This San Francisco-style seafood cioppino recipe is loaded with fresh mussels, shrimp, and scallops simmered in a savory red wine tomato broth for the ultimate one-pot meal.
Recipe Science
- Use a crusty sourdough baguette for croutons—they’re ideal for absorbing the rich, flavorful broth in your cioppino.
- Discard any mussels with broken shells or those that fail to close when tapped, as these indicate they are not fresh.
- Covering the pot traps steam, cooking the seafood quickly and evenly as the broth reaches boiling. This ensures tender results.
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Featured Comment 33
“My husband likes to order this when we go out to eat. Now we eat at home, so I made it for dinner, and it was fabulous. Easy recipe to follow, and my family gobbled it up! They asked when I would be making it again.”—Sue
Why It Works
Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area, I was surrounded by fresh seafood and produce—it was such a melting pot of amazing food! Some of my fondest memories are visiting Pier 39 with my family to see the sea lions and enjoy creamy corn chowder in a sourdough bowl.
I craved those hometown flavors after a recent holiday trip to Northern California. I’m excited to share this healthy seafood cioppino recipe with you, packed with aromatic vegetables, shrimp, mussels, and scallops. If you’re a seafood lover, this one’s for you! You’ll be amazed at how easy it is to make an elegant, gourmet meal at home.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Bread: Purchase a crusty baguette to make large croutons. Most markets sell sourdough baguettes, which pair nicely with the San Franciso-inspired cioppino. These crunchy toasts are perfect for soaking up all the rich seafood flavors in your cioppino!
- Vegetables: To enhance the flavor of Italian seafood stews, I add garlic, onions, leeks, celery, bell pepper, carrots, and serrano chili peppers for heat.
- Tomatoes: Add diced tomatoes and tomato puree to create a rich tomato-based broth.
- Wine: I use red wine to add an oaky and acidic flavor to complement the seafood. Merlot, Chianti, or Pinot Noir are good choices. If you enjoy a more bold wine flavor, use Cabernet Sauvignon.
- Water: The liquid helps to dilute the tomato paste and develop a delicious seafood stew.
- Citrus: Lemon juice adds a citrusy acidity to brighten the flavors of the seafood stew.
- Seafood: You can use any fresh catch of the day you like! I chose a mussel, shrimp, and scallop trio because they all have unique tastes and textures. Each cooks fairly quickly, so it’s crucial to keep an eye on the time to prevent overcooking.
- Herbs: Thyme and bay leaf add aromatics and earthy flavors to the broth. Freshly chopped parsley is added for garnish.
See the recipe card below for all ingredients and measurements (US and metric).
Ingredient Substitutions
This cioppino recipe is easy to customize! Try these tasty options:
- Bread: Sourdough bread is a famous food staple in San Francisco. Use it instead of the baguette. If you like an extra crunch, you can make homemade croutons to add on top.
- Make it Spicy: Add red pepper flakes, chipotle peppers, or cayenne to the soup base.
- Liquid: For a stronger flavor, add fish or seafood stock or a splash of clam juice instead of cold water.
- Seafood: Mussels and clams are a great combination. For richness, add small pieces of white fish fillets, like cod, halibut, or salmon. Sliced squid or calamari, add some chew. Dungeness crab or lobster tail takes the stew to the next level.
- Wine: Instead of red wine, add a dry white wine like Chardonnay for an oaky taste, Sauvignon Blanc, or Pinot Grigio. Add a blush wine for a hint of red wine flavor.
- Vegetables: Add crushed tomatoes, mushrooms, sauteed spinach or kale, zucchini, or corn.
How to Make Seafood Cioppino
Step 1: Prepare the Croutons
Preheat the oven to 375°F (191ºC). Slice a baguette into ½-inch thick pieces on a slight angle for better texture. Lightly brush both sides with extra-virgin olive oil and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Arrange the slices on a sheet pan and bake for 10 minutes. Flip them over and bake until golden and crisp on both sides. Let them cool and set aside.
Step 2: Cook the Vegetables
In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, cooking until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the leeks, celery, bell pepper, carrots, and minced serrano chili, cooking for another 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook for an additional 3 minutes to blend the flavors.
Step 3: Simmer the Soup
Add the tomato paste, wine, water, lemon juice, thyme, bay leaf, salt, and black pepper. Simmer on medium-low heat for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. This will meld all flavors together for a delicious soup base. Remove the bay leaf.
Step 4: Cook the Shrimp and Scallops
Heat the cioppino over medium heat until it gently simmers. Add the shrimp and scallops, then cover the pot to let them cook for about 2 minutes. Flip the shrimp to ensure even cooking on both sides. This step helps the seafood cook perfectly while absorbing the rich, flavorful broth.
Step 5: Cook the Mussels
Clean the mussels thoroughly and remove the hairy beards just outside of the shell. Discard any mussels with broken shells or those that don’t close when tapped, as they aren’t fresh. Add the cleaned mussels to the pot, spreading them evenly.
Turn the heat to medium-high, cover, and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until the shrimp is cooked and the mussels open. Discard any unopened mussels; they indicate that the mussel was not fresh.
Tips for Perfect Execution: Moist heat cooking, specifically steam, in addition to the hot broth temperatures, helps cook each piece of seafood. When you cover the pot, the water reaches its boiling point and eventually builds up enough energy to create steam to cook the ingredients quickly.
Step 6: To Serve
Ladle the soup into serving bowls, add the cooked seafood, and garnish with chopped parsley. I also like to add chopped thyme and freshly cracked black pepper. Serve alongside the toasted baguette slices for a perfect finishing touch.
Frequently Asked Questions
Remove mussels from the plastic bag as soon as you get home to keep mussels fresh after purchasing. Place them loosely in a bowl or unsealed container and cover with a damp paper towel or cloth. Mussels can be stored this way for a few days and should still smell like the ocean. Before cooking, drain any water that collects at the bottom of the bowl. If any mussels remain closed after cooking, discard them, which means they are not fresh.
Cioppino is traditionally made with various fresh seafood, typically the fisherman’s catch of the day. In San Francisco, this usually includes Dungeness crab, clams, shrimp, scallops, squid, mussels, and fish. The seafood is simmered in a tomato-based wine sauce, creating a flavorful and hearty seafood stew. It’s a customizable dish!
Both are seafood stews, but the main difference between cioppino and bouillabaisse is their origin and base. Cioppino is an Italian-American dish with a tomato-based broth, while bouillabaisse is French, made with a fish broth that includes saffron and chopped tomatoes.
More Seafood Recipes
If you tried this Seafood Cioppino, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below!
Seafood Cioppino
Ingredients
- 1 baguette
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, more for brushing on baguette
- 1 cup yellow onion, ¼" dice
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- ½ cup leeks, ⅛" slices
- ½ cup celery, ¼" dice
- ½ cup red bell pepper, ¼" dice
- ½ cup carrots, ¼" dice
- 2 teaspoons minced serrano pepper, or jalapeno
- ½ cup diced tomatoes, ¼" dice
- 6 ounces tomato paste
- ½ cup red wine
- 2 cups water
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon chopped thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ pound raw scallops, 16/20 count size
- ½ pound shrimp, 16/20 count size, peeled and deveined
- 1 pound mussels, cleaned and debearded
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
Instructions
- Prepare the Croutons – Heat the oven to 375°F (191ºC). Slice the baguette on a ½-inch thick bias cut. Lightly brush each side with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Place on a sheet pan and bake for 10 minutes. Flip over and cook another 2 to 5 minutes until golden brown on each side. Cool and reserve.
- Cook the Vegetables – In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the leeks, celery, bell pepper, carrots, and minced serrano chili peppers. Cook for another 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook 3 minutes.
- Simmer the Soup – Add the tomato paste, wine, water, lemon juice, thyme, bay leaf, salt, and black pepper. Simmer on medium-low heat for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the bay leaf.
- Cook the Shrimp and Scallops – Heat the cioppino soup over medium heat. Add shrimp and scallops to the soup, cover and cook for 2 minutes. Flip the shrimp over.
- Cook the Mussels – Clean the mussels and remove the beard. Discard any with broken shells or those that don't close when tapped. Spread the mussels evenly across the pan. Turn the heat to medium-high, cover, and cook for 3 to 5 minutes until the shrimp is cooked and the mussels open. Discard any mussels that remain closed.
- To Serve – Taste the soup and season with more salt and pepper as needed. Ladle soup into serving bowls, add seafood, and garnish with chopped parsley. Serve with the toasted baguette.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Red Wine Options: Merlot, Chianti, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, or other dry red wine.
- Non-Spicy Option: Omit the serrano peppers.
- Storing: Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Freeze for up to 1 month.
Nutrition Facts
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000-calorie diet. All nutritional information is based on estimated third-party calculations. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods, and portion sizes per household.
Jennifer Marie Boggs says
Made this for my family with two kids, age 1 and 4 years. They gobbled it up. I left out the Serrano and I added a little penne pasta and therefore needed to double nearly all of the ingredients. It turned out great!!! The little french bread toasts were easy in the air fryer.
Jessica Gavin says
I love that you added some pasta to the cioppino! So happy that the family enjoyed the recipe!
DENNIS SPADAFORE says
I made this today and added some cooked leftover Italian sausage that I had. The only substition I made was lobster for the scallops.It was easy and delicious. I had some leftoverand wondered how soon it should be eaten and should I remove the mussels from the shells?
@thoughtsovafood says
This meal was absolutely delicious. @jessicagavin you definitely did your thang on this one and I’m such a FAN of you work, Thank you!!!!!
Jessica Gavin says
Thank you so much! Thrilled to hear that you enjoyed the cioppino!
Amanda says
I used all frozen seafood and it worked out great. I didn’t have enough tomato paste so I used tomato sauce and a little less water plus I didn’t have celery. Great flavor!
Jessica Gavin says
Great job improvising on the cioppino recipe, Amanda!
Patricia B. says
Yes to all of this recipe EXCEPT bell pepper — I find that it makes seafood taste metallic (really!). Red pepper flakes add better spicy flavor, I feel. Keep cookin’!!
Sue taylor says
My husband likes to order this when we go out to eat. Now we eat at home, so I made it for dinner, and it was fabulous. Easy recipe to follow, and my family gobbled it up! They asked when I would be making it again. The only modification I made was adding sriracha since I did not have any peppers.
Jessica Gavin says
I love that you adding in some spicy sriracha to the dish!
Alejandra says
Just finished making this dish and my house smells amazing…I didn’t have scallops, peppers or red wine so I substituted with another bag of mussels and white wine…I also added fish sauce and red onions and cilantro (bc it’s what I had)
Jessica Gavin says
Fish sauce, onions and cilantro sound like a delicious addition! Nice way to improvise.
Brenda Holiski says
I made this and it was very good but unless you have purchased veggies already cut up and cleaned seafood, the prep time is so far off it is crazy. Please prepare for much more time if you have not bought pre dice and cleaned seafood. Otherwise it is a delicious dish!
Sarah Nixon says
Hi Jessica. This looks fabulous but living in southeastern B.C. I only have access to frozen scallops, shrimp and mussels. Will they work????? How could I adapt?
Thanks so much
Sarah Nixon says
Jessica, I did go ahead and use frozen seafood. I put the mussels in first and let them steam for about 8 minutes then added the shrimp and scallops. I also used malbec and substituted some left over beef broth for some of the water. Great meal! Thanks
Johnny says
This is an outstanding recipe. Thank you! I used a good Malbec, and I found that a teaspoon of sea salt was the amount needed to make everything burst with flavor.
Jesse Jade says
I made this last night, and it was one of the better Cioppinos I’ve had (homemade or otherwise). The Serrano pepper added a nice hint of spice that complimented the tomato base well, and I like that this recipe called for fresh tomatoes, instead of canned. The next time I make it (because this has become my new base recipe for Cioppino), I will alter the liquids a little bit (I’m thinking 1 cup wine, 3/4 cup clam juice, and 3/4 cup water), and maybe replace the black pepper with 1 tsp. of paprika. Overall, a fantastic recipe! Thank you.
Harry Van Essendelft says
realize I could make an educated guess but it would be nice if recipes gave an idea of number of servings
JStarn says
It says serves 4
Sharon M says
Just made this recipe tonight. I used a poblano pepper and used one pound each of shrimp, mussels, and scallops. It was delicious! Thanks for sharing your recipe!
Andi says
I’m confused on the scallops… It says about 20 of the 16/20 CT size but it also says 1/2 lb… Wouldn’t 20 scallops of 16/20ct be a whole pound?
Jessica Gavin says
Great catch Andi! I meant 10 scallops, I will update the recipe. Sorry for the confusion!
Jill says
I just finished making this. It is delicious. There is depth of flavor and just the right heat from the pepper. Yum!
Jessica Gavin says
Thank you so much for your feedback Jill!
Patrice Brunelle says
I’m doing a cioppino tomorrow, I’ll make up my own recipe based on several I’ve looked up, yours was the most inspiring, especially with the use of leeks and red wine instead of white. Though, instead of water, I’ll make a broth with the shrimps shell, some pepper corn, and safran. However, I’ve read your recipe twice and noticed there is only 2.5 cup of liquid total, that can’t be right can it? I’ll go with the amount you say, but I’ll make a quart of broth to have some on hand if I need it. Hopefully, it will turn out as good as yours. Thank you for your recipe Jessica.
Jessica Gavin says
Hi Patrice! I can’t wait to hear how you cioppino turns out! Yes, 2.5 cups are correct, it’s a some what hearty base, and the mussels release liquid as they steam as well. I LOVE the idea of making your own flavorful broth. Let me know how it goes!
Kristen says
This looks amazing! Do you think the base could be cooked ahead and frozen? We are headed to the beach in a few weeks and looking for meals for a large crowd that we can throw together quickly. My plan would be to make the base and then buy fresh shrimp, scallops, etc the day we eat it. Thoughts?
Jerry Petraglia says
This looks so amazing – I can almost taste it. Definitely on the docket for this weekend with some nice crunch Italian bread and some nice “vino!”
Jessica Gavin says
I’m so with you on the crunchy bread and vino to go with the cioppino! I love this one-pot seafood dish, I can’t wait to hear what you think!
John Williams says
This reads like a deeply flavored, rich dish. I love cioppino and have developed a flavor base for my palate that is basically a well-seasoned marinara sauce with a little red wine and seafood stock added. This is a great dish and I applaud your method.
Jessica Gavin says
Thank you for your feedback John! The base is definitely richer with the tomatoes and mirepoix. The wine definitely takes it to the next level 🙂
Carleen says
That sounds as good as this recipe does! Would you be willing to share? I would love to try different methods of making the base broth. Thank you.
Julianne says
This looks delicious, Jessica. I love cioppino and I have ordered it when I’ve dined out, but I have never tried to make it. You make this look easy enough to try at home. I’ll definitely give it a go. Thanks!