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Lea Linster’s Mussel Soup

This mussel soup by Léa Linster is a true classic from the Kichechef cookbooks of the 90s.

For my Anne’s Retro Kitchen series on RTL, I’m recreating these recipes in my own kitchen exactly as they were — and seeing if they still hold up today.

It’s a rich, fragrant soup built on a simple court-bouillon, finished with cream, curry, and a touch of saffron — comforting, slightly unexpected, and very much of its time.

Watch me (and Lea Linster) make this recipe here on RTL Play.

Find more retro recipes here in my recipe archive.

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Ingredients

Serves 4

For the court-bouillon:
1 kg mussels
250ml white wine
250ml water
50g celeriac (or 1 parsnip)
1 carrot
1 onion
Green part of 1 leek
1 bay leaf
Small bunch of parsley

For the soup:
30g butter
2 tbsp flour
500ml court-bouillon
White part of 1 leek, finely chopped
75ml cream
½ tbsp curry powder
A pinch of saffron
A pinch of cayenne pepper

To serve:
100ml cream
Fresh parsley, chopped

Method

Clean the mussels (do not leave them soaking in water).

Prepare the court-bouillon:
Finely chop the celeriac, carrot, onion, and leek greens. Melt a knob of butter in a large pot and sauté the vegetables until lightly softened.

Add the white wine and bring briefly to a boil. Add the bay leaf and parsley, cook for 1 minute, then pour in the water.

Once boiling, add the mussels, cover, and cook for about 5 minutes, until they have opened.

Strain the mussels through a sieve, collecting the cooking liquid (court-bouillon) in a bowl.

Prepare the soup:
Remove the mussels from their shells and discard the beards. Set aside.

Melt the butter in a pot, add the flour, and cook briefly to form a light roux. Gradually whisk in the court-bouillon to avoid lumps.

Add the chopped leek and bring to a gentle boil for 1 minute. Stir in the cream and curry powder, and bring briefly back to a simmer. Add the saffron and cayenne pepper, then return the mussels to the soup.

To finish:
Whip the cream until stiff, stir through the soup just before serving.