Easy Cioppino (Seafood Stew)
A hearty San Francisco-style seafood stew loaded with clams, mussels, cod, shrimp, and scallops in a fennel-scented tomato and white wine broth.
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 medium sweet onion, diced
- 1 small fennel bulb, cored and diced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 3/4 cup dry white wine
- 1 (28-ounce) can petite diced tomatoes
- 2 cups vegetable stock
- 2 cups clam juice
- 1 bay leaf
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 12 little neck clams, scrubbed
- 1/2 pound mussels, scrubbed and debearded
- 1 pound cod or halibut filets, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
- 1/2 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 8 large sea scallops
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
- Melt the butter in a large stockpot or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the diced onion and fennel and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 8 minutes until they've softened and turned tender — the fennel will lose its raw sharpness and start to smell sweet.
- Stir in the tomato paste, garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes, cooking for about a minute until fragrant. Keep stirring here so the tomato paste doesn't stick and scorch on the bottom of the pot.
- Stir in the white wine, diced tomatoes, vegetable stock, clam juice, and bay leaf. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes so the flavors have time to meld into a cohesive broth, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.
- Stir in the clams and mussels, then reduce the heat to low and cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, just until the shells begin to open — the tight seal is what helps them steam open properly.
- Stir in the cod or halibut, shrimp, and scallops. Reduce the heat and simmer gently for another 3 to 4 minutes, just until the fish, shrimp, and scallops are cooked through and the clams and mussels have opened completely — discard any clams that stay shut, since those didn't cook properly.
- Stir in the fresh parsley and season the stew with a final round of salt and pepper to taste, adjusting until the broth tastes bright and well-balanced.
- Serve immediately while the seafood is still hot and tender, ladled into wide bowls with plenty of the broth.
Chef's Note: Cioppino got its start with Italian immigrant fishermen in San Francisco, who tossed the day's catch into a communal pot with whatever tomatoes and wine were on hand — this version keeps that same generous, throw-it-all-in spirit while staying genuinely approachable for a weeknight. The order the seafood goes in matters more than it looks: clams and mussels need a head start to open, while the more delicate cod, shrimp, and scallops only need a few minutes or they'll turn rubbery.
Feel free to swap in whatever fish and shellfish look best at the market — this stew is forgiving as long as you keep an eye on cooking times for whatever you use. Always discard any clams or mussels that haven't opened after cooking, and serve the stew with crusty bread on the side for soaking up the last of that fennel-and-tomato broth.
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