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.
Taste
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.
Overall
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.
Product photos
Here is the package of Trader Joe's Cioppino Seafood Stew in the freezer section:
Calories
Ingredients
Directions
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
Summary
Trader Joe's Cioppino Seafood Stew is loaded with seafood in an oversized bag.
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Taste
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Value
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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.
You could sop up with the new organic french rolls. Warm these up and maybe rub some fresh garlic with salt. YUM!
Great suggestion! Thanks Alek!
I agree completely with your review. The tomato-based broth is outstanding and has a deep, complex, spicy flavor. I’m no fan of cod so I remove it and add in some thawed cooked shrimp. I find that the stew is so filling that I can make 2 lunch portions from it. One thought to extend it further would be to stir in some of Trader joe’s Jasmine rice....or just serve the cioppino over a scoop of rice.
It's cold and rainy here in SoCal. Might have to make a run to Tjs for this!
Hi brenda, in your bowl is that one serving or two servings?
That's the full bag.
Note that the whole bag is only 420 calories
So at 420 calories it can totally be a meal for one. Thanks for adding that!
We are supposed to get more snow this weekend and you just reminded me i have a bag of this in my freezer! Thanks for your review. Will try this after taking the pup out to play, when I'm freezing tomorrow 🙂
Thanks so much for your kind words. Stay warm, it's getting cold here too!
I bought this, and based on your review added some leftover rice and a half cup of chicken stock to extend the broth. Perfect with a glass - or two - of Malbec. Thanks!
Great suggestions and if you use low sodium chicken stock you might be able to cut the sodium down as well. Thanks so much for the wine pairing suggestions, I love that type of information! Thanks again for stopping by and sharing!
I like adding a tin of quality seafood like clams, razor clams or cockles (Donostia Foods) to beef it up. I also added leftover whole wheat fettuccine the other day. Wonderful.
Hey MadMex! Thanks so much for sharing how you enjoy this!
This is a great product! I bought 2 bags and a separate bag of frozen mixed seafood. There ISN’T enough sauce for all the wonderful seafood, so l doctored the Cioppino by sauteeing diced onion and garlic in Olive oil and butter, adding 2 cups of seafood stock, a cup of red wine, and 2 cups of tomato juice. As everything heated, l added several grounds of fresh pepper, ground pink salt, fresh parsley and 1/4 cup of fresh squeezed lemon. Finally, l added a cup of frozen corn and peas. I put a handful of linguine in a large bowl, ladled a bit of the broth/sauce over it to warm, then ladled about 3-4 cups of the Cioppino into the bowl with slices of buttered crusty bread on the side. Makes 3-4 big bowls of stew.
Wow! Thanks so much for sharing!