Low-Calorie • Gluten-Free

Active45 min

Total45 min

Orange & Saffron-Scented Mussel Soup

Saffron lends its distinctive floral yet earthy flavor and yellow hue to this elegant soup. It may be the most expensive spice in the world, but there really is nothing else like it—and a little goes a long way. The dried stamens of a type of crocus, saffron has to be harvested by hand—which accounts for its price tag.

• 1½ tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1½ tablespoons butter
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 leeks, white and light green parts only, cleaned and thinly sliced (see Tip)
• 3 carrots, finely chopped
• 2 onions, finely chopped
• 1 bottle (750 ml) dry white wine, such as sauvignon blanc (3 cups)
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme, divided
• ½ teaspoon ground pepper, plus more to taste
• 2 cups water
• 4 pounds fresh mussels, scrubbed and debearded (see Tip, opposite)
• 1 tablespoon orange zest
• 1 cup orange juice
• 3 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, cut into slivers
• 1 teaspoon saffron threads, crumbled, or ¼ teaspoon powdered saffron
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 6 plum tomatoes, peeled (see Tip), seeded and diced

1. Heat oil and butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until light golden, about 30 seconds. Add leeks, carrots and onions; cook, stirring occasionally, until very soft, about 15 minutes. Add wine, bay leaves, 1½ teaspoons thyme, ½ teaspoon pepper and water; bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and cook for 15 minutes.

2. Stir in mussels, increase heat to medium-high and return to a simmer. Cover the pan and cook for 7 minutes, shaking the pan several times to distribute the mussels. Remove and discard any mussels that do not open.

3. Strain the mussels and cooking liquid through a sieve set over a bowl, pressing hard on the solids to extract all the liquid. Return the liquid to the pot and add orange zest and juice, parsley, saffron and the remaining ½ teaspoon thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Add tomatoes and heat gently (don’t boil).

4. To serve, divide the mussels among 8 bowls. (Discard solids remaining in the sieve.) Ladle the broth over the mussels.

Serves 8: generous 1 cup soup & 3 oz. mussels each

Calories 319 | Fat 9g (sat 2g) | Cholesterol 48mg | Carbs 25g | Total sugars 9g (added 0g) | Protein 20g | Fiber 3g | Sodium 460mg | Potassium 648mg.

Nutrition bonus: Vitamin B₁₂ (302% daily value) | Vitamin A (109% dv) | Iron (39% dv) | Folate (29% dv).