Many years ago, in what seems like another life, I learned to cook this soup that has always been at the back of my mind. I have this vivid memory of a soup with a velvety richness and a balanced ...

To prepare white bean and mussel soup, start with the How to Clean and Open Mussels: remove the byssus and rinse them under running water, scraping the shell with a steel wool pad (1). In a saucepan ...

Place the thyme, parsley and bay leaf on a square of cheesecloth; tie together the corners of the cheesecloth to make a bouquet garni. Wash the mussels. Sort through them and throw out any dead ones.

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. A pile of vibrant mussels in close-up. - Alessio Orru/Shutterstock There are few foods as evocative as a bowl of steamed mussels.