Luscious Seafood Soup

If you’re planning a celebration dinner or a lovely dinner party for four, my luscious Seafood Soup is an absolute stunner. It’s also the kind of dish that’s absolutely perfect for a Sunday, when you feel like fussing a bit.

A Note from Teri on Luscious Seafood Soup

Starting with the very best seafood you can find is what makes this bowl of deliciousness truly shine. I prefer a combination of mussels, scallops, and shrimp, but this soup would also work well with lobster. There are a number of different types of scallops, and if you can get Nantucket scallops, they’re small and sweet–a gorgeous and graceful addition to this aromatic soup. I’m lucky to have Dirk’s Fish in Chicago and its flagship in Lakeside, Michigan.

Most of the labor for this soup is in the prep. Shellfish must be cleaned properly. The shrimp need to be deveined, and the mussels must be soaked and scrubbed, and then you have to pull off the beard. The scallops need to be washed and dried and laid out on paper towels or towels to fully dry. Then the rest of the prep involves a lot of chopping! It is a labor of love.

It is so wonderful, warming, and delicious, especially served with just a little bit of rice. If you’re having a party, this soup is the only thing you need to make! Serve it with a magnificent dessert and consider a very simple, light hors d’oeuvre, because the truth is, this soup is expensive, it’s delicious, and it’s what you want your favorite eaters to focus on.

Ingredients

• Seafood – typically I use mussels, peeled and deveined shrimp, and scallops, but use your favorites!
• Red Swiss chard
• Avocado or olive oil
• Green onions
• Cilantro
• Garlic cloves
• Thai chilis
• Red curry paste
• Chicken stock
• Unsweetened coconut milk
• Kaffir lime leaves or lemongrass stalks – you can also use dried lemongrass which is a great thing to have in your cabinet!
• Lime juice
• Fish sauce – If you don’t have fish sauce, you can substitute tamari or coconut aminos, or Bragg’s Liquid Aminos.
• Brown sugar or coconut sugar
• Carrot
• Basil
• Kosher salt

How to Make Luscious Seafood Soup

Step One: Prepare Your Ingredients

Wash and scrub the mussels. Wash the shrimp and scallops and lay them on a paper towel- or towel-lined sheet tray and gently pat them dry.

Remove the red Swiss chard leaves from the stems by pinching the bottom-most leaves and pulling the stem out, releasing the leaves. Slice the stems into ¼-inch pieces, or smaller if you can. Roll the chard leaves up then cut them into ribbons. Set both aside separately.

To prepare the lemongrass stalks, if using, trim the root end and then peel away the tough, outer layers until you reach the pale, inner core of the stalk. Trim off the green tops then place the lemongrass stalks on a cutting board. Place the flat end of your knife on the stalk and then smash the stalk to release the oils, like you would crush a clove of garlic. Slice the bruised stalk very thinly and set aside.

Step Two: Saute Vegetables and Add Liquid

In a large Dutch oven or soup pot (the biggest you have), heat the oil and sauté the red Swiss chard stems, lemongrass stalk, green onions, half of the cilantro, garlic, and the Thai chilis for about two minutes.

Dissolve the curry paste in 1 cup chicken stock and add it to the pot. Add 1 can coconut milk, the lime leaves or juice, and fish sauce, if using, then bring to a simmer. Add the brown sugar and stir to dissolve. Tip: I blend the coconut milk in a jar with an immersion blender or in a traditional blender.

Add remaining chicken stock and/or coconut milk, depending on how brothy you want it. I add another can of coconut milk and another 2 cups of stock. Add carrots and cook for a couple of minutes.

Step Three: Cook the Seafood

Layer in the swiss chard leaves followed by all of the mussels, shrimp, and scallops in the pot. Cover and cook for about 5-7 minutes until the mussels are open and the seafood is gently cooked. If the mussels are very big you can cook them for a minute or two before you add the shrimp and scallops. If the scallops are very small, you can add them a minute later.

Uncover the pot for 5 minutes and see how many mussels are open at that point and if the scallops and shrimp are cooked through. Be careful not to overcook the seafood! Likely the seafood is done and perfect but if they need more time, leave on the stove uncovered for a minute or two more and give the pot a good shake. Turn the heat off and throw away any mussels that didn’t open.

Serve with the remaining cilantro, basil and green onion on the side at the table. You can serve as a soup with some crusty bread alongside or over rice.

Storage and Leftovers

If there’s any leftovers, store in a mason jar in the fridge. This is absolutely delicious as a leftover and is amazing the next day! To reheat, heat gently in a pot until warmed through.

Try These Other Seafood Recipes

• Teriyaki Glazed Salmon Filet
• Salmon with Coconut Curry Broth
• Lobster Cobb Salad
• Shrimp and Pesto Pasta

If you make this Seafood Soup recipe, be sure to review it below and let me know what you think! If you’re looking for more inspiration, subscribe to my Substack, and follow along on Pinterest,  Instagram, and TikTok to join in all the fun!

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