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Authentic San Francisco Style Cioppino

A close-up of a bowl of rich, red seafood Cioppino stew filled with shrimp, mussels, clams, and fish chunks, topped with parsley and served with crusty bread.
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Make a rich, traditional Italian American seafood stew featuring a variety of fresh seafood in a flavorful tomato and wine broth.

Ingredients

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  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 large yellow onion, chopped
  • 2 celery stalks, chopped
  • 1 green bell pepper, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
  • 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
  • 1 cup fish or vegetable broth
  • 1 pound firm white fish (like cod or halibut), cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 pound mussels, scrubbed and debearded
  • 1 pound clams, scrubbed
  • 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 1/2 pound Dungeness crab sections (optional)
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
  • Crusty sourdough bread, for serving

Instructions

  1. Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or stockpot over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, and bell pepper. Cook until softened, about 8 minutes.
  2. Add the minced garlic, oregano, basil, and red pepper flakes. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
  3. Pour in the white wine and let it simmer until it reduces by half, about 3 minutes. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
  4. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, and fish broth. Bring the mixture to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper.
  5. Add the white fish, mussels, and clams to the simmering broth. Cover the pot and cook for 5 minutes.
  6. Add the shrimp and crab sections (if using). Cover and continue to cook until the shrimp are pink and opaque and the clams and mussels have opened, about 3 to 5 more minutes. Discard any shellfish that do not open.
  7. Stir in the fresh parsley. Taste the broth and adjust seasoning if needed.
  8. Ladle the Cioppino into large bowls, making sure each serving gets a good mix of seafood. Serve immediately with thick slices of sourdough bread for dipping.

Notes

  • Use the freshest seafood available for the best flavor in your stew.
  • If you cannot find Dungeness crab, substitute with pre-cooked lump crab meat added at the very end.
  • The broth flavor deepens if you let it simmer gently for 30 minutes before adding the seafood.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://spoonswirl.com/cioppino-recipe-authentic-san-francisco-style/