How to Make Mussel Soup with Shrimp

Easy mussel soup with seafood like shrimp and fish on the stove is delicious for dinner. Use fresh or Frozen Mussels to make this rich chowder as a meal, appetizer or side dish this week.

How Long to Cook Mussels in Soup

Not long, just until they open up! There are many ways you can change this up depending on what you can find at the store and which pieces of seafood you love best. You can easily cut your fish of choice like salmon or halibut into bite size pieces to add Boiled Fish into the mix which is great for more protein, texture and flavors.

Most of the time we will add Frozen Raw Shrimp if they are small. If larger I like to defrost first so they only take about 5 minutes to get pink and tender. As far as vegetables you can go all out. As long as they are diced you can get them soft with everything else. Typically carrots, celery and corn works the best.

How to Make Soup with Canned Mussels

If the canned mussels are not already cooked and seasoned, you may need to drain them and rinse them briefly under cold water. This step helps remove any excess liquid or debris. Canned typically have a briny flavor, so you may want to adjust the seasoning of your dish accordingly. You can also enhance the flavor by adding fresh herbs, garlic, lemon juice, make Curry Mussels or add other spices.

Keep in mind that these are already cooked, so you only need to heat them through if adding them to a hot dish. Overcooking them can result in a rubbery texture, so be cautious not to cook them for too long. For this dish you could decrease from 5-3 minutes or just until warmed.

How do you eat mussels in soup?

You can suck on the flavorful shells since they’ve already been washed. Then break them open and scoop out the meat to enjoy with the broth and other ingredients. OR add without shells which we do with our Shrimp and Corn Soup.

Differences of Green Mussels vs Black Mussels

Green are native to New Zealand and are known for their vibrant colored shells, tend to have a slightly sweeter and more delicate flavor, and large size. Black, on the other hand, typically refer to the common blue or Mediterranean type which have black or dark blue shells with a brinier taste and slightly stronger flavor profile.

How to Cook Instant Pot Mussel Soup

If you wanted to make this faster you could. It is essentially a version of our Instant Pot Potato Corn Chowder so I would follow those directions except I would leave the shellfish out. 10 minutes would be too long for those unless you don’t mind them being firmer and over-done.

Instead you can steam those first in your pressure cooker for 1 minute with a quick release, remove and keep warm. When done just drop those babies in, stir and you are ready.

If you decided you wanted to add russets you could dice small and add in there or Boil Potatoes in Instant Pot until al dente, so like bite sized for 1 minute and then add in there.

If you have never cooked with these before, in the shell, it is important to understand how to clean mussels properly so they are safe. You place in a colander or large bowl and rinse them thoroughly under cold running water. Use your hands to rub the shells and remove any dirt or debris.

Remove the beard which are the strands on the outsides, between your thumb and forefinger and pull it towards the hinge to remove and discard. If there are any stubborn dirt or barnacles on the shells, you can use a stiff brush to scrub them off. Be gentle to avoid damaging the shells.

Ingredients in Mussel Chowder

Soak them in cold water for about 20-30 minutes after cleaning. This can help purge any remaining sand or grit. If you choose to soak them, be sure to change the water a few times during the process. Give them one final rinse under cold water to remove any loosened debris or sand. Then set heat to high for soup pot, add the mussels into clam chowder recipe or this one to cook the mussels for a few min.

• 1 onion diced
• Celery diced
• Heavy Cream
• 2 c vegetable broth
• 1/3 c corn kernels
• White wine
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• All purpose flour
• Olive oil
• 1 c fish salmon, sea bass, cod used – cut into 1×1″ cubes
• Salt and pepper
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• Mussels
• Shrimp peeled
• 1 sprig thyme

How to Cook Seafood Soup with Mussels

Scrub outside of fresh mussel shells to remove debris. Let sit in a bowl of cold water for 15 minutes or until ready to add into soup.

• Sauté the onion and celery in olive oil over medium heat for 3-4 minutes on low heat. Add all-purpose flour, mix and fry everything together for another 2 minutes.
• Add cubed fish, pre-boiled potatoes (if adding), corn, pour in stock, white wine, lemon juice, and stir to dissolve flour lumps.
• Add sprigs of thyme (1-2) and salt with spices. Cook for another 10 minutes on low heat, covering the pan with a lid.
  • you could add red pepper flakes if you wanted it a bit spicy.
• Rinse the shellfish and shrimp thoroughly and transfer them to a saucepan.
• Pour in the cream and mix everything. Boil the chowder for another 5 minutes. Serve hot with parsley and other herbs.

ONLY eat the mussels that open and throw out the ones that don’t. That is a sign they are bad. You could give it a few more minutes in the mussel broth but beyond 10 minutes means they aren’t going to.