Ingredients

• 2 onions, peeled and chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed, peeled and chopped
• 50 grams butter
• 2 kumara
• 3 cups mild chicken stock
• 30 large mussels, well scrubbed
• ½ cup coconut cream
• pepper
• chopped coriander to garnish

Method

1. In a large saucepan cook the onion and garlic in the butter for 2-3 minutes. Peel and dice the kumara and add three quarters to the saucepan with the stock. Simmer until tender. Puree and return to a clean saucepan.
2. Cook the remaining kumara in boiling salted water until tender and then set aside.
3. Remove the beards from the mussels and discard any that are open. Bring one cup of water to the boil in a large saucepan and add the mussels. Cover and boil 4-5 minutes until the mussels have opened. Discard any that have not.
4. Add the strained mussel cooking liquid to the soup. Remove the meat from the mussel shells, chop and add to the soup with the cooked diced kumara and coconut cream. Season with pepper and garnish with coriander.