Steamed Mussels with Coconut Milk, Dill & Turmeric
Bring a spoon. This broth is gold!
Serves 2-3
1.5 Tbsp coconut oil
1.5 Tbsp fresh turmeric, finely chopped (FYI they usually sell it at Whole Foods)
1 Tbsp fresh lemongrass, finely chopped
1 Tbsp fresh ginger, finely chopped
1.5 (13.5 oz) cans coconut milk (I love the Native Forest brand with “No Guar”)
1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
salt/pepper
2 lb mussels, cleaned (make sure to remove beards and throw away any mussels that are already open)
1 lemon, juiced and zested
2 Tbsp fresh dill, chopped
1.5 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1 lime, juiced
Heat a deep pot over a medium flame. Add coconut oil. Once melted, add turmeric, lemongrass, and ginger. Sauté for 3 minutes.
Deglaze the pan with coconut milk. Let simmer for 15 minutes or until liquid reduces slightly and the milk becomes a bright orange color. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Add lemon juice, zest, nutritional yeast, and dill to the pot. Give it a good stir. Add mussels and half of parsley. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and steam for 5-10 minutes, or until all of the mussels open up. Throw away any mussels that don’t open (this means they were dead to begin with.)
After mussels steam open, ladle them into a big bowl, followed by the broth. Squeeze lime juice on top to garnish, along with remaining parsley.
Who doesn’t love a big bowl of brothy mussels?? Even though I love a good white wine broth, coconut milk is just as satisfying when you’re steering clear of alcohol. Once you’ve made your way through the mussels, my first choice for soaking up the broth is usually a crusty piece of bread. If bread is out of the question for you, I personally used the leftover broth to braise some chopped yellow squash the next day. You could also use the leftover broth as a pasta sauce. If you’re coming down with a cold, this dish will hopefully give an extra boost to your immune system. Mussels are packed with vitamins and minerals and all of that fresh ginger, turmeric, and lemon will put a little pep in your step.
