Cioppino

Grab a bib! Cioppino can be messy because the shellfish is served in the shell. The cod, mussels, shrimp, crab claws and wine make this rustic soup really special. And it’s ready in 15 minutes.

What Is Cioppino?

If you’ve never had it before, Cioppino is an Italian-American seafood stew that originated in San Francisco. It has some similarities to the French soup, Bouillabaisse, but this dish has even more fantastic seafood.

Cioppino typically contains some kind of white fish and loads of shellfish still in the shell. You’re going to need extra napkins with this because it’s messy to eat. But so fun!

Ingredients For Cioppino Soup

Cioppino often takes advantage of the catch of the day, so recipes may vary with the specific seafood that is included. Fresh, high-quality fish and shellfish will give you the tastiest results. In my recipe below, I call for cod, but you can use another type of firm white fish like halibut or sea bass if that’s what you have available. This seafood recipe also includes plenty of shellfish such as mussels, shrimp, and crab claws. So good!

The broth gets started with clam juice and diced tomatoes along with peppers and onion. Cioppino also contains wine. I’ve seen recipes with red wine and some with white wine. I like to go with red because it really boosts the tomato flavor in the broth. 

Then the soup is typically finished with fresh herbs. Either basil or Italian parsley or both.

I just know you’re gonna love this Easy Cioppino recipe! – Christine xo

Podcast About Making Cioppino

Listen to me explain briefly about how to make this seafood soup, along with some other great tips, by clicking the play button below:

Listen to more Recipe of the Day episodes here.

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Cioppino Recipe

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• Author: Christine Pittman
• Prep Time: 0 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Total Time: 15 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings 1x
• Category: Entrée
• Method: Stovetop
• Cuisine: Italian

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Grab a bib! Cioppino can be messy because the shellfish is served in the shell. The cod, mussels, shrimp, crab claws and wine make this rustic soup really special. And it’s ready in 15 minutes.

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 2 (8 oz.) bottles clam juice
• 1 (28 oz.) can petite diced tomatoes
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 small onion
• 2 poblano peppers (or use 1 large bell pepper)
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1/2 tsp. dry basil
• 1/8 tsp. dry oregano
• 1/4 tsp. coarse black pepper
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 1 cup dry red wine
• 1/2 lb. cod
• 1/2 lb. live mussels (buy them already debearded and cleaned)
• 3/4 lb. deveined large shrimp with shells on
• 4 fully cooked crab claws, sometimes called cocktail claws (for garnish)
• 12 fresh basil leaves (for garnish)

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Instructions

1. Pour clam juice and diced tomatoes into a large microwave-safe bowl. Heat on high for 5 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat while you chop onion. Add onion to pot.
3. Seed, core and chop poblano peppers and add to the pot. Peel and finely chop garlic. Add to pot along with dry basil, oregano, black pepper and salt.
4. Stir then add wine. Increase heat to high and bring to a simmer.
5. Pour hot clam broth mixture into the pot. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer.
6. While the soup is heating, cut cod into 1-inch pieces. Rinse mussels in cold water.
7. Once the soup is simmering, add cod and mussels. Cook until mussels are open and the fish is cooked through, about 3 minutes.
8. Add shrimp and stir occasionally until all are pink.
9. Ladle into large bowls and top each with a cooked crab claw and a few fresh basil leaves.

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This post originally appeared in June 2015 and was revised and republished in May 2023.