Seafood Cioppino Tips
What do you serve cioppino with?
It's best to keep the side dishes simple and let the cioppino take center stage. Serve it with some kind of bread for sopping up the broth, whether you go with
garlic bread,
mushroom cheese bread or a classic
crusty bread. A fresh green salad or
traditional antipasto would also make a great companion to this dish. There are no rules when it comes to wine pairings—whether you want to go with white or red, choose one that has a nice zing to it, like a pinot grigio, pinot noir or zinfandel.
How long is cioppino good for?
You can keep cooked seafood in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. Store any leftovers in an airtight container and leave some headspace. Be careful when reheating this soup; it's easy to overcook the fish and seafood, which could make them rubbery. Reheat cioppino on the stove over a low flame and keep a close eye on it until it's warmed throughout. If you're going to freeze your cioppino, chill it in the refrigerator before moving it to the freezer and use it within 4 to 6 months. Let it thaw in the refrigerator and warm it over gentle heat.
What else can I add to this cioppino recipe?
This is a flexible recipe—you can add or substitute ingredients as your taste, budget and time allow. If you like your dishes spicy, add crushed red pepper flakes, or a few drops of Sriracha chili sauce or another hot sauce. In place of the haddock, you can use cod, tilapia or another firm white fish. Add other types of seafood, like lobster, bay scallops, sea scallops, fresh mussels or octopus as you wish. When tomatoes are in season, add a couple of diced ripe plum tomatoes. You can also try adding your favorite vegetables, including diced carrots or sliced fennel. Finally, you can always add a splash of dry vermouth or red wine, which are classic complements for tomatoes and seafood.
Research contributed by Hazel Wheaton, Taste of Home Books Editor
Reviews
Yikes. This was REALLY bland. How did this get so many stars? I recommend sautéing the veggies before you place in the crockpot. Also adding paprika, a red pepper, and more spices to taste.
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I have made this recipe at least five times, and it’s always been a huge hit. Admittedly, I tweak it a little bit each time, adding hot pepper flakes, thinly sliced fennel, and an extra bottle of clam juice. Positively delicious. Even better the next day. I use a technique suggested in almost all slow cooker recipes published in America’s Test Kitchen Slow Cooker cookbooks. I take almost all vegetables, aromatics plus olive oil and microwave for a few minutes to open up flavors. I think it makes a difference. I also use cod instead of haddock. Very surprised by people who say there’s no flavor.
I thought this was really good. I substituted fresh cod for the haddock and I added an extra can of crab meat. It made a lovely soup. I used a crock pot, but cooked it on high or about 3.5 hours and then added the seafood and kept on high for another 30 min.
I found this very flavorless. It was okay after I added a healthy dose of Tony Chachere but falls into my category of edible but not memorable.
Very tasty and so easy in the crockpot!
The crockpot made this cioppino super convenient, but we were disappointed with the flavor. With so many great reviews, I'm assuming something went wrong on my end although I followed the recipe exactly.
This turned out quite good, and we really enjoyed it. Made almost exactly to the recipe. Just now realized I forgot the crab, even still was very good.The big thing we added, Octopus! Two hours on high, and they were perfect. Husband and daughters said they were soft and easy to chew.The one thing I did, moved soup and octopus into a Dutch oven, onto the stove. I was concerned the fish and shrimp would drop the temp too much, and that the octopus would stop cooking. So, twenty more minutes, slow simmer..and all was perfect.I know I searched all over, wondering how long to cook the octopus, and mostly guessed based on several other recipes. But, 2hrs in the crockpot on high, was great. Could go three I’m sure.
Wow! This was so good. Lots of flavor and 205 calories per serving. I added some scallops but otherwise stuck with the recipe as written. I served it with garlic toast and Pinot Noir. Can't wait to eat the leftovers for lunch tomorrow.
I added bay scallops & crushed red pepper flakes to the mix. This was sooo good & even-better, reheated, the next day! I didn't have red wine vinegar, so used more white wine.