It’s time for another collaboration with Smells Like Brownies (although we actually made this back in June, oops!) – not vegetarian this time, but rather pescetarian.  A hearty tomato based broth filled with all kinds of seafood – Cioppino.  Melissa actually chose this dish for her blogging group, the Secret Recipe Club.  For more info on that, check out her post here.

Making the broth takes up the most time in this recipe, but you want to let it simmer and develop deep flavor, so it’s worth it.  Olive oil, garlic, shallot, oregano, and a bay leaf go in first; followed by bell pepper, tomato paste, and red wine.  Oh yeah, and red pepper flakes – watch it here, this is where you determine your spice level.  Next comes canned tomatoes in their juices, clam juice, lemon juice, and veggie broth (not stock).  Let it do it’s thing for 30 minutes before adding in some mussels.

I meant it when I said this soup was full of all kinds of seafood.  While the mussels simmer away; prep the rest of the seafood – scallops, red snapper (or something similar, like halibut), and shrimp.  Who knew a bunch of raw seafood could look so pretty?

After the rest of the seafood is cooked through, top with fresh basil and parsley and dig in.  Serve with some crusty bread for dipping and eat right away!  This Italian stew is perfect for any time of year – hearty and warming, but not heavy – so enjoy! (more…)