This cioppino seafood stew brings the spirit of San Francisco straight to the table with a rich tomato broth, bright white wine, and a generous mix of fresh clams, mussels, shrimp, crab, scallops, and cod. It’s an Italian American classic that feels celebratory without any extra effort, especially with crusty sourdough bread ready to soak up every last drop!
Living in the California Bay Area means easy access to incredible seafood, especially on days when I’m meeting my husband in San Francisco for lunch or date night. While researching iconic foods that came out of California for the American Eats series , I realized I had never actually tried cioppino despite all the meals we’ve enjoyed in the city.
Learning the heartwarming story of how Genoese fishermen in North Beach created this tomato and wine based seafood stew using whatever seafood came in from the Bay made me appreciate why it remains such a beloved choice for holidays and special gatherings.
For more comforting cold-weather soups, be sure to check out our Maryland Crab Soup , Better-Than-Panera Broccoli Cheese Soup , and Tortellini Soup with Italian Sausage .
Why you’ll love this family favorite recipe!
- It’s wonderfully flexible. Use your favourite mix of clams, mussels, shrimp, crab, scallops, or firm white fish while still holding onto the classic San Francisco flavours.
- The tomato and white wine broth comes together quickly and tastes incredible when made with fresh seafood, which gives the stew its signature briny, coastal depth.
- It’s a brilliant recipe for entertaining, especially with a loaf of crusty sourdough and a chilled glass of dry white wine to round out a proper Italian American style dinner.
What is Cioppino?
Almost every notable seafood restaurant in San Francisco has cioppino on the menu. It was created in the late 1800s by Italian fishermen from the Genoa region who lived and worked in North Beach by the Bay. The story goes that when someone came back from a slow day on the water, the other fishermen would chip in a crab, a few mussels, or a piece of fish, knowing they’d need the same help on another day. It was a true community pot.
Cioppino is traditionally made with the freshest seafood in a light tomato, herb, and white wine broth, often featuring Dungeness crab, clams, bay scallops, shrimp, squid, mussels, and fish. It’s always served with plenty of San Francisco sourdough to soak up the rich, flavourful broth.
What You’ll Need
Scroll down to the recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
- Granulated Sugar – This thickens the fruit into a sauce and makes it deliciously sweet.
- Butter – Use salted butter to bring out the flavors when sautéeing the veg. You can use olive oil if you prefer, but I like the buttery flavor.
- Vegetables – We’ll use sautéed onion and a fennel bulb to give us a great savory taste.
- Seasoning – Use fresh garlic that you mince yourself, along with fresh parsley, dried basil, kosher salt, dried thyme, dried oregano, red pepper flakes, and bay leaves for a dish that is bursting with flavor!
- Wine – Use white wine for an added bitter-sweet taste to the hearty stew. This can be replaced with additional fish or chicken stock.
- Tomatoes – Use crushed tomatoes as well as diced tomatoes for the cioppino base.
- Stock – Fish or seafood stock will bring the seafood flavors together well. You can use a mixture of chicken stock and clam juice instead if you need.
- Seafood – Use a mixture of fresh fish: small clams, mussels, a Dungeness crab**, large shrimp, bay scallops, and a cod fillet for this recipe.
- Garnish – Use fresh basil and fresh parsley to garnish.
How to Make San Francisco Cioppino Seafood Stew
- Prepare the broth. Melt the butter over medium heat in a large Dutch oven, then add the onion, fennel, garlic, and parsley. Sauté until the onions are soft, about 10 minutes.
- Add seasoning. Stir in the basil, salt, thyme, oregano, and red pepper flakes, and cook for another 2 minutes to bring out their flavor.
- Add wet ingredients and bay leaves. Pour in the white wine, crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, fish stock, and bay leaves. Cover and reduce the heat to medium low.
- Cook. Simmer for 30 minutes so the flavors can blend. While the broth cooks, prep the crab by removing the legs from the body (if needed) and gently cracking the shells so the meat is easier to reach once served.
- Add seafood. Increase the heat to medium, add the clams and mussels, and cook for about 5 minutes until they start to open. Add the crab legs and cook for another minute, then add the shrimp and scallops. Lay the chunks of cod on top, cover, and cook for 3 to 5 minutes until the mussels and clams have opened, the shrimp curl, and the scallops are just firm.
- Serve. Ladle the cioppino into large bowls and garnish with fresh parsley and basil. Serve with warm, crusty sourdough bread, and set out plenty of napkins, bowls for shells, nutcrackers, and small forks for the crab.
Some say the name comes from the idea of fishermen “chipping in” a bit of their catch, although it’s more likely tied to cioppin , a traditional Genoese fish stew that inspired the San Francisco version we now know as cioppino seafood stew.
Serve cioppino in a wide bowl with plenty of crusty sourdough for a true San Francisco experience, Garlic and Rosemary Artisan Bread or Garlic Bread , to soak up the tomato and white wine broth. Or Homemade Bread Bowls , top it with croutons, or spoon it over pasta or White Rice to make it extra filling. Make an extra bowl available for people to discard the inedible shells in.
Fish and shellfish are always best enjoyed the same day, and cioppino is no exception. The seafood can turn rubbery once reheated, so I always recommend making San Francisco cioppino fresh rather than preparing it ahead.
Tips for Success
- Choose the freshest seafood you can find for the best flavor in San Francisco cioppino. Whole Foods, Asian markets, and local fishmongers are all great places to pick up clams, mussels, crab, and firm white fish.
- Traditional cioppino often includes shell on crab and mussels, so expect a bit of mess at the table. Keep plenty of napkins nearby and treat it as part of the fun when serving this seafood stew.
- If you prefer not to cook with wine, simply replace the white wine with extra seafood stock. The broth will still taste rich and balanced.
If you are planning a trip to San Francisco in the future, be sure to check out this 3-Day San Francisco itinerary for all the best places to see!
Substitutions and Variations
- If you can’t find fish or seafood stock, use chicken stock with a small bottle of clam juice to add the briny flavor cioppino is known for.
- If Dungeness crab isn’t available where you live, snow crab, blue claw, stone crab claws, or even Alaskan king crab will all work really well in cioppino. You can also use crab meat instead of whole legs and body, which definitely makes the stew easier to eat, although serving the crab in the shell is such a fun presentation if you want that classic San Francisco cioppino look.
- If you can’t find fennel bulbs, don’t swap in fennel seeds alone because the flavor and texture are completely different. The closest substitution is a mix of celery or bok choy with a small amount of fennel seeds to bring in that hint of anise. For this recipe, one fennel bulb can be replaced with about half a pound of celery plus half a teaspoon of fennel seeds.
- Add crushed red pepper flakes or fresh chili if you want a spicier cioppino seafood stew.
More Hearty Soup Recipes
- Creamy Irish Leek and Potato Soup
- New England Fish Chowder
- Zuppa Toscana
- Smoked Salmon Chowder with Bacon
- One Pot Lasagna Soup
Authentic San Francisco Cioppino Seafood Stew
Ingredients123
- ▢ ½ cup butter
- ▢ 1 onion chopped
- ▢ 1 fennel bulb thinly sliced
- ▢ 4 cloves garlic minced
- ▢ ½ bunch fresh parsley chopped
- ▢ 1 tablespoon dried basil
- ▢ 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ▢ ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ▢ ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ▢ ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- ▢ 1 ½ cups white wine optional – can replace with additional fish or chicken stock
- ▢ 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
- ▢ 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes
- ▢ 5 cups fish or seafood stock*
- ▢ 2 bay leaves
- ▢ 1 pound small clams
- ▢ 1 pound mussels scrubbed and debearded
- ▢ 2 pounds crab I used 1 whole cooked Dungeness crab**, with its legs removed from its body
- ▢ 1 pound uncooked large shrimp peeled and deveined
- ▢ 1 pound bay scallops
- ▢ ½ pound cod fillet cut into large chunks (or other firm-fleshed fish like halibut or salmon)
- ▢ Fresh basil and parsley chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Melt the butter over medium heat in a large dutch oven, then add the onion, fennel, garlic, parsley, sauteing until the onions are soft, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic, basil, salt, thyme, oregano, and red pepper flakes and saute 2 minutes longer. ½ cup butter, 1 onion, 1 fennel bulb, 4 cloves garlic, ½ bunch fresh parsley, 1 tablespoon dried basil, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon dried thyme, ½ teaspoon dried oregano, ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- Add the white wine, crushed and diced tomatoes, fish stock, and bay leaves, then cover and reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer for 30 minutes so the flavors can blend. While the broth simmers, prepare the crab by removing the crab legs from the body (if not already done for you) and using a nutcracker to crack the shells (leave the meat in the shell) so that the meat can be easily removed once the cioppino is served. 1 ½ cups white wine, 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes, 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, 5 cups fish or seafood stock*, 2 bay leaves
- Increase the heat to medium and add the clams and mussels to the broth and cook for 5 minutes until they start to open. Then add the crab legs and cook for another minute, followed by the shrimp and scallops. Finally, lay the chunks of cod on top of the broth and cover and cook for 3-5 minutes until the mussels and clams are open, the shrimp curl and the scallops are just firm. 1 pound small clams, 1 pound mussels, 2 pounds crab, 1 pound uncooked large shrimp, 1 pound bay scallops, ½ pound cod fillet
- Ladle the cioppino into large bowls garnish with chopped fresh parsley and basil. Serve with warm, crusty sourdough bread! Have plenty of napkins, extra bowls for shells, and nutcrackers and tiny forks on hand for the crab. Fresh basil and parsley
Notes
- You can replace all or part of the fish or seafood stock with the same amount of chicken stock along with a small bottle of clam juice instead.
- ** If Dungeness crab is not available, you could use snow crab, blue claw, stone crab claws, or even Alaskan King crab. Also, you could just use crab meat instead of the legs and body, which would certainly make this cioppino easier to eat, although it is such a fun presentation to have the crab legs.
- Use the freshest mix of clams, mussels, shrimp, scallops, crab, and firm white fish for the best flavor.
- If you don’t cook with wine, replace it with extra seafood stock.
- Keep napkins and small bowls handy for shells if using whole crab or shellfish.
- Crack crab legs before simmering so the meat is easier to access at the table.
Storage
- Store: Cioppino is best enjoyed the day it’s made since seafood becomes rubbery when reheated.
- Make Ahead: You can prep the broth (without seafood) 1 day ahead, then add the seafood right before serving.
Nutrition
Authentic San Francisco Cioppino Seafood Stew
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter
- 1 onion chopped
- 1 fennel bulb thinly sliced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- ½ bunch fresh parsley chopped
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 ½ cups white wine optional - can replace with additional fish or chicken stock
- 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes
- 5 cups fish or seafood stock*
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 pound small clams
- 1 pound mussels scrubbed and debearded
- 2 pounds crab I used 1 whole cooked Dungeness crab**, with its legs removed from its body
- 1 pound uncooked large shrimp peeled and deveined
- 1 pound bay scallops
- ½ pound cod fillet cut into large chunks (or other firm-fleshed fish like halibut or salmon)
- Fresh basil and parsley chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Melt the butter over medium heat in a large dutch oven, then add the onion, fennel, garlic, parsley, sauteing until the onions are soft, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic, basil, salt, thyme, oregano, and red pepper flakes and saute 2 minutes longer. ½ cup butter, 1 onion, 1 fennel bulb, 4 cloves garlic, ½ bunch fresh parsley, 1 tablespoon dried basil, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon dried thyme, ½ teaspoon dried oregano, ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- Add the white wine, crushed and diced tomatoes, fish stock, and bay leaves, then cover and reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer for 30 minutes so the flavors can blend. While the broth simmers, prepare the crab by removing the crab legs from the body (if not already done for you) and using a nutcracker to crack the shells (leave the meat in the shell) so that the meat can be easily removed once the cioppino is served. 1 ½ cups white wine, 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes, 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, 5 cups fish or seafood stock*, 2 bay leaves
- Increase the heat to medium and add the clams and mussels to the broth and cook for 5 minutes until they start to open. Then add the crab legs and cook for another minute, followed by the shrimp and scallops. Finally, lay the chunks of cod on top of the broth and cover and cook for 3-5 minutes until the mussels and clams are open, the shrimp curl and the scallops are just firm. 1 pound small clams, 1 pound mussels, 2 pounds crab, 1 pound uncooked large shrimp, 1 pound bay scallops, ½ pound cod fillet
- Ladle the cioppino into large bowls garnish with chopped fresh parsley and basil. Serve with warm, crusty sourdough bread! Have plenty of napkins, extra bowls for shells, and nutcrackers and tiny forks on hand for the crab. Fresh basil and parsley
Notes
- You can replace all or part of the fish or seafood stock with the same amount of chicken stock along with a small bottle of clam juice instead.
- ** If Dungeness crab is not available, you could use snow crab, blue claw, stone crab claws, or even Alaskan King crab. Also, you could just use crab meat instead of the legs and body, which would certainly make this cioppino easier to eat, although it is such a fun presentation to have the crab legs.
- Use the freshest mix of clams, mussels, shrimp, scallops, crab, and firm white fish for the best flavor.
- If you don’t cook with wine, replace it with extra seafood stock.
- Keep napkins and small bowls handy for shells if using whole crab or shellfish.
- Crack crab legs before simmering so the meat is easier to access at the table.
Storage
- Store: Cioppino is best enjoyed the day it’s made since seafood becomes rubbery when reheated.
- Make Ahead: You can prep the broth (without seafood) 1 day ahead, then add the seafood right before serving.
Nutrition
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