Jul 08, 2022, Updated Apr 12, 2024 If you are a seafood lover like me, you’re going to go crazy over this seafood soup. The broth is superb – so packed with flavor. Light and brothy, this seafood soup recipe is perfect for warmer weather evenings. I love this stew because it is brothy and light but still beautifully flavourful, with garlic, parsley and chili flakes packing a punch.
How to make seafood soup
Here are my top tips:
Seafood Cioppino Ingredients
I make use of most frozen, inexpensive seafood, thawed in the fridge overnight before using. The soup still tastes fancy despite being a freezer meal. Oil and Butter: Why oil AND butter? The oil is a flavour carrier for the sauteed aromatics and can be heated to a higher temperature without scorching. The butter is a flavour of its own, and added toward the end, thickens and emulsifies the soup a little bit. Clams: You can swap in mussels if you like, or just add more shrimp (Psst. if you love shrimp, you must also try this delicious Boom Boom Shrimp recipe!). Fish: I honestly use frozen salmon portions for this and they are perfect. Swap in any other firm-flesh fish you have in your freezer (just nothing super thin and delicate or it will apart, but even that’s only an issue if you think it is). For example, try a firm white fish such as halibut, sea bass or cod. Shrimp: I mostly use peeled, deveined shrimp that I buy frozen, but I had some cooked shrimp on hand so I popped that in instead. You can use the cheaper smaller shrimp for this and save your jumbo prawns for something else. Broth: Use unsalted broth. I was very careful with salt measurements to make sure you get amazing results. Wine: This adds another wonderful layer of flavour and a touch of acidity. Use more broth if you don’t want to use wine. (Note that the alcohol evaporates though!) Clam juice: It comes in a small glass bottle and you can find it in the grocery store near the canned tuna. Clam juice is the liquid from steaming clams, and is not actually juice. Seafood stock or broth makes a great subtitution. Herbs: I personally flavour my broth by adding in fresh parsley. Of course you can experiment and add in thyme, oregano, bay leaf, cilantro and even fennel. This recipe is super versatile, and there are so many variations you can make of this. For example, try adding in different seafood such as scallops or various vegetables such as celery, potatoes. You can even give it a more creamy texture by adding in heavy cream.
What to Serve With Seafood Cioppino
I love to accompany seafood soup with a loaf of warm easy artisan bread and salted butter to mop up every last drop. All of the above also applies to mussels, too. This recipe is also super yummy with my easy buttermilk drop biscuits. In the summer, I also serve it with corn on the cob and a crisp green salad.
