Easy Cioppino Seafood Soup Recipe
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 424kcal
This Easy Cioppino Seafood Soup is quite a showstopper, and it really is easy to make.
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Equipment
- large dutch oven or heavy pot
Ingredients
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cups fennel bulb, diced
- 1½ cups onion, diced (yellow or sweet)
- 1 tablespoon garlic, minced (about 3 cloves)
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon dried fennel seeds
- 1 28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes (San Marzano is best)
- 4 cups seafood stock (or vegetable/chicken if you can't find seafood)
- 1½ cups dry white wine
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound cod fillet, cubed (no skin)
- 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
- ½ pound sea scallops, cut in half
- 1 pound mussels (gently scrub the outside)
- ½ pound clams
- 3 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
- crusty baguette or bread, sliced
Instructions
- In a large pot, heat the olive oil and then add the diced fennel and onion and cook for about 10 minutes. Put in the garlic, red pepper flakes, and fennel seeds and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
- Add the crushed tomatoes, wine, seafood stock, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 teaspoon black pepper and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes, uncovered.
- Now it's time to add the seafood! This is the best order to add the seafood to be sure not to disturb the seafood once it's in the broth. Start with the cod, shrimp, and scallops. Finally, carefully add the mussels and clams and make sure they are covered in broth. Increase the heat until the soup is simmering and then lower the heat, cover and cook the seafood for 8-10 minutes (the mussels and clams will open up).
- Remove the pot from the heat and allow the soup to rest for a few minutes before serving. Remove any mussels or clams that didn't open up and discard (they are no good). Serve in a large bowl with bread and sprinkle with fresh parsley. Enjoy!
Notes
- Gather and prep all of your ingredients before you start making this soup. I promise you will be a much happier camper, and the process will be seamless.
- Most seafood is frozen or partially frozen when purchased at the store, so make sure it is fully thawed before adding it to the soup; otherwise, you will have rubbery seafood. Eeek!
- Before cooking, soak the clams and mussels in a large bowl of cold, salted water for about 30 minutes. This helps them expel any trapped sand so you don't end up with a gritty bite.
- Add the seafood in the right order and then don't stir it! It will cook in the broth but stay nice and firm and put together.
- Don't forget to add an empty bowl to your table for the discarded shells!!
- Seafood stock can be found at high-end grocery stores, online, or you can make your own if you are really feeling sassy.
- Remove any mussels or clams that did not open when cooking in the broth. They need to be discarded because they are not suitable for eating.
- You can make this without wine. Simply replace the white wine with an equal amount of seafood stock, clam juice, or chicken broth for a wine-free version that's still full of flavor.
- You can prepare the broth through the simmering step up to 2 days in advance. Cool it completely, refrigerate, then reheat gently before adding the seafood fresh when you're ready to serve.
- For more heat, increase the red pepper flakes to a full teaspoon or add a pinch of cayenne. For a milder soup, reduce the red pepper flakes to ¼ teaspoon or leave them out entirely.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave, being careful not to overheat, since the seafood can turn rubbery if warmed too long or too high.
- Freezing isn't recommended once the seafood is added, since it changes the texture and can make the seafood chewy when thawed. If you'd like to prep ahead, freeze just the tomato broth before adding the seafood, then add fresh seafood when you're ready to serve.
- Nutrition facts are estimates for the soup only; they do not include the bread.
Nutrition
Serving: 1bowl | Calories: 424kcal | Carbohydrates: 23.4g | Protein: 60.4g | Fat: 4.4g | Saturated Fat: 0.7g | Cholesterol: 244mg | Sodium: 1091mg | Potassium: 1030mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 9.2g | Calcium: 191mg | Iron: 19mg
