Cioppino (Italian Fish Stew)
Seafood Cioppino is a very low fat and hearty fish stew is the perfect cold-weather treat. We adapted our recipe from one created by The Oaks at Ojai, a health spa in California and at approximately 150 calories per bowl, we think its a winner. Although the list of ingredients appears rather long, it comes together in a snap if you have everything at the ready once you begin. This dish is best served with a green salad and crusty slice of toasted whole grain bread for dipping up the savory broth.
Please enjoy!
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 cups tomato juice (or, 3 cups tomato juice and 1 cup Clamato juice)
- 1/2 cup onion, chopped
- 1/2 cups celery, sliced thin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon rosemary
- 1/4 teaspoon marjoram
- 1/4 teaspoon oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon thyme
- 1/2 pound firm boned white fish, cut into bite sized chunks
- 1 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced
- 6 clams in the shell
- 6 large shrimp in the shell
- 6 crab claws or legs
- 1/2 pound large scallops or other firm but lean seafood
- 1/4 cup red wine
- 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated
- 6 parsley sprigs, chopped
- 6 lemon wedges
- In a soup pot or dutch oven, quickly sear scallops in a splash of olive oil, until browned and nearly cooked. Remove and set aside.
- In the same soup pot, place tomato juice and bring to a boil.
- Add onion, celery, spices and boned fish to the broth and reduce heat, simmering for 30-45 minutes to thicken the broth and cook the fish.
- Add the mushrooms, wine, shrimp, clams, crab legs, and seared scallops and reheat. The seafood may be cooked or raw.
- If the added seafood is raw at this step, simmer until just cooked.
- If the added seafood is cooked at this step, simmer briefly to cook the mushrooms.
- Serve the Cioppino in heated bowls, topped with a modest sprinkle of cheese, parsley, and a wedge of lemon.
More about the Oaks at Ojai:
The Oaks is Ojai’s an all-inclusive destination spa in California. The Oaks is a healthy retreat offering guests a range of activity from guided hikes into the mountains, to water aerobics, to restorative yoga. As an American Plan Spa, The Oaks provides a well-rounded 1,000 calorie a day food plan that consists of three meals, snacks and beverages. The varied menus feature natural foods, fresh fish and poultry, locally-grown fruits and vegetables, homemade salad dressings and soups – all without a touch of additional salt or refined sugar used in the preparation. Many meals feature freshly-grown herbs from the resort’s special gardens.
