serve, place a few mussels in each of 6 warm soup plates. Serve plates to guests. Ladle soup over mussels at the table. If not using mussels, fold cilantro into soup, ladle soup into bowls and drizzle each portion with remaining oil.

Ratings

4 out of 5
27 user ratings
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Cooking Notes

Sue D.

I really wonder how many carrots “2 bunches” of carrots is. Carrot bunches (bags?) really vary in size. After you cut them, it would help if I knew roughly how many cups of carrots are optimal.

Sue D.

I really wonder how many carrots “2 bunches” of carrots is. Carrot bunches (bags?) really vary in size. After you cut them, it would help if I knew roughly how many cups of carrots are optimal.

Sarah

I was disappointed: The mussels apparently didn’t cook correctly, and didn’t plump up. And the soup itself didn’t taste Moroccan...it was ok, but bland.

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