Trader Joe’s Cioppino Seafood Stew

So if I’m going to do all these bread reviews, it’s only fair to share something that could use some bread. Or something for all that bread to sop up. I love a good sauce, but with almost a foot of snow being predicted by the weekend, I was thinking about some hearty meal planning and lots of staying indoors by the weekend.

I was looking forward to getting a jump on the “milk and bread” crowd. But I’ve always wondered why it isn’t the soup crowd? I mean, if you are going to possibly be snowed in, why not make something more delicious? Unless it’s bread pudding. Then that is just plain delicious.

For me, usually I bypass the milk and bread and go to the hearty foods, followed by a trip to the dessert aisle, and something bubbly like soda or seltzer.

Well, if cold weather has you craving a hearty meal, then here is a bag that you should consider picking up…if you like seafood.

Seafood is something this bag is not short of. But Trader Joe’s could totally cut down on the plastic by making this bag the appropriate size. There was a distinct sense of disappointment opening this bag.

You see, the same feeling came over me as when I open up most bags of potato chips. It was more air and bag than product. 

And while it does weigh in at a pound, it was definitely only 1 portion or 2 appetizer portions. Other than the bag looking bigger than its contents I thought the taste was delicious. There were mussels, clams, cod, and shrimp. Assuming you enjoy that combination will dictate how likely you are to like this product. But the seafood here wasn’t the star, for me it was the broth.

The broth I could have finished a bowl double in size, but would not have been able to because of all the seafood here. The broth had a depth to it that is never found in canned soup. There was clearly a tomato/seafood base but beyond that here were mushrooms and celery that were part of the soup and added much flavor.

If you enjoy seafood and want something awesome for the cooler weather, give this a try.

Would I buy this again? Yes, I would buy Trader Joe’s Cioppino Seafood Stew again. I just wish there was more soup. They could easily sell you more of this in the same size package. Yes, I’d happily pay more as well. 

And if they could cut the sodium levels back too, that would be awesome as well.

Here is the package of Trader Joe’s Cioppino Seafood Stew in the freezer section:

Here is the nutritional information:

The ingredient list:

How to prepare:

I, for once, chose not to use the microwave. I actually got a pot out and used that to prepare this/

Once it was heated through in about 10 minutes and plated it looked like this (even though you couldn’t see all the seafood, but there was lots there):

Using the spoon to reveal the seafood hiding in the broth:

Want to see more items I’ve reviewed from Trader Joe’s? Click on Thoughts & Reviews of Trader Joe’s for a searchable list.

The Bottom Line

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Trader Joe's Cioppino Seafood Stew

Product Name: Trader Joe's Cioppino Seafood Stew

Product Description: Trader Joe's Cioppino Seafood Stew is a blend of seafood in a hearty tomato sauce.

Price: $5.99

4

Summary

Trader Joe’s Cioppino Seafood Stew is loaded with seafood in an oversized bag.

• Taste
• Value
• Worthy of Repurchasing

Pros

• Trader Joe’s Cioppino Seafood Stew was a complete surprise, super flavorful, a large portion of seafood which cooked up well.
• A good deal for $5.99 considering how much seafood is included.

Cons

• The bag this came in reminds me of a potato chip bag: You open it and say “it’s all air.”
• The red sauce/soup was tiny.  I wished there was more.
• Be warned, this is very high in sodium if you have any dietary concerns.

Sending

User Review

2 (3 votes)