The name Cioppino may have been derived from an Italian word. But this seafood stew has its origins in San Francisco, California. It was created by San Francisco’s Italian immigrant fishermen in the late 1800s, who chipped in the odds and ends of the day’s catch to make a communal stew. Cioppino is a stew of fish and shellfish, cooked usually with tomatoes, wine, spices and fresh herbs.
Fish and tomatoes make a great combination. And if you look around the globe, you’ll find that many cultures have some kind of indigenous fish stew made with a tomato based broth. The most famous being French Bouillabaisse. Call it by any name, but any fish stew is right up my alley. The Cioppino here has a rich wine and tomato based broth. I prefer to use red wine because it gives the soup a rich deep red color and also deepens the flavor of the stew. The red pepper flakes, fennel seeds and oregano add a nice spice to the stew and the fresh parsley and basil add freshness. Everything simmers together with the wine and tomatoes to create this delicious broth. The seafood descends into this broth and brings in the briny and fresh taste of the ocean. It is a dream come true for any seafood lover.
A really good Cioppino depends on the freshness of your seafood selection. Also take care not to overcook the seafood. Other than that, this stew is really an easy one to make and not very time consuming. I feel the only time consuming part is cleaning the mussels. They need to be scrubbed of any dirt or grime, otherwise your stew will taste gritty.
Cioppino Recipe
| Ingredients | |
|---|---|
 | ¼ cup olive oil |
| 1 ½ cups, finely chopped yellow onion (1 large) |
| 4 large garlic cloves, minced |
| 1 bay leaf |
| 1 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled |
| 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, lightly crushed in a mortar and pestle |
| 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes or two fresh red chilies |
| 2 teaspoon salt |
| 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper |
| ⅓ cup fresh chopped parsley |
| 4 tablespoons finely chopped basil |
| 2 tablespoons tomato paste |
| 1 ½ cups red wine |
| 1 can whole tomatoes (28 ounce), preferably San Marzano |
| 2 cups water or low sodium chicken stock |
| 1 pound shrimp, deveined and shells removed |
| 1 ½ pound mussels, scrubbed |
| 1 pound squid , cleaned and cut crosswise into rings |
| 1 pound sea-scallops, leave them whole if small, split them in half if big |
Note:
Use any kind of seafood you like in this soup. If shellfish is not your thing, just use fish. It will be equally delicious.
Tip for cleaning mussels: Scrub the mussels with a brush. Scrape off barnacles with a knife. Soak the mussels in water for 10 minutes. Any dirt will settle down at the bottom of the bowl. Take the mussels out of the bowl and give them a rinse . Discard any mussels with cracked or broken shells. They are now ready for the stew.
| Instructions | |
|---|---|
| Heat oil in a large heavy pot or dutch oven, over moderate heat |
| Add bay leaf, onion, garlic, oregano and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring until onions are soft. This should take about 5 minutes |
| Add tomato paste and cook, stirring for 1 minute |
| Add wine and boil until reduced by about half |
| Add tomatoes along with their juices and 2 cups of water or chicken stock |
| Simmer, covered for about 30 minutes |
| Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until all the tomatoes and onions are blended. Alternately use the back of a spoon to mash the tomatoes. |
| Add salt, mussels, squid rings and sea-scallops, cook for 5 minutes |
| Add the shrimp and continue to cook the soup for another 5 minutes, until all the shrimp, squid, scallops are cooked and the mussels open up. Discard any unopened mussels |
| Gently stir in fresh parsley and basil |
| Serve Cioppino in large soup bowls, garnished with more parsley and accompanied by bread |
If you make this Easy Cioppino, A Seafood Stew please leave a comment. I would love to hear from you! And if you do make this recipe, please don’t forget to tag me on Instagram or your favorite social media platform! I would love to see pictures of your creations.
Inspiration: Love for Masor Tenga has led to other loves
You may also like:
Salmon in a Creamy Corn Poblano Sauce
Roasted Halibut with Tomatoes and Herbs
Maasor Bilaahi Tenga (Fish Stew in Tomato Broth)