Cioppino is a favorite when we want a warm, satisfying seafood meal. With a tomato- and wine-scented broth brimming with shellfish and firm white fish, it’s perfect for dipping with crusty bread or ladling over pasta. This adaptable stew captures the briny, rich flavors of the coast and is easily customized with whatever fresh seafood you can find.
Cioppino
Cioppino originated with Italian and Portuguese fishermen in San Francisco, who created a hearty one-pot stew by tossing the day’s catch—crab, shrimp, clams, mussels and chunks of fish—into a tomato, wine, garlic and herb broth. The result is a robust, flavorful seafood stew that’s ideal with crusty bread for soaking up the broth or spooned over pasta for a generous family-style meal. This version keeps the method simple and highlights fresh ingredients for maximum flavor.
Why You’ll Love This Cioppino Recipe
Cioppino is wonderfully flexible: use whatever fresh seafood looks best at the market. It’s a comforting, feel-good dish that transports the taste of the seashore to your kitchen.
- Simple and approachable: Cooking a mix of seafood may sound daunting, but this recipe is straightforward—build the broth, simmer, then add the seafood and cook until just done.
- One-pot dinner: Everything cooks in a single pot for easy cleanup and concentrated flavor.
- Diet-friendly: Naturally high in protein and suitable for many diets when served without heavy sides—gluten-free and dairy-free when served with gluten-free bread or pasta.
If you try this healthier cioppino, share a photo and tag the recipe source on social media or join the online community to see how others prepare theirs.
What You’ll Need
Below are the ingredients commonly used for a classic cioppino. Fresh clams and mussels are best, but frozen, thawed fish and shrimp are fine substitutes. See the recipe card farther down for exact quantities.
- Aromatics: fennel, onion and garlic. Fennel adds a subtle anise note that softens as it cooks.
- Seasoning: crushed red pepper and kosher salt
- Tomatoes: crushed tomatoes form the base, with tomato paste to deepen the flavor
- White wine: a dry wine such as Pinot Grigio
- Bay leaves for gentle herbal depth
- Fish: choose a meaty white fish (halibut, sea bass or monkfish) that holds its shape
- Other seafood: littleneck clams, mussels and jumbo shrimp
- Fresh herbs: parsley or fennel fronds for garnish
How to Make Cioppino
This easy cioppino recipe cooks in one pot and can be on the table in under an hour. Read the full recipe card below if you want printable quantities and timings.
- Sauté the aromatics: In a large pot, heat olive oil and cook chopped fennel, onion and smashed garlic with crushed red pepper and salt until soft and fragrant (about 6–8 minutes).
- Caramelize the tomato paste: Stir in the tomato paste and cook until it darkens to a brick-red color and releases from the pan—this intensifies the broth.
- Build and simmer the broth: Add the white wine and bring to a simmer briefly, then add crushed tomatoes, water or clam juice, and bay leaves. Lower the heat, cover and simmer 20–25 minutes to let the flavors meld. Add water as needed to reach your preferred thickness.
- Cook the seafood: Add the clams and mussels, cover and cook 5–6 minutes. Then add shrimp and cubed white fish, cover and continue cooking until clams and mussels have opened, shrimp are pink and fish is opaque—another 8–10 minutes. Discard any unopened shellfish and the bay leaves.
- Serve: Garnish with chopped parsley or fennel fronds and serve immediately with crusty bread or over pasta. Provide an extra bowl for discarded shells.
Variations
- If you don’t have fresh fennel, a pinch of fennel seed works in a pinch.
- Swap or add seafood depending on season and availability—lobster, scallops or calamari are excellent in this stew.
- For a milder heat, use black pepper instead of crushed red pepper flakes.
- Skip the wine and use clam juice, chicken or vegetable broth, or additional water for a non-alcoholic version.
Serving Suggestions
Cioppino pairs well with simple sides that soak up the broth.
- Carbs: Serve with crusty bread for dipping, sourdough, or over pasta (a family favorite). Rice also works well.
- Vegetables: Add a crisp green salad or roasted vegetables like asparagus or green beans to balance the meal.
Storage
- Refrigerate: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Freeze: Freeze for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe container.
- Reheat: Gently reheat on the stove or in the microwave until warmed through; add a splash of water or broth if the stew has thickened.
FAQs
Cioppino began in San Francisco in the early 1900s, created by Italian and Portuguese fishermen who combined the day’s catch into a tomato-and-wine broth.
It’s pronounced roughly “che-PEE-no.”
Recipe Card — Cioppino (yields about 6 servings)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 small fennel bulb, chopped (about 1 cup)
- 1 medium onion, chopped (about 2 cups)
- 4 garlic cloves, smashed
- ¼–½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1¼ teaspoons kosher salt
- 6 oz tomato paste
- ¾ cup dry white wine
- 28 oz crushed tomatoes
- 2 cups water or clam juice
- 2 bay leaves
- 12 littleneck clams, scrubbed
- ½ lb mussels, scrubbed
- 1 dozen jumbo shrimp
- 2 6-oz halibut fillets or other white fish, cut into 1½-inch cubes
- Parsley or fennel fronds for garnish
- Crusty bread, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add fennel, onion, garlic, crushed red pepper and salt; cook 6–8 minutes until soft and fragrant.
- Add tomato paste and cook about 3 minutes until it darkens and no longer sticks to the pan.
- Add white wine and simmer 1 minute. Stir in crushed tomatoes, water or clam juice and bay leaves. Cover and simmer on low 20–25 minutes, adjusting liquid for desired thickness.
- Add clams and mussels, cover and cook 5–6 minutes. Add shrimp and fish, cover and cook another 8–10 minutes until shellfish open, shrimp are pink and fish is opaque. Discard bay leaves and unopened shellfish.
- Garnish with parsley or fennel fronds and serve immediately with crusty bread or over pasta.
Notes
- Reserve some fennel fronds for garnish.
- Use a dry white wine you’d enjoy drinking.
- Meaty white fish such as halibut, sea bass or monkfish hold up best in the stew.
- For more flavor, replace some or all water with clam juice.
Nutrition (approx. per serving)
Calories: 265; Protein: 28 g; Carbohydrates: 27 g; Fat: 5 g; Fiber: 6 g; Sodium: varies depending on added salt and shellfish.
More Seafood Ideas
If you enjoy cioppino, try other seafood dishes like paella, fish Florentine, steamed mussels, drunken mussels, or a lighter clam chowder for more coastal inspiration.