Mussels in Tomato Broth

Every once in a while Costco has a great deal on a 5-pound bag of mussels. While that’s a bit too much for me, I usually can’t resist the chance to make these as a way to mix up my Whole30 or meal plan for the week. Mussels steam up deliciously for a light lunch or dinner. They do require a bit of work to clean, sort and prepare for steaming, but I find them to be worth it.
.
I start by sorting through the mussels and removing any ones with broken shells. Then I plunge about 2 to 3 pounds into a large bowl of fresh water to soak for 10 to 15 minutes. This helps clean them up a bit. Then I remove the beards by holding the shell and pulling the beard out. This takes a good bit of effort, but it’s important to the process. Once cleaned, set the mussels aside while you build the broth.

Mussels in Tomato Broth
2 to 3 pounds cleaned mussels
1/2 red onion, diced
3 stalks celery, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 14.5-ounce cans of diced tomatoes, juice drained
2 cups vegetable broth
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Lemon wedges and diced green onions for serving
.
In a dutch oven over medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Once heated, add in diced onion, celery and bell pepper. Saute for about 7 minutes, until vegetables are soft. Add in sliced garlic and stir, cooking for another 2 minutes.
.
Stir in drained, diced tomatoes, vegetable broth, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, drop in cleaned mussels and stir to combine. Cover with a lid and reduce heat to medium. Steam for about 8 minutes, until shells are opened. Discard any mussels that didn’t open or any additional broken shells. Serve.