Benne-Oyster Soup

This soup is pure Lowcountry heritage in a bowl.

Benne seeds, the heirloom sesame seeds that have been a cornerstone of Southern coastal cooking since the 1700s, get toasted until nutty and fragrant, then ground to a paste with a mortar and pestle.

That paste is stirred into a gentle bath of warm cream and oyster liquor, and the fresh shucked oysters go in at the very end, just until their edges curl.

It’s a soup of remarkable elegance for how few ingredients it requires. The nutty depth of benne, the salinity of fresh oysters, and the richness of cream come together in something that tastes like the Charleston coast.

Kitchen Tips

• Toast the benne seeds evenly. Shake the pan or stir every few minutes. They go from golden to burnt quickly, and burnt sesame turns bitter.
• Grind to a real paste. A few drops of oyster liquor or cream in the mortar helps the seeds break down. You want smooth, not gritty.
• Don’t overcook the oysters. They need only about a minute in the warm cream. The moment the edges curl, they’re done. Overcooked oysters turn rubbery.
• Serve immediately. This soup doesn’t hold well. The oysters continue to cook in the hot liquid, so ladle it up as soon as it’s ready.