Cioppino (pronounced chuh-pee-no) is a famous seafood stew created by Italian-American immigrants in San Francisco. While related to many Italian and other Mediterranean fish stews this homey seafood stew recipe with halibut, shrimp, and mussels is an example of adaptation and ingenuity.
An intensely satisfying seafood stew containing a wonderful jumble of texture and flavor, this cioppino recipe combines a collection of clams, mussels, white fish and shrimp in a tomato-fennel broth. Our recipe makes a big batch of stew, so it’s perfect for the holidays – and if you celebrate the Feast of the Seven Fishes, you’ve knocked out four fishes in one dish! This stew has really become huge fan favorite, and its easy to see why.
Although there is some amount of work to be done in cleaning, deveining and otherwise prepping the seafood, once that is behind you the stew comes together very quickly.
This cioppino recipe makes for a showstopper Sunday supper, and is infinitely adaptable — substitute scallops for the shrimp, cockles for the clams or lobster for the white fish. Use whatever looks best at your fish counter! I’ve included a recipe here for a Parsley-Olive Gremolata to add a pop of freshness to the finished stew. The combination of orange zest, garlic, parsley and olives bring a fragrant liveliness that contrasts nicely with the briny seafood. Seafood is a key component of the Mediterranean diet, which is why you’ll find hundreds of healthy, hearty seafood recipes on the Mediterranean Dish. Once youve tried this briny and savory Cioppino recipe, test your kitchen skills with Steamed Mussels in White Wine or Baked Cod with Lemon and Garlic. Or, try your hand at another Italian classic: Linguine Alle Vongole (Linguine With Clams).
There are many stories about the origin of this stew, but all agree that it was created by Genoese immigrants using the Pacific seafood so abundant in their new home of San Francisco. Similar to many fish-based stews found all over the Mediterranean such as Tuscan cacciucco or French bouillabaisse, cioppino recipes include infinite variations of seafood in a tomato and wine broth. True to its San Francisco origins, cioppino is traditionally served with grilled sourdough bread for dunking.
Cioppino, bourride, brodetto, cacciucco, zarzuela, gumbo. Fish soup. Shellfish stew.
How to Serve Cioppino?
Cioppino is traditionally served with grilled sourdough bread, what could be more quintessentially San Francisco than that? While this hearty stew is more than a meal on its own, a simple salad like our Lemon Parmesan Lettuce Salad or our Fresh Fennel Orange Salad would make a lovely side. Be sure to set the table with not only spoons but also small forks to pry the meat out of the shellfish and a bowl to hold discarded shells. This is a delightfully messy stew to eat, so I recommend having lots of napkins available!
I hope it goes without saying that if you partake in alcohol you should absolutely serve the remaining bottle of wine you used in the stew to drink with dinner.
How to Make Cioppino
Make the Parsley-Olive Gremolata: Combine parsley, orange zest, ½ cup olives, garlic, salt and red pepper flakes in a food processor and pulse until a chunky paste forms. Add 2 extra-virgin olive oil and pulse until the mixture is uniformly chopped and chunky. Set aside at room temperature and make the cioppino.
Steam the clams and mussels: Bring water to a boil in a large stockpot. In a steamer basket add the mussels and clams. Steam under a lid until just opened, 5-8 minutes. Remove steamer basket and place the opened mussels and clams in a large bowl. (Discard any that are unopened.) Reserve the steamer water.
Make the cioppino base: Set a large Dutch oven or 8-quart stockpot over medium heat and add extra-virgin olive oil. Add onion, fennel and salt. Saute until onion is translucent, 8-10 minutes. Add jarred red peppers, garlic, oregano and thyme to the pot. Saute until fragrant, 3-4 minutes.
Deglaze and make the stock: Deglaze pot with dry white wine, scraping any bits from the bottom of the pot, and allow the mixture to simmer for 5 minutes. Roughly crush whole tomatoes from a 28-ounce can with your hands and add them, along with any liquid from the can. Add 1 ¼ cup shellfish stock and 1 cup reserved steaming liquid to the pot and stir to combine. Bring mixture to a boil and allow to simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Taste and add salt as needed.
Add the fish, shrimp, and finish: Add 1 pound flaky white fish, cut into 1-inch pieces and 1 pound peeled and deveined large shrimp to pot. Cover and simmer for 2-3 minutes, or until fish is opaque and shrimp are pink and curled. Remove pot from heat and stir in cooked shellfish. Taste broth and add salt, if needed.
Serve: Dish up heaping bowls, topped with a dollop of Parsley-Olive Gremolata and a side of grilled sourdough bread for dipping.
SEAFOOD SOUP | recipe
FAQ
What is a fancy word for fish stew?
bouillabaisse
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bourride
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brodetto
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buridda
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cacciucco
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caldeirada
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cioppino
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cotriade
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halaszle
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maeuntang
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What is difference between cioppino and bouillabaisse?
What do you call the soups that its main ingredient is shellfish?
What soups are made with fish or seafood?
This is a list of soups made with fish or seafood . Sopa marinera — a Spanish seafood dish made with oysters, clams, seashells, crab, lobster, shrimp and spices like achiote and cumin Sopa de peixe – Portuguese fish soup, usually made using a tomato base.
What is soursop?
Soursop is a fruit from tropical climates, it is a fruit rich in vitamin C, whose antioxidant properties make it an ideal fruit to strengthen the immune system.
Can you eat fish in seafood soup?
Any type of fish that you enjoy eating will work in soup. Cut the fish into small pieces if they’re not a flaky fish. Fish like cod will pretty much just break up into flakes as the soup cook so you don’t have to worry about making it too small. Otherwise think in terms of bite-size pieces. Do I have to use shellfish in seafood soup? No, you don’t.
What goes well with seafood soup?
This creamy seafood soup pairs wonderfully with a green salad and cooked veggies on the side, like roasted potatoes and carrots or some sauteed asparagus. And don’t forget the hunks of crusty bread or some quick air fryer garlic bread! They’ll help you soak up every last drop of the flavorful broth.