Mussels with leeks, white wine, and saffron

Mussels with leeks, white wine and saffron

3
Points®
Total Time
28 min
Prep
10 min
Cook
18 min
Serves
4
Difficulty
Easy
Blending silken tofu imparts such a creaminess and richness to the mussel broth, and also gives the bonus of adding protein. Saffron is another luxurious aspect to this effortless sauce; you can omit it if you don't have any around, but we highly recommend that you splurge and give it a try. Cooked-down leeks and tomatoes provide texture and flavor to the pan juices and make the mussels taste a lot more hearty. Taking that extra step in blending the sauce and tofu together really elevates this recipe from typical weeknight to wow-worthy.

Ingredients

Olive oil

2 tsp

Uncooked leeks

2 large, white & light-green parts only, halved lengthwise

Garlic

3 clove(s), minced

White wine

1 cup(s), dry variety

Chicken broth

½ cup(s)

Tomato

2 medium, chopped

Saffron

½ tsp, threads, crumbled

Cayenne pepper

tsp, or to taste

Uncooked mussels in shells

3 pound(s), scrubbed and debearded

Silken tofu

½ cup(s)

Table salt

tsp, or to taste

Fresh parsley

1 Tbsp, chopped

Instructions

  1. Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add leeks and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 6 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
  2. Stir in wine, broth, tomato, saffron, and cayenne; bring to boil. Add mussels, cover, and cook until mussels open, about 4 minutes. Discard any mussels that do not open. Transfer mussels with slotted spoon to large bowl; cover with foil to keep hot.
  3. Return Dutch oven to medium heat and simmer until mixture is slightly thickened, about 6 minutes. Pour ½ cup pan juices into blender. Add tofu and salt and puree. Return mixture to Dutch oven and bring to boil.
  4. Divide mussels among 4 bowls. Pour pan juices over mussels, dividing evenly. Sprinkle with parsley.
  5. Serving size: about 24 mussels with pan juices