Welsh Mussel and Leek Chowder
A comforting coastal soup featuring sweet leeks, tender potatoes, and fresh steamed mussels in a light milky broth.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Total
- 45 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 395 kcal
Equipment
- •Large saucepan with lid
- •Fine mesh sieve
- •Measuring jug
- •Wooden spoon
- •Chef's knife
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 395 kcal
- fat
- 16 g
- carbs
- 35 g
- fibre
- 4 g
- protein
- 26 g
- calories
- 395 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Discard any mussels that remain open when tapped firmly on the kitchen worktop.
- 2
Place the cleaned mussels and water into a large saucepan over high heat.
- 3
Cover with a tight lid and steam for 3 to 4 minutes until all shells open.
- 4
Pour the contents through a fine sieve, reserving the rich cooking liquor in a jug.
- 5
Discard any closed mussels, then remove most meats from shells, leaving a few whole for garnish.
- 6
Melt the butter in a clean saucepan over medium heat on the hob.
- 7
Add the sliced leeks and cook gently for 5 minutes until soft and translucent.
- 8
Stir in the plain flour and cook for 1 minute to remove the raw taste.
- 9
Gradually pour in the reserved mussel liquor and whole milk, stirring constantly until smooth.
- 10
Add the diced potatoes and bay leaf, then simmer gently for 15 minutes until potatoes are fork-tender.
- 11
Stir in the shelled mussels, chopped parsley, salt, and black pepper, then heat through for 2 minutes.
- 12
Ladle into warm bowls, topping each serving with reserved whole mussels in shell.
Chef's tips
Filter the mussel steaming liquid through kitchen paper or a fine sieve to remove any residual grit before adding it to the chowder. Keep the simmer gentle once the milk is added to avoid curdling. Taste the broth before adding salt, as mussel cooking juices are naturally salty.
Ingredient substitutions
- plain flour → 15 g cornflour mixed with cold water for a gluten-free thickener
- whole milk → unsweetened oat milk or fish stock with a splash of double cream
Storage
Keep in an airtight container in the fridge and consume within 24 hours.
Reheating
Warm gently in a saucepan over low heat on the hob until piping hot, without letting it boil.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Boiling the chowder vigorously after adding milk, which can cause the broth to split.
- •Keeping unopened mussels after steaming, which may be unsafe to eat.
- •Overcooking the mussel meats, which makes them tough and rubbery.
Serving suggestions
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