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Fish, Americas

Cioppino with garlic bread

Cioppino is a fish stew that originated in San Francisco, made with cod, mussels and shrimp simmered in a white wine tomato broth. This version serves 4, takes 60 minutes, rates medium difficulty, and costs €5.20 per serving. The trick is adding each seafood at the right moment, based on how long it needs to cook.

Tonight, a fish stew straight from San Francisco, cioppino, with shrimp, mussels and fish in a white wine tomato broth.

Cioppino with garlic bread
Total time
1 h
Difficulty
Medium
Cost per person
€5.20
Calories per person
780 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Fall, Winter

Cioppino is a tomato broth scented with fennel and white wine, where tender chunks of cod, mussels that pop open in their own juice, and barely cooked shrimp all come together. Every spoonful mixes textures, flaky fish, a shell that releases its catch, shrimp with just the right snap. Toasted garlic bread is there for dipping, and it usually disappears first.

This is a dish for when you have a bit of time on your hands, a Sunday evening or a dinner with friends around one big shared pot. Mon Chou walks you through it step by step so every piece of seafood hits the pot at the right time, without overcooking anything. Set out wide bowls, paper napkins within reach, and a good mood for shelling mussels.

The ingredients

4 people

Fish counter

  • Cod fillets 400 g
  • Mussels 1 kg
  • Peeled shrimp 300 g

Fruits and vegetables

  • Onion 1
  • Fennel bulb 1
  • Garlic 4 cloves
  • Parsley 3 sprigs

Pantry

  • Crushed tomatoesoften in the pantry 400 g
  • Dry white wineoften in the pantry 20 cl
  • Fish stockoften in the pantry 30 cl
  • Olive oiloften in the pantry 3 tbsp
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Bakery

  • Baguette 1

Dairy

  • Butter 50 g

Allergens Gluten, Lactose, Fish, Shellfish, Mollusks

The step by step recipe

  1. Sauté the sliced onion and fennel in the olive oil, then add 2 chopped garlic cloves. 8 min

    Let them soften without browning, they'll release their flavor slowly.

  2. Pour in the wine, let it reduce by half, then add the tomatoes and fish stock, and let it simmer. 20 min

    The broth should taste fully developed before the fish goes in.

  3. Mix the softened butter with the remaining 2 chopped garlic cloves, spread it on baguette slices and bake at 180°C. 10 min

    Keep an eye on it, garlic bread burns fast.

  4. Add the chunked cod and the scrubbed mussels to the broth, cover and cook until the shells open. 8 min

    Discard any mussels that stay closed after cooking.

  5. Add the shrimp for two minutes, adjust salt and pepper, and serve in bowls with parsley. 3 min

    Shrimp cook in a flash, don't forget them in the broth.

Our tips to get it right

  • Pick fresh mussels that stay closed before cooking, and rinse them several times in cold water to remove any sand.
  • Taste the broth before adding the fish, that's your window to adjust the salt, because once the seafood is in, you want to stir as little as possible.
  • Serve right after the shrimp are done, cioppino doesn't wait, otherwise the fish keeps cooking in the hot broth and turns dry.

The variations

  • Swap the cod for hake or monkfish, both hold their shape well during cooking without falling apart.
  • For a version without shellfish, skip the mussels and double the shrimp and cod instead.
  • For a quicker meal, use a frozen pre-peeled seafood mix, it saves about ten minutes of prep.

What to serve it with

  • A glass of dry white wine
  • A lemony green salad
  • Extra garlic bread

Storage

Cioppino keeps for 2 days in the fridge in a sealed container, though the fish softens a bit as it cools. Reheat it gently over low heat, without boiling, so the shrimp don't turn rubbery. Freezing isn't recommended, mussels and shrimp dry out once thawed.

Questions about this dish

Can you make the cioppino broth ahead of time?

Yes, you can prepare the tomato broth up through the simmering step and keep it in the fridge for a day. Add the fish and seafood only right before serving, so they stay tender.

Can you leave out the mussels if you don't like them?

Yes, you can swap them for clams or just skip them altogether. If you do, add a bit more cod or shrimp to keep the dish hearty.

Do you need to peel the shrimp yourself?

This recipe calls for already peeled shrimp, which keeps prep and serving simple. If you can't find them, peel them before cooking, the shells would weigh down the broth.

Is cioppino a good dish for kids?

It's mostly geared toward adults, given the mussels and the wine scented broth. For kids, you can serve mainly the cod and shrimp, leaving the mussels aside.

How long does it take to make a cioppino with garlic bread?

Count 1 h in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “medium”.

How many calories are in a cioppino with garlic bread?

About 780 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a cioppino with garlic bread cost?

About €5.20 per serving, or €20.80 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains gluten, lactose, fish, shellfish, mollusks. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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