Seafood

Serving

Cioppino Seafood Stew

Name: Cioppino Seafood Stew
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Seafood
Ingredients: 3 tbsp olive oil; 1 onion, diced; 4 cloves garlic, minced; 1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced; 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes; 1 cup dry white wine; 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes; 3 cups seafood or fish stock; 1 bay leaf; 1 lb clams, scrubbed; 1 lb mussels, scrubbed and debearded; 1/2 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined; 1/2 lb halibut or cod, cut into chunks; 1/2 lb bay scallops; 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley; salt and black pepper to taste; crusty bread for serving

A San Francisco-style tomato and wine seafood stew loaded with shrimp, clams, mussels, and white fish.

55 minutes

Serves 6

Dinner

19 min prep

30 min cook

Contains common allergens

Fish Seafood Shellfish Wheat

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Good to know

One-pot

Matched from this dish's own ingredients and timing. Browse more: one-pot dinners

Instructions

8 steps

1
Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat and cook onion and fennel until softened, about 8 minutes.
2
Add garlic and red pepper flakes and cook 1 minute until fragrant.
3
Pour in white wine and simmer 3 minutes to reduce slightly.
4
Stir in crushed tomatoes, stock, and bay leaf; simmer 20 minutes.
5
Add clams and mussels, cover, and cook 5 minutes until they begin to open.
6
Add shrimp, fish chunks, and scallops; cover and simmer 5-6 minutes until seafood is cooked through and shells have opened.
7
Discard any unopened shells and the bay leaf.
8
Season with salt and pepper, stir in parsley, and serve with crusty bread.

Cioppino Seafood Stew — plated and served — Serving moment. How Cioppino Seafood Stew looks plated and ready to eat — a representative photo, not a step in the recipe.

Listahan Family Score™

48/100

Works for many families

Allergen-friendly 60

Kid-friendly 35

Weeknight-easy 45

Budget-friendly 36

Great leftovers 87

Pantry-friendly 28

Score reflects how well this recipe fits a typical busy household. In the app, your Family Score is personalized to your household's allergens, kids, and pantry.

Nutrition

per serving

355

Calories

45 g

Protein

12 g

Carbs

11 g

Fat

Estimated per serving. Actual values depend on the brands and portions you use.

Listahan cooking guide

Chef notes & practical guide

Technique notes, ingredient swaps, serve-alongside ideas, storage guidance, and equipment for this recipe.

Cultural context

Cioppino was created by Italian immigrant fishermen in San Francisco's North Beach neighborhood, who combined the day's unsold catch into a single tomato-and-wine stew — a genuinely American-Italian dish born from fishing-boat practicality rather than a single recipe brought from Italy.

Listahan note

This version builds the tomato-wine base fully before any seafood goes in, then adds each type in order of cook time, so nothing turns rubbery by the time the pot is ready.

Technique cues

Add the seafood in stages, hardiest first — clams and mussels need a few minutes' head start on shrimp and delicate fish.
Let the tomato base simmer a full 20 minutes before any seafood goes in; this is what gives cioppino its deep, developed flavor instead of tasting like a quick soup.
Keep a close eye once all the seafood is in the pot — cioppino goes from perfectly cooked to overdone within just a few extra minutes.

Kitchen flow

Parallel prep: Prep all the seafood while the tomato base simmers its full 20 minutes, since everything moves fast once seafood is added.
Make-ahead: The tomato-wine base can be made a day ahead and reheated; add fresh seafood just before serving.
Leftover move: Strain and save any leftover broth as a base for a quick seafood soup or risotto the next day.
Cleanup rhythm: One large pot handles the entire dish — serve directly from it with bread and a shell bowl on the table.

Ingredient brief

Role, handling, and swap guidance for each key ingredient.

Clams and mussels

Shellfish base

Purpose: Their briny liquor, released as they open, becomes part of the stew's broth.

Handling: Scrub well and discard any that are cracked or already open before cooking.

Adaptation: Use whichever bivalves are freshest and most available locally.

Shrimp, white fish, and scallops

Additional seafood

Purpose: Together they round out the stew with varied textures beyond the shellfish.

Handling: Cut the fish into large chunks so it holds together through the simmer.

Adaptation: Any firm white fish and any shellfish combination works — cioppino was built to use what was on hand.

Crushed tomatoes and fennel

Broth base

Purpose: The tomatoes build the stew's body while the fennel adds a subtle anise note characteristic of the dish.

Handling: Cook the fennel until fully softened before adding liquid so its flavor mellows into the base.

Adaptation: Omit the fennel if it is not available; a small pinch of fennel seed can stand in.

Dry white wine

Depth and acidity

Purpose: It deglazes the pot and adds brightness that balances the richness of the seafood and tomatoes.

Handling: Simmer for a few minutes after adding to cook off the raw alcohol edge.

Adaptation: Seafood or fish stock with a splash of lemon juice works as an alcohol-free substitute.

Technique notes

Discard any clam or mussel that does not open after cooking rather than forcing it.
Add the more delicate fish and scallops last, in the final five to six minutes, so they do not overcook while the shellfish finishes.
Taste the broth before serving and season at the end, since the seafood releases its own salt as it cooks.

Ingredient swaps

Shellfish-free direction: Cioppino is defined by its mixed shellfish, and a fully shellfish-free version loses much of its character; a tomato-braised white fish stew is a reasonable separate dish for a shellfish allergy.
Alcohol-free direction: Replace the white wine with seafood stock and a splash of lemon juice.
Spicier direction: Increase the red pepper flakes for a bolder, spicier broth.

Serve alongside

Crusty sourdough bread
Simple green salad
Garlic butter
Chilled Pinot Grigio
Sparkling water with lemon
Light Italian red

Serving suggestions only — check pairings for your household's allergens.

Storage & reheating

Refrigerate leftover stew in a sealed container for up to 2 days.
Reheat gently on the stovetop just until warmed through; boiling toughens the shellfish and fish.
Freezing is not recommended — the mixed seafood textures suffer significantly once thawed.

Equipment

Large pot or Dutch oven
Ladle
Colander for rinsing shellfish

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