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Easy Cioppino Recipe - An Italian Seafood Stew
5 from 117 votes

Easy Cioppino Recipe - An Italian Seafood Stew

Easy Cioppino is a flavorful Italian seafood stew combining Italian sausage, aromatic vegetables, fennel, tomatoes, citrus, seafood stock, and a variety of fresh seafood like crab, clams, and cod. It features a rich, spiced broth with cooked seafood layered by timing for perfect doneness, served with rustic bread and saffron garlic aioli.

Cook Time
45 mins
Total Time
45 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 455 kcal
Course: Main Course, Soup, Dinner
Cuisine: Italian, American

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ lb Italian sausage (approx ¾ cup)
  • ½ cup onion
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 teaspoon anise seed
  • 1 cup cherry tomato
  • 1 cup fennel
  • 1 orange approx 4 tablespoon juice and 1 teaspoon zest, zest and juice
  • 5 cups seafood stock or chicken broth
  • ½ c white wine dry
  • 1 Dungeness crab
  • 1 lb clams or mussels
  • ½ lb cod
  • salt to taste
  • black pepper to taste
Saffron Garlic Aioli
  • ½ c mayonnaise or real mayonnaise, Kewpie brand
  • ¼ tsp saffron
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • ¼ teaspoon hot sauce (I use Tobasco)

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Heat olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add in crumbled Italian sausage and sauce until cooked though.
  2. Add 2 cloves minced garlic, aniseed, onion, saffron and red pepper flakes. Sauté approximately 5 minutes until onion is translucent.
  3. Add chopped tomatoes and fennel and continue to sauce another 5 minutes until tomatoes are juicy and fennel is translucent.
  4. Next add broth, wine, orange zest and juice. Bring to a simmer and let cook 10 more minutes, and season to taste with salt and black pepper if you like.
  5. Finally, add the seafood to the pot in order of cooking time. I first add the crab and put the lid on the pot. Let it cook 5 minutes, then add clams and/or mussels, replace lid and cook 4 more minutes. Finally, add your cubes of cod or other fish. Stir them in gently so as not to break them up. Replace the lid and let it cook the fish, about 2 more minutes.
  6. Toast some rustic bread and get out bowls. Scoop a mix of seafood into each bowl, then spoon broth over. Garnish with chopped fennel fronds or parsley if you like and then serve it up with spoons and forks, toasts and the saffron aioli.
Saffron Garlic Aioli
  1. Make the saffron aioli by simply mixing together 1 clove of minced garlic, saffron, hot sauce, lemon juice, and mayonnaise. Season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside for serving. The aioli can be made ahead up to 3 days.

Notes

  • Clean and prepare seafood carefully, scrubbing clams, deboning fish, and breaking crab into manageable pieces before cooking.
  • Sauté Italian sausage and aromatics first to build depth in the broth.
  • Cook seafood in stages by required time to avoid overcooking delicate fish.
  • Serve cioppino with toasted rustic bread and saffron garlic aioli for dipping.

Nutrition Information

Calories 455kcal (23%) Carbohydrates 15g (5%) Protein 40g (80%) Fat 23g (35%) Saturated Fat 5g (25%) Polyunsaturated Fat 9g (53%) Monounsaturated Fat 7g (35%) Trans Fat 0.03g (2%) Cholesterol 101mg (34%) Sodium 1933mg (81%) Potassium 1217mg (26%) Fiber 2g (8%) Sugar 6g (12%) Vitamin A 573IU (11%) Vitamin C 46mg (51%) Calcium 179mg (18%) Iron 10mg (56%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4 servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 455

% Daily Value*

Calories 455kcal 23%
Carbohydrates 15g 5%
Protein 40g 80%
Fat 23g 35%
Saturated Fat 5g 25%
Polyunsaturated Fat 9g 53%
Monounsaturated Fat 7g 35%
Trans Fat 0.03g 2%
Cholesterol 101mg 34%
Sodium 1933mg 81%
Potassium 1217mg 26%
Fiber 2g 8%
Sugar 6g 12%
Vitamin A 573IU 11%
Vitamin C 46mg 51%
Calcium 179mg 18%
Iron 10mg 56%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.