Thai Recipe: Coconut Curry Mussels (2024)

December 27, 2014 39 Comments

Have you ever fallen in love with a particular dish at a restaurant, only to find it suddenly banished from the menu? If you have, then you understand. I often went to a local restaurant to satisfy my craving for their Coconut Curry Mussels. They were Heaven in a bowl. But one night, I sat down, opened the menu - and bam!, they were gone. No warning. No farewell party. No notice in the newspaper. Only the memory of tender, succulent mussels poached in a curried coconut broth with a dash of lime to tease me.My taste buds still haven't recovered from the shock. It's mussels season, guys! What were you thinking?

So I've been craving this dishfor a couple of months now. It's perfect for dinner. It's light enough that you don't need a nap afterwards (a welcome relief this time of year), but enough of a dish to be a full meal along with a simple salad and a hunk of bread. And the bread is obligatory, just so you know, to ensure capturing every drop of the amazingbroth.

As a bonus, this dish is supereasy to make - and after the holidays, it's nice to take a break from all the cooking and baking that began before Thanksgiving.

Print Recipe

4.66 from 47 votes

Coconut Curry Mussels

Mussels poached in a savory vegetable broth laced with coconut milk, garlic and red curry paste. They're finished with a dash of lime juice.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time25 minutes mins

Total Time35 minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Thai

Keyword: coconut curry mussels

Servings: 2 servings

Calories: 430.5kcal

Author: Susan Pridmore

Equipment

Chef's knife
Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed pot
Wooden spoon

Ingredients

2 pounds mussels
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 yellow onion, diced
1 red pepper, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoon red curry paste
1 14-ounce can coconut milk full fat
½ cup vegetable broth,
1 - 2 tablespoons lime juice

Garnish Options:

Sliced scallions, especially the dark green tops
Coarsely chopped cilantro

Instructions

Scrub the mussels, and yank out any beards slipping through the shell with a pair of pliers. Put them on a bunch of ice cubes in a bowl and refrigerate until you need them. I’ve kept them that way for 1 day.
Melt the butter in a large pot over medium-high heat – I use my Le Creuset large Dutch oven.
Add the onion and pepper (it should sizzle when it hits the pan) and sauté until softened, about 6 – 7 minutes. Add the garlic, salt and pepper and cook for another couple of minutes.
Thoroughly stir in the curry paste and cook for 5 minutes. Add the coconut milk, vegetable broth, lime juice, and stir. Bring to a simmer, stirring continuously.
Reduce the heat to medium and carefully add the mussels. If you pile them in with abandon, the shells may break.
Cover the pot and simmer just until the mussels open, 5 – 6 minutes.
Ladle some curried broth into bowls, followed by the mussels, and finishing with more broth.
Be sure to discard any mussels that don’t open.
Garnish with sliced scallions or cilantro if you choose. Serve immediately with sliced, warm baguettes with butter.

Nutrition

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Reader Interactions

Comments

Cindys Recipes and Writings
December 28, 2014 at 4:03 am
What a delicious balance of flavor. I agree, you need a hearty bread handy to sop up this incredible broth!
Reply
Renee
December 28, 2014 at 4:05 am
I would need a loaf of bread to go with these mussels so I could soak up every last drop of that wonderful curry broth.
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Suzanne
December 28, 2014 at 4:34 am
Love it Susan, I have been wanting mussels, love the broth the combination of flavors is heavenly. It's been too long since I've had mussels. Would be a nice New Years Eve meal with some crisp fries and hunks of good bread. YUM.
Reply
- Suzanne
  December 28, 2014 at 4:36 am
  I don't have red curry paste will have to look up whats in it. I only have curry powder and Thai chili paste. Would you suggest I seek out the curry paste?
  Reply
  - The Wimpy Vegetarian
    December 28, 2014 at 7:28 am
    hmmmm. My first choice would be to find red curry paste. It's tough to substitute for it. I find it here in most of our stores. If you can't find it, definitely no on the curry powder. On the Thai chili paste, it's going to be pretty spicy. Red curry paste is mild to medium spicy so that with the coconut milk and lime juice you get a little zing, but not a lot more than that. If the Thai chili paste is spicy, I'd cut back on the amount and balance the coconut milk and lime juice to your tastes. The three of them should be in harmony. And the flavor will be a little different, I admit. Another option is fish sauce, although the flavors will be a little different too. Hope this helps, Suzanne! And I'd love to hear how it goes for you!!!
    Reply
    - Suzanne
      December 28, 2014 at 7:34 am
      I will try to find the red curry paste. I don't want it to hot and the mild paste sounds like it's perfect for my taste. Thanks Susan I will let you know how it goes.
      Reply
      - Suzanne
        December 28, 2014 at 7:48 am
        Is it alright if I feature your recipe on my blog, full credit to you of course. I found the red curry paste at the place I get my groceries I plan on making it for New Years eve supper.
        Reply
        The Wimpy Vegetarian
        December 28, 2014 at 8:16 am
        Oh absolutely, Suzanne! Thanks so much for wanting to feature it!!! I'm so glad you found it. A very Happy New Year to you!!
        Reply
      - The Wimpy Vegetarian
        December 28, 2014 at 8:19 am
        I'm so glad you found it. It makes a difference, I think.
        Reply
Katie
December 28, 2014 at 7:33 am
What a beautiful bowl! We made mussels on Christmas Eve, and they disappeared in minutes. I love your version - the flavors sound fab!
Reply
Cathy
December 28, 2014 at 7:42 am
I love mussels but hadn't thought about using curry with them - yum!
Reply
- The Wimpy Vegetarian
  December 28, 2014 at 8:19 am
  Thanks Cathy! I don't taste any real curry flavor - like the curry powder we're all familiar with. Interestingly, curry in India is another word for sauce, which may or may not include curry powder. Or that's my understanding 🙂
  Reply
Jennifer @ Peanut Butter and Peppers
December 28, 2014 at 8:39 am
Wow! What a gorgeous meal! I love your presentation!
Reply
See Also
Daily Meal | Cooking Tips, Restaurants, Food Reviews, Recipes
Nichole
December 28, 2014 at 9:46 am
This looks so indulgent, even though it's simple. And gorgeous!
Reply
Mary @ Fit and Fed
December 28, 2014 at 10:27 am
Too bad my husband does not like mussels, I do like them! You just sent me to the fridge to find that I don't seem to have my little bottle of Thai Kitchen red curry paste-- I'll have to restock. Even though sometimes it can be nice to make your own it is handy. Red coconut curry is my favorite of the Thai curries.
Reply
Christy
December 28, 2014 at 11:18 am

Sous Chef loves mussels and they do make a great meal at home. Lovely version, and I hate it when restaurants take your favorite item off the menu.
Happy New Year!
Reply
Family Foodie
December 28, 2014 at 11:24 am
I now have a craving for this fantastic dish. I think I can smell the deliciousness all the way over here!
Reply
Tammi @Momma's Meals
December 28, 2014 at 11:46 am
I'd love to try this dish-my husband would go nuts! Happy New Year!
Reply
Shaina
December 28, 2014 at 11:50 am
Yes, bread is DEFINITELY a must for any mussel dish. I love love love mussels...this sounds SO amazing!
Reply
Marlene @Nosh My Way
December 28, 2014 at 1:31 pm
The question is do I go to Balboa, or do I have you make it for me?
Reply
Gwen @simplyhealthyfamily
December 28, 2014 at 2:47 pm
Oh my!!! I always eye the mussels at the meat counter and wonder what to do withe them. This is SOOO happening!!
Reply
The Ninja Baker
December 28, 2014 at 3:29 pm
How great, Susan, that you were able to replicate the restaurant dish with your rendition. Coconut + curry + any kind of seafood looks to be a winner for this Ninja Baker!
Reply
Jennifer Miller
December 28, 2014 at 6:20 pm
Absolutely mouthwateringly- crave worthy dish! Cheers!
Reply
cheri
December 29, 2014 at 6:05 am

Hi Susan, this is exactly what my husband has been asking for. I think I will surprise him New Years Eve. Hope the holidays have been good to you, Happy New Years!
Reply
Sarah Ozimek
December 29, 2014 at 6:54 am

I am swooning over this dish. Simply perfection!
Reply
Suzanne
December 29, 2014 at 9:48 am
Is there a vegetarian version of this recipe? I guess I thought this was a vegetarian blog when I signed up to follow it. Maybe that's why it's the "wimpy" vegetarian? Could you let me know what this blog is meant to be covering? I would imagine I could substitute cashews, tofu, and vegetables since the sauce sounds very good.
Reply
- The Wimpy Vegetarian
  December 29, 2014 at 5:43 pm
  
  Thanks for asking, Suzanne! Roughly 95% of what I post is vegetarian, with maybe one quarter of that vegan. I eat fish when I eat in restaurants, and occasionally at home - hence the "wimpy" moniker. Every once in awhile I post something with fish, but I'm guessing only 3 - 4 times per year. As for converting this to a vegetarian dish - you're right the sauce is really good, and makes the dish. It's definitely not about the mussels. My top pick for the sauce would be spaghetti squash. I would slice it in half, remove the seeds, roast or steam it in the oven (or microwave), and gently tug out the tangle of "spaghetti" strands and toss with the sauce in the above recipe. It would also be a great sauce for a risotto or other grain dishes. You've given me a great idea now for another post: one that provides vegetarian recipes to use with this sauce. Thanks!!!
  Reply
Sarah
December 30, 2014 at 11:56 am

It's so funny, I never crave coconut until I see it used like this! What a stunner!
Reply
Liz
December 30, 2014 at 8:45 pm

I can see why you get a hankering for these mussels! What a delightful entree! Happy New Year from New Zealand!
Reply
Julie @ Texan New Yorker
January 02, 2015 at 1:01 pm

Mussels are one of my favorite seafood items, and they take to curry flavors SO well. I would love this!
Reply
Julie is HostessAtHeart
January 03, 2015 at 5:06 pm

This recipe and your blog are just beautiful A shout out from Suzanne and I had to come by.
Reply
Oui, Chef
January 14, 2015 at 2:02 pm

These look just amazing, I am SO making them soon. A perfect, light meal after the excesses of the holidays.
Reply
Doktorskaya Grill
June 25, 2015 at 1:05 am

Thanks for the recipe!
Reply
Renae
January 15, 2016 at 5:50 pm

Delish. I used ciabatta rolls to soak up the sauce. Using leftover sauce to cook salmon. Love the amount of spice.
Reply
- The Wimpy Vegetarian
  January 15, 2016 at 6:21 pm
  
  I'm so happy you liked it! Ciabatta rolls are perfect for soaking up the sauce. Thanks so so much for letting me know 🙂 Have a great weekend!
  Reply
Sandra Rondeau
January 01, 2018 at 7:11 pm

Thanks for the recipe. My husband said it was the best seafood soup he has ever tasted! Yummy!
Reply
- The Wimpy Vegetarian
  January 01, 2018 at 9:29 pm
  
  Oh my gosh, thanks so much for letting me know!! It's a favorite of mine, and I make it often for dinner parties. Happy New Year to you both!!
  Reply
Hayley
September 23, 2022 at 2:46 pm
Can I simmer the broth for longer, maybe to enhance flavors, if I am waiting until husband gets home to drop the mussels in?!
Reply
- The Wimpy Vegetarian
  September 23, 2022 at 6:23 pm
  
  That should be fine. You might need to add a little extra broth, depending on how long you need to keep it simmering. If it's going to be a little while, you can just turn off the heat, and then bring it back to a simmer when your husband gets home, and then add the mussels. I hope you like it! This is one of my favorite dishes to make!
  Reply