Stovetop White-Wine Mussels with Leeks & Rainbow Chard (Serves 2)
Quick sear-then-simmer wild mussels in a white-wine, garlicky broth with wilted winter chard. Bright, briny, and brothy (not pasta-based).
Back to full listIngredients
- Fresh Wild Mussels (never frozen; sustainably sourced) 2 lb $5.99 sale (was $12.99) per lb
- Organic Rainbow Chard 8 oz (about half) $3.49 (16 oz)
- Organic Leeks (2–3 per bunch) 1 large leek (white + light green), thin-sliced $5.49/lb
- Organic Garlic (or Simple Truth Organic® Garlic Bulbs 3-ct) 3 cloves, minced $6.99/lb or $2.79 (3 ct)
- Pantry: dry white wine 1/2 cup
- Pantry: butter or olive oil 1 tbsp
- Pantry: black pepper + red pepper flakes (optional) to taste
- Pantry: lemon 1/2 lemon, juice + wedges
- Pantry: crusty bread (optional, for serving) as desired
Instructions
- Clean mussels: Scrub shells, debeard, and discard any cracked or open mussels that won’t close when tapped.
- Start aromatics (stove): In a large pot or deep skillet with a lid, heat butter/olive oil over medium. Add leeks and a pinch of pepper; cook 4–5 minutes until softened (don’t brown heavily). Add garlic and (optional) a pinch of red pepper flakes; cook 30 seconds.
- Steam mussels: Pour in white wine, bring to a simmer, then add mussels. Cover and cook 5–7 minutes, shaking the pot once or twice, until most shells open. Discard any unopened ones.
- Add chard: Remove mussels with tongs to a bowl. Add chard stems (if any) to the broth for 1 minute, then add chard leaves and wilt 1–2 minutes.
- Finish & serve: Return mussels to the pot just to warm through. Add lemon juice to taste. Spoon mussels + chard + broth into 2 bowls. Serve with lemon wedges and bread if you like.
Health notes: High protein and minerals; moderate sodium. Keep it lighter by using olive oil instead of butter and going easy on added salt (mussels are naturally salty).
Drink pairing: Wine: WA dry Riesling or Sauvignon Blanc. Beer: pilsner or saison.