Mussels and saffron; sounds a little fancy, right? Well, it couldn't be simpler to prepare.
These mussels are steamed in a flavorful broth of shallots, garlic, crushed tomatoes and plenty of white wine. A pinch of saffron really elevates this dish, and the parsley adds the perfect herbaceous freshness to finish things off.
That beautiful broth is just asking for some grilled bread to sop it up. The bread-broth action is definitely my favorite part.
Mussels in Saffron Tomato Broth
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
Description
Mussels in saffron tomato broth has to be one of my favorite mussel recipes. It's simple but includes all the right flavors to enhance the sweet, briny mussels.
Ingredients
Scale
- ¾ cup dry white wine (I used Pinot Grigio)
- 1 large pinch of saffron
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 large shallot, finely chopped
- 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 whole canned tomatoes, removed from juices
- 2 lbs mussels, scrubbed and debearded
- Kosher salt and pepper
- ¼ cup loosely packed parsley, chopped
- Grilled crusty Italian or French bread (gluten free, if desired), for serving*
Instructions
- Steep saffron: Warm wine, add saffron and allow it to steep while preparing the other ingredients.
- Make base: Heat a large, heavy bottomed pot over medium heat. Melt butter in the pan. Add in shallots, season with salt and pepper, and sauté 2-3 minutes or until translucent. Add garlic and sauté for 15-30 seconds. Add wine, bring to a boil over high heat for about a minute or until slightly reduced. Add tomatoes, season with salt and pepper, reduce heat and allow the mixture to simmer for about 5 minutes.
- Grill bread: While sauce cooks, heat a grill pan or outdoor grill over medium-high heat. Cut bread into ½ inch-thick slices. Drizzle bread with extra virgin olive oil and season lightly with chunky sea salt. Grill for about 1 minute per side or until charred. If using a grill pan, place a pan over the bread to weigh down the bread slightly and encourage grill marks.
- Steam mussels & serve: Add mussels to tomatoes, cover and allow to steam over medium heat for about 5-8 minutes or until mussels have just opened (discard any that don’t). Taste broth for seasoning and adjust, if needed. Stir in parsley and serve with grilled bread. Enjoy.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main
- Method: Steam, Saute
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ½ of mussels
- Calories: 639
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 1315mg
- Fat: 16g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Carbohydrates: 34g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 57g
Anna @ shenANNAgans says
I know what I am having for dinner tonight. 🙂
Karen says
The bread action is my husband's favorite part too…I know he would enjoy these mussels.
Sabrina says
Thanks, Karen 🙂
nagimaehashi says
Hi Sabrina! You just gave me inspiration for something to make....THANK YOU!!! PS Love the addition of saffron in this 🙂
Sabrina says
I'm so happy hear that! Thanks, Nagi!
Marissa (@pinchandswirl) says
I absolutely love mussels and these look like the perfect preparation! Thinking of these with crusty bread has my mouth watering...
Sabrina says
Thanks so much, Marissa!
Liz says
What a great combination of ingredients. I love saffron!
Sabrina says
Thanks, Liz! I love saffron, too 🙂
Sweet and Savoury Pursuits says
Sounds delicious, love the addition of the saffron!
Sabrina says
Thank you!!
JIN says
Simple, fresh and delicious! Perfect on a lazy day I am having 😉
Sabrina says
Thanks, Jin!
deliciousdaydreams says
It does sound perfectly fancy! Yummy.
Sabrina says
Thank you!!
Summer Daisy says
This looks so delish! By the way... That bowl is gorgeous ♥
summerdaisy.net
Sabrina says
Thanks, so much! It's from Crate & Barrel if you're interested 🙂
savorthebestcooks@gmail.com says
This looks so amazing! How I love mussels, they have been on my mind lately. 🙂
Sabrina says
Thanks so much! I love mussels too 🙂
Julie Yates says
Beautiful!
Sabrina says
Thanks, Julie!
AppetiteDeluxe says
Omg this looks amazingly delicious
Sabrina says
Thanks so much!
Anonymous says
Wow these look delicious!
Sabrina says
Thank you!