Effortless Cioppino

The first time I put together cioppino was for a Christmas Eve dinner with my family, trying to bring that awesome San Francisco Fisherman’s Wharf vibe into our home. As the tomato sauce cooked slow and steady with a bunch of fresh herbs, our whole place filled up with mouthwatering smells. When I finally added all the seafood—chunky fish, juicy shrimp, sweet crab—everyone crowded into the kitchen and just stood there, waiting and watching. Now it’s our go-to for special nights, making good memories bowl after bowl.

Easy Vibrant

You know what I love? This one takes regular stuff and makes it taste downright amazing. That tomato sauce gets deep and delicious, and every kind of seafood throws in its own little magic. It looks super impressive when you bring it to the table, but really, there’s nothing tricky here. Grab great ingredients, go slow, and treat them right. That’s all it is.

Grab These Things

• Seafood: If you can score Dungeness crab, grab it. Grab thick white fish like cod, big shell-on shrimp to make your stock, plus clams and mussels for good measure.
• Base stuff: Sweet onion, loads of garlic, celery, fennel, and some top-notch crushed tomatoes.
• Herby action: Fresh basil, thyme, parsley, and a couple bay leaves.
• Wine time: Use a dry white you’d actually want to drink, not just cook with.
• Spice it up: Red pepper flakes, oregano, sea salt, some black pepper right from the grinder.
• Great olive oil: Use your nicest extra virgin for frying and right before serving.

Time To Get Cooking

Final touches:

Start with a drizzle of your good olive oil and sprinkle fresh herbs over everything. Have crusty bread handy so you can clean up every last drop of tasty broth.

Seafood goes in:

This part’s fun. Drop the white fish in first, then it’s crab time. Toss in mussels and clams, then throw in shrimp at the very end—they only need a minute. The shells will pop open like little gifts.

Broth building:

Wine goes in and bubbles away, then you add the tomatoes, those lovely herbs, and the liquid gold seafood stock. Let your pot hang out and get super fragrant.

Flavor base:

Grab your biggest pot—sauté fennel, sweet onions, and a mountain of garlic until soft. Stir in tomato paste and cook just long enough for things to smell awesome.

Stock magic:

First off, make your seafood stock. Shells from shrimp and crab plus a splash of wine, let them simmer. It takes things to the next level.

Pin it

What I’ve Learned

After making loads of pots, here’s my take: chat with the fish folks at the shop, they’ll clue you into what’s fresh. When you sniff seafood, it should remind you of the sea, never have a strong fish smell. Please don’t skip the homemade stock—it’s what brings everything together. Give your seafood a little elbow room when you’re adding it, so it all cooks up just right.

Tasty Combos

Sourdough bread next to this stew is an absolute winner—you’ll want to mop up all that broth. Pair it with chilled white wine, maybe something like Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio. Sometimes I toss together a simple salad with a lemony dressing to keep things fresh. Don’t forget lots of napkins and maybe a bib—this gets messy in the best way.

Pack Some Up

Got leftovers? Stash the broth away from the extra seafood. That sauce tastes even better the next day, all the flavors blending together. To reheat, just warm up the broth and toss in new seafood. Try not to zap cooked seafood or it’ll go tough and chewy.

Change Things Up

I like to swap ingredients depending on the day’s catch. Scallops are a real treat, and calamari delivers great chew. No crab? Use more shrimp and a little extra fish. If you’re skipping the wine, try a bit of lemon juice or a splash of white wine vinegar to keep things bright. What I love here is just how much you can switch it up!

Pin it

Truly Special Moments

For us, this is the dish we always come back to on birthdays, Christmas Eve, or whenever we’re craving something a little fancy. Watching everybody dive in, passing bread around, telling stories—it just feels special. There’s steam curling up, beautiful colors, and crazy-good smells. Somehow this pot on the table ends up being all about making memories that stick with you long after the meal’s gone.

Frequently Asked Questions

→ Can I make this ahead?

Go ahead and make the tomato sauce part and broth a day before. Toss in the seafood just before you’re ready to eat.

→ Can I freeze leftovers?

Just freeze the tomato stuff. Put in fresh seafood when you reheat so it doesn’t get rubbery.

→ What seafood substitutions work?

Try using calamari or scallops instead of crab. Skip salmon and oysters—they can take over the whole thing.

→ Do I need to use wine?

Wine brings out loads of flavor, but white wine vinegar steps in fine too. Don’t use the cooking wine from the store.

→ Can I use store-bought seafood stock?

Yep, pick up 4 cups from the store and pour it in. Add shellfish when you toss in the rest of your seafood at the end.