Dinner Snapshot - Mussel and Chorizo Soup

David and I love to cook. We try to make wholesome, organic, preservative free food every night.
(You might find us slumming at Carl's Jr., but that's a whole other addiction. This post is about our addiction to cooking.)

He went snowboarding yesterday so I decided to make a warm, hearty soup for him to come home to.

Mussel and Chorizo Soup

1/2 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon finely minced shallots
3 pounds mussels, scrubbed and debearded
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
5 ounces dry chorizo, finely diced (about 3/4 cup)
2 medium carrots, finely diced
2 medium leeks, white and tender greens parts only, finely diced
1 small onion, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 large plum tomato, finely diced
1/4 teaspoon saffron threads, crumbled
3 cups low-sodium fish stock, clam juice or chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
Salt and freshly ground white pepper
1 teaspoon chopped thyme

Directions
1. In a large, heavy pot, bring the wine with the shallots to a boil.

2. Add the mussels, cover and cook over high heat until they open, about 5 minutes. Strain the cooking liquid into a large bowl and reserve. Remove the mussels from their shells, reserving some unshelled for garnish, if desired.
3. In the large pot, heat the olive oil. Add the chorizo, carrots, leeks and onion; cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened, about 8 minutes.

4. Spoon off all but 3 tablespoons of the fat. Add the garlic, diced tomato and saffron and cook over moderate heat until fragrant, about 4 minutes.

5. Add the fish stock and reserved mussel cooking liquid and bring to a boil. Simmer the soup over low heat for 30 minutes.
6. Add the cream to the soup and simmer over moderately high heat for 3 minutes

7. Season with salt and pepper. Add the mussels and the thyme and simmer just until the mussels are heated through, about 1 minute.

8Ladle the soup into bowls, garnish with the mussel shells and serve hot.

This meal is definitely going into our regular rotation.

* Recipe from March 2008 Food and Wine