Taranto-style mussel soup with toasts

Ingredients

For 1 serving

• Mussels400 g
• Cherry tomatoes200 g
• Garlic2 cloves
• Whole wheat bread3 slices
• Extra virgin olive oil10 g
• Parsley8 g
• Chili pepperto taste
• Saltto taste

Contains: gluten, shellfish,

In season: May – September

Method

1. Clean the mussels well under cold water: scrape the shells with a small knife or scourer and pull off the beards towards the tip. Discard any that are open or broken.
2. Wash and halve the cherry tomatoes; crush one garlic clove and keep another, peeled, for the toasts; chop the parsley.
3. Heat the olive oil in a wide lidded pan over medium heat with the crushed garlic and the chilli for a minute, until the garlic is just golden. Add the tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes, until they soften.
4. Add the mussels, cover and cook for 6 minutes over high heat, shaking the pan, until they have opened; discard any that stay closed. Taste the sauce and add salt only if needed, as mussels are already salty.
5. Meanwhile toast the sliced wholemeal bread in a dry frying pan or toaster until crisp and rub it with the reserved garlic. Serve the mussels with their sauce, the parsley and the toasts.