Hailing from San Francisco and loaded with the best flavors from the sea, cioppino is a hearty seafood stew that’s brothy, nourishing, and truly delicious. Light enough for warm weather yet comforting in colder months, it’s perfect with crusty bread to soak up the broth.
Straight out of San Fran
I grew up hearing stories about Zuppa di Pesce and watching Julia Child make bouillabaisse, but cioppino—the West Coast seafood stew—didn’t enter my kitchen lore until later. While these stews share similarities, zuppa di pesce is often served over pasta, whereas cioppino is presented as a soup. A defining ingredient in traditional cioppino is crab—often Dungeness in the San Francisco and Pacific Northwest regions. Here on Long Island I used snow crab, which worked beautifully.
This cioppino is one of my favorite meals to make. It’s brothy and bright, brimming with seafood flavors without feeling heavy. Serve right away with crusty bread and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil for a simple, satisfying meal.
Note: Cioppino is a wonderful option for the Feast of the Seven Fishes.
Recipe Ingredients
All ingredients are shown in the image below. Notes are provided to help you choose substitutions and variations that work with what’s fresh and available.
- Fish. Cod is used here, but other firm white fish like monkfish, striped bass, or red snapper work well.
- Crab. Dungeness is traditional, though snow crab or other regional crabs are fine when Dungeness is unavailable.
- Clams. Little neck clams are great, but mussels or cockles are excellent substitutes—use what’s freshest.
- Shrimp. Extra-large shrimp (approximately U26) were used, but smaller or larger shrimp may be substituted as desired.
- Broth. The base combines tomatoes, clam juice, and dry white wine (sauvignon blanc, pinot grigio, or chardonnay). If you prefer no alcohol, replace the wine with additional clam juice or a light seafood stock.
- Fennel. A small fennel bulb adds a sweet, anise-like note that complements seafood nicely.
- Herbs. Parsley, thyme, and a bay leaf round out the aromatic profile.
Refer to the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts and full details.
How to make Cioppino
Follow these steps in order for the best results.
- In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, warm the olive oil and butter. Add diced onion and fennel with a pinch of salt and cook until very soft and translucent. Stir in sliced garlic and cook for 2 minutes until fragrant, then add crushed red pepper flakes and cook briefly.
- Pour in the white wine and increase heat to high. Cook for about 90 seconds, scraping the pot bottom to lift any browned bits.
- Add the tomatoes (hand-crushed or pulsed), clam juice, thyme, and bay leaf. Bring the mixture to a boil.
- Reduce to a gentle simmer and cook for 20 minutes to meld the flavors. Then add the clams and pieces of cod, cover, and cook 6–8 minutes until clams begin to open.
- Gently add the crab legs and shrimp, taking care not to break the fish. Cover and cook for about 3 minutes more.
- Remove the pot from the heat. Discard any clams that remain closed. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, stir in chopped parsley, and serve immediately in bowls with crusty bread. Finish with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and a sprig of thyme.
Top tips
- Sourcing ingredients. The most important factor is freshness. Use the best local seafood available rather than trying to match the exact species listed. Fresh mussels, clams, or different crab varieties will all make a great cioppino.
- Serve promptly. Cioppino is best eaten right away when the seafood is at its peak. Leftovers are possible, but the flavors and textures are most vibrant when served immediately.
More seafood recipes
If you enjoy cioppino, try other seafood dishes that highlight fresh shellfish and fish.
- New England clam chowder
- Clam and baby shrimp pasta
- Mussels in white wine sauce
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Cioppino (Hearty Seafood Stew)
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 large onion diced
- 1 small fennel bulb core removed and diced
- 5 cloves garlic sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed hot red pepper flakes
- 1 1/4 cups dry white wine such as sauvignon blanc, pinot grigio, or chardonnay
- 1 28-ounce can plum tomatoes blender pulsed or hand crushed
- 4 cups clam juice
- 2 sprigs thyme
- 1 large bay leaf
- 16 little neck clams scrubbed
- 3/4 pound cod cut into 4 pieces
- 1 pound extra large shrimp cleaned and deveined
- 1 pound precooked snow crab legs leave whole or break at joints
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup minced flat-leaf parsley
Instructions
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Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-low with olive oil and butter. Add onion, fennel, and a pinch of salt and sauté until very soft and translucent. Add garlic and cook 2 minutes until fragrant.
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Add crushed red pepper and cook 30 seconds. Increase heat, pour in the wine, and scrape the pot bottom to lift browned bits. Cook the wine about 90 seconds, then stir in tomatoes, clam juice, thyme, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce and simmer 20 minutes.
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Lower to a gentle simmer, add clams and cod, cover, and cook 6–8 minutes until clams begin to open.
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Gently add shrimp and crab legs, cover, and cook 3 minutes. Remove from heat and discard any clams that remain closed.
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Adjust salt and pepper, stir in parsley, and serve in bowls with crusty bread. Garnish with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and a thyme sprig. Enjoy!
Notes
- Servings. Makes four generous servings or six smaller portions. One pound of snow crab yields roughly eight legs (about two per person in a four-person serving).
- Salt. Season lightly at the end and adjust to taste—seafood and clam juice can add saltiness.
- Substitutions. Use any fresh local shellfish or firm white fish; mussels are an excellent alternative to clams.
- Leftovers. Best eaten immediately, but leftovers keep up to three days in the refrigerator and reheat gently on the stovetop.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximation.