Seafood Cioppino
by Sommer Collier — last updated on Dec 20, 2024 
Seafood Cioppino Recipe – A dazzling stew to delight the senses and warm the belly. This rustic seafood stew is not to be missed!
Seafood Cioppino
It was luring me. Making its beguiling qualities present at every turn. Cioppino.
First I watched a celebrity chef make it on TV. Next, a friend of mine found a seafood cioppino recipe and emailed it to me. A few weeks later, I came across yet another version of seafood cioppino in a beloved cookbook, previously undiscovered. And again, fish soup, printed in the next edition of my favorite magazine.
Seafood Cioppino. I couldn’t escape it.
American-Italian Tradition
Pronounced “Chip-een-o.” An American creation from San Francisco.
Fishermen and fishmongers, mostly Italian immigrants, invented this at the market. As the story goes, one said to another, “Can you chip-in-o some fish?” “Si!” “And you, chip-in-o some clams?” “Si, si.” This continued until every necessary item was “chipped in” for a fantastic communal meal.
Who knows if this is truly how cioppino came to be, but I love the thought of it.
The Perfect Casual or Show-Off Meal
Regardless of its humble and formally unknown origin, this is the most lovely seafood stew I have ever had the honor of tasting. This is no Tuesday night, throw-together dinner. A good Seafood Cioppino Recipe is an event in a bowl!
The broth alone is a wonderfully complex fusion of robust and delicate flavors. And the seafood—anything you add clams or lobster to can’t be bad. This is a perfect show-off meal, but it can certainly be served in a casual setting.
Seafood Selection
Ingredients that must be “chipped in” include: white fish (cod, halibut, pollock), shellfish (lobster, crab, shrimp) and mollusks (oysters, clams, mussels) Some recipes I’ve seen included 5-6 different types of seafood. But, I’m a less is more kind of girl, so 1 item from each group for me.
Any variety is acceptable. Just buy the freshest seafood you can find.
Wine Selection
The wine you select is important.
Use a light red like a Rioja or Pinot Noir. The wine produces brilliant color and intense depth of flavor. Choose a wine you would drink. You don’t want to ruin your high-quality seafood with lousy wine.
The lesson learned here: When an opportunity presents itself over and over, take it as a sign from above! Something delicious is bound to come out of it.
My Seafood Cioppino Recipe, is a culmination of what I considered the highlights in several different recipes I found. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!
Cioppino Ingredients:
- Olive Oil
- Large Fennel Bulb
- Large Onion
- Garlic Cloves
- Tomato Paste
- Dried Tarragon, or fresh tarragon
- Fresh Thyme
- Saffron, large
- Crushed Red Pepper
- Bay leaf
- Salt
- Wine – Pick a light red or a white.
- Diced Tomatoes
- Seafood Stock
- Little Neck Clams or mussels
- Firm White Fish
- Large Raw Shrimp – peeled
- Flour
- Lemon Wedges
Get the Full (Printable) Seafood Cioppino Recipe with Ingredient Proportions and Detailed Instructions in the Recipe Card Below. Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions:
Cioppino is not technically Italian. It is a fish stew that is originally based out of San Francisco. It is a classic Italian-American dish.
This seafood stew is traditionally made with the fisherman’s catch of the day, and since it started in San Francisco that catch of the day was generally crab, clams, shrimp, scallops, and fish.
You can keep this in an airtight container in your fridge for up to 4 days. A note to consider is that seafood warmed up for the second time can sometimes have a rubbery texture.
You can freeze cioppino for up to 3 months, then thaw at room temperature and gently rewarm.
Other Fabulous Seafood Recipes
- Shrimp Scampi Greek Pasta
- Aguachile Verde
- Cajun Hot Shrimp Dip (with Cream Cheese)
- Mussels Recipe with Blue Cheese
- Garlic Lime Roasted Shrimp Salad
- Easy Jambalaya
- Lemon Pepper Grilled Cod
- Tom Yum Soup (Hot and Sour Soup)
- Instant Pot Shrimp Pasta in Vodka Sauce
- Salmon Burgers with Sweet Potato Slaw
- One Pot Shrimp Black Bean Rice Skillet
- Cooking Fish 101 (How to Cook Fish Perfectly)
Seafood Cioppino Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large fennel bulb, thinly sliced
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, sliced
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon dried tarragon or 2 tablespoons fresh tarragon
- 4-5 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 pinch saffron, large
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups wine (a fruity red or dry white)
- 28 ounces diced tomatoes
- 32 ounces seafood stock
- 1 1/2 pounds little neck clams or mussels
- 1 pound firm white fish
- 1 pound large raw shrimp peeled
- 1-2 tablespoons flour
- Lemon wedges and chopped parsley for garnishing
Instructions
- Prepare the fennel: Cut off the stalks. You can use the fronds later in the week. (Think salads, sauces, mixed with goat cheese, sprinkled over fruit…) Then halve the bulb and remove the core. Slice the bulb thin. You may want to quarter the bulb for smaller slices.
- Place a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoon oil to the pot. Sauté the fennel and onions for 5 minutes; then add the garlic and tomato paste.
- Sauté one more minute. Then add the tarragon, thyme, saffron, red pepper, bay, salt and black pepper to taste. Mix well. Pour in the wine, stock, and tomatoes. Bring the stew to a boil. Lower the heat, cover, and simmer for at least 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cut the fish into 1-inch cubes and toss the fish and shrimp in flour. Rinse and check all mollusks for freshness. They should all be completely closed. If they are open, squeeze them shut. If they don’t instantly close up again, THROW THEM OUT. Any open or cracked mollusk should not go in the cioppino.
- Once the stew has simmered for 30+ minutes, add the mollusks. Stir and allow them to cook for 3-5 minutes until they are mostly opened. Next add the fish and shrimp. Stir well and simmer another 3-5 minutes. The broth should thicken and all the mollusks should open wide.
- Remove the thyme sprigs, bay leaf, and any unopened mollusks. Garnish the cioppino with parsley and lemon wedges. Then serve with lots of warm crusty sourdough bread or parmesan toast.
I enjoyed the explanation of the origin of the word Cioppino…thanks for sharing it. :) I’m in need of trying cioppino from a good place and then to try it on my own. You’ve inspired me to make this a priority with your well written post and gorgeous photography. What a lovely dish with complex flavors…now this is true cooking.
Have a great week and congrats on the Top 9 today!
love cioppino.
I love the tomato-y seafood-infused broth of this dish. So succulent. The shrimps are my favorite part, I have to admit. And your photos are so beautiful.
You are luring me in with all this food greatness, for some reason, seafood and summer go hand-in-hand. I’m dreaming of “old bay” seasoning now. = )
Hmmm.. I feel like I can smell it from Charlotte! :)
I’d never heard of this soup before but my mouth is watering now… Seriously. I need a napkin.
:) I can’t wait to try a spoonful of this!
good looking fennel. very frondy.
(spellcheck doesn’t think “frondy” is a word, but what do they know??)
So happy you got on the cioppino train! Seafood and fennel are pretty much my favorite things ever, so I’ve been a huge proponent for a while. Your recipe looks really delicious – I don’t think I’ve put tarragon in before, but I think I now have to try. I also love the “serve with sourdough” – classic SF.
Fabulous recipe, Sommer! I’m actually kinda drooling… wish I could cook up such a wonderful seafood meal!
This cioppinno sounds absolutely wonderful! Excellent flavors here!
I have always loved cioppino but have never made it myself. This is beautiful and inspiring!
what a beautiful cioppino, I never knew that story, how cute! This would be the perfect meal to celebrate any occasion with , especially with that bread to dip into the juices…..yummm
See you soon!