Classic San Francisco Cioppino
This classic San Francisco cioppino is a delicious fisherman’s stew made up of mussels, fresh fish and shrimp for the ultimate seafood feast.
I first encountered this soup while walking along fisherman’s wharf in San Francisco some years back. The wind swept us inside and we sat by a large window with a beautiful ocean view trying to fix our wind blown hair. Normally I am inclined to have an authentic bowl of clam chowder while in San Francisco but the steamy bowls of ciopinno were being served near us.
The bowl of cioppino arrived at our table overfilled with various seafood so fresh it likely came from the corner fish market I had observed on the way in. This cioppino stew had a spicy red broth that was to be dunked with toasted garlic bread.
For me, this spicy rich broth is the signature of a great cioppino and I highly recommend you not skip the red pepper flakes as they give this classic San Francisco cioppino a kick of flavor that a seafood cioppino simply needs. I serve mine with crusty sourdough bread for dunking but garlic bread ain’t a bad idea either.
Classic San Francisco Cioppino Is…
- A classic cioppino recipe filled with variety of seafood.
- An easy recipe consisting of a tomato broth with fresh mussels, large chunks of white fish, and shrimp.
- Fun to make for special occasions and packed with so much flavor.
- A recipe that originates from the San Francisco Bay area from Italian immigrant fishermen.
- A fish stew traditionally filled with the day’s catch or fresh seafood.
Ingredients
Mussels- you can substitute the mussels for clams if you like. Clean the mussles and remove the beard. Placing them in cold water with a little flour helps to remove any excess sand.
Cod- you can use any white fish you like. I prefer cod as it cooks perfectly and absorbs the flavors of the soup well.
Shrimp- use raw jumbo shrimp. Not precooked, otherwise you run the risk of having chewy overcooked shrimp.
Celery- celery adds a nice flavor to the broth. Use large stalks.
Onion- you can use white onion or yellow onion for this.
Bell Pepper- use green bell pepper for its distinct flavor.
Stock- you can use seafood stock or broth for this. If you have trouble finding it, it is simple to make. Here is a great recipe for making your own.
Tomatoes- use crushed tomatoes for best results.
Wine- I use my favorite Chardonnay wine but a pinot grigio or any dry white wine you enjoy drinking will do.
Garlic- use fresh large cloves.
Seasoning- the recipe uses sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper along with red pepper flakes for heat. Kosher salt and pink Himalayan salt are great alternatives but you can use standard table salt and pepper if you like. Add a little less and taste test to ensure the soup is not too salty when using table salt as it is a little more salty than sea salt. Adjust as necessary.
Herbs- I use flat leaf Italian parsley to garnish the soup. You can also use cilantro if you like or standard fresh parsley if you prefer.
Olive Oil- I use extra virgin olive oil but pure olive oil is fine. Avocado oil is another great alternative.
*Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive commissions if you choose to purchase through the links I provide (at no cost to you).
Tools
Directions
Dice the bell pepper, onion and celery stalks. In a large stockpot heat olive oil over medium heat. Sauté the vegetables until soft. Mince the garlic and add it to the vegetables along with the red pepper flakes. Pour in the tomatoes, seafood stock and white wine. Add the salt and pepper then place the lid on and simmer for 30 minutes.
Note: Do not stir the pot after adding the seafood otherwise the fish will fall apart.
In the meantime, prepare the seafood by cleaning/soaking the mussels. Cube the cod into bite-sized pieces. Remove and clean the shrimp tails if needed. Remove the lid to the pot and drop the fish chunks into the simmering liquid. Next add the shrimp and finally the mussels. Place the lid back on and allow it to cook for 10 minutes. Garnish with parsley and bread for dunking.
Cooking Notes
- You can use fresh clams over mussels.
- Use the freshest seafood you can find.
- To clean the mussels, remove beard, scrub shell with a brush and place in a bowl of cool water with a little flour to remove any excess sand.
- Set a timer for simmering the seafood, overcooking it will ruin the texture.
- Save the shells, and shrimp tails to make your own seafood stock!
Other Seafood You Can Use
- King Crab Legs
- Lobster Tails
- Whole Dungeness Crab
- Clams
- Littleneck Clams
- Any Catch of the Day Fish
- Scallops
How To Store
Store leftover soup in an airtight container. Soup is best when eaten fresh but will last a day in the fridge. To reheat, pour desired soup amount in a saucepan and heat on the stovetop.
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Classic San Francisco Cioppino
A classic fisherman's stew with mussels, white fish, and shrimp in a spicy red broth.
Ingredients
- 1 lb. mussels
- 1 1/2 lbs. cod
- 1 lb jumbo raw shrimp
- 2 large celery stalks
- 1 large green bell pepper
- 1 small onion
- 1-28oz can crushed tomatoes
- 1 1/2 cups of white wine
- 32 oz. seafood stock
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp cracked black pepper
- 3 tbsp. olive oil
- parsley or cilantro to garnish
Instructions
- Dice the bell pepper, onion and celery stalks.
- In a large stockpot heat olive oil over medium heat.
- Sauté the vegetables until soft.
- Mince the garlic and add it to the vegetables along with the red pepper flakes.
- Pour in the tomatoes, seafood stock and white wine.
- Add the salt and pepper then place the lid on and simmer for 30 minutes.
- In the meantime, prepare the seafood by cleaning/soaking the mussels.
- Cube the cod into bite-sized pieces. Remove and clean the shrimp tails if needed.
- Remove the lid to the pot and drop the fish chunks into the simmering liquid.
- Next add the shrimp and finally the mussels.
- Place the lid back on and allow it to cook for 10 minutes.
- Garnish with parsley and bread for dunking.
Notes
- Do not stir the pot after adding the seafood otherwise the fish will fall apart.
- You can use fresh clams over mussels.
- Use the freshest seafood you can find.
- To clean the mussels, remove beard, scrub shell with a brush and place in a bowl of cool water with a little flour to remove any excess sand.
- Set a timer for simmering the seafood, fresh seafood only takes a couple of minutes to cook.
- Save the shells, and shrimp tails to make your own seafood stock!
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 692Total Fat: 18gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 324mgSodium: 2133mgCarbohydrates: 27gFiber: 4gSugar: 9gProtein: 92g
