To me, nothing screams summer like mussels. Every time I eat them, I think of sitting outside, watching the sun go down, as I consume copious amounts of mussels and bread. So when I was considering what to cook for dinner the other day, mussels immediately popped out at me. Also they were on sale at the grocery store.

To be honest, I was inspired by the contents of my fridge in creating this dish. In fact, I pretty much have all the ingredients for this dish in my kitchen at all times, with the exception of mussels. And I would recommend you do too. For example, caramelized onions improve everything, miso paste is an excellent way to add salty, umami depth to something, green onions always brighten a dish, and sausage is a great for sneaking in some extra protein and flavor.

Also, the great thing about mussels is they’re super easy to cook, and to me, seem super impressive when you serve them. You literally just stick them in broth for a couple minutes, and voila! A fancy-looking bowl of seafood is presented.

Since NYC isn’t opening until earliest June 8, I’ll be eating this inside of my apartment, watching the sun go down over Manhattan until then. Which is okay I guess. At least I still have my mussels and lots of bread.(Which is not pictured but crucial to the tastiness of this dish.)

miso steamed mussels

Serves: 3

Cooking time: 20 minutes

ingredients

1/8 cup miso paste
2 tbs. soy sauce
1 lb. mussels
2 cups chicken broth
3 cups chopped spinach
1 onion, sliced
2 tbs. garlic paste
2 tbs. olive oil
1/4 cup chopped green onions,
bread, to soak up all of the broth
salt and pepper, to taste
2 sausage links , sliced

recipe

Saute the onions in the oil over med-high heat until browned, then add in garlic paste and sausage saute until garlic and sausage is slightly browned as well.
Add chicken broth, miso paste, soy sauce, and green onions, and stir until miso is dissolved.
Bring mixture to a simmer, then add in the mussels, and cover and cook until mussels are all open, stirring once halfway through, about 5-10 minutes.
Once the mussels are cooked, stir in the chopped spinach until spinach is wilted.
Split into bowls, discarding any still closed mussels, and serving with copious amounts of bread to sop up all of the delicious broth.