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Ciuppin is a Ligurian fishermen’s soup of mixed white fish simmered with tomato and soffritto, then blended and pressed through a sieve until smooth. It comes from the Ligurian coast, where boats landed small, bony rockfish that didn’t sell whole.
The texture defines the result. You’re after a thin vellutata that coats a spoon lightly, not a chunky stew. The sieve matters most, because skipping it leaves fine bone fragments and a gritty finish.
This works on a weeknight if you plan ahead. Ask your fishmonger to gut, scale and cut the fish, and the rest is chopping vegetables and a 25-minute simmer. Toast the bread while the pot bubbles.
Practical pantry note: if rockfish isn’t at the market, use any mix of lean white fish plus a couple of bony pieces. Fillets alone make a thin broth.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Silky texture with no fish chunks or bones
- Uses affordable bony fish instead of pricey fillets
- Freezes well, so a double batch pays off
- Clean tomato and fish flavor, no cream needed
Ingredient Notes
- mixed white fish: Choose three kinds, such as scorpionfish, gurnard, whiting, monkfish or cod. Keep skin and bones in for body, and have the gills removed since they taste bitter. Avoid oily fish like salmon.
- tomato passata: Smooth passata gives a clean, pale-red color. Canned peeled tomatoes, crushed and blended, work as a 1:1 swap.
- dry white wine: Use something you’d drink, like Vermentino or Pinot Grigio. For no alcohol, replace it with 120 ml water and 1 tbsp lemon juice.
- rustic bread: Day-old ciabatta or country loaf toasts best. Cut it 1.5 cm thick so it stays crisp for the first few minutes under the soup.
- extra-virgin olive oil: Use a mild Ligurian-style oil if you can. It goes into the soffritto and gets drizzled on at the end, so the flavor shows.
Silky Ciuppin: Ligurian Blended Fishermen’s Fish Soup
Ingredients
Method
- Heat the 60 ml olive oil in a 28 cm / 11-inch Dutch oven (5-quart / 4.7 L) over medium-low heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery and parsley stems, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring often, until soft and pale without browning. Add the 3 smashed garlic cloves and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Pour in the wine and boil for 2 minutes. Stir in the passata, water, bay leaf, salt and pepper, then add the fish. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 25 minutes, skimming any foam, until the fish falls apart when pressed with a spoon.
- While the soup simmers, heat the oven to 200 C / 400 F. Arrange the 12 bread slices on a 33 x 46 cm / 13 x 18 inch sheet pan and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, flipping once, until dry and golden. Rub each hot slice with the cut garlic clove and brush with a little of the 2 tbsp olive oil.
- Remove the bay leaf and blend the soup with an immersion blender, or in batches in a countertop blender, for 2 full minutes until smooth. Press it through a 20 cm / 8-inch fine-mesh sieve into a clean pot, pushing with the back of a ladle until only dry bone and skin remain, and discard them. The soup should pour like thin cream, so add hot water 50 ml at a time if it's thick.
- Warm the strained soup over low heat for 2 to 3 minutes until steaming, then taste and add salt if needed. Put 2 toast slices in each wide bowl, ladle the soup over, and finish with a drizzle of olive oil and the parsley leaves. Serve right away, while the toast still holds its shape.
Notes
- Have the fishmonger gut, scale and remove the gills, then cut the fish into 5 cm chunks.
- Keep skin and bones in the pot, since they give the broth its body.
- Strain through a fine-mesh sieve and discard every solid left behind.
- Thin the soup with hot water, 50 ml at a time, if it feels thick.
- Ladle the soup over toast right before serving so the bread holds its shape.
Tips for Success
- Use at least three kinds of fish, including one bony, gelatin-rich type such as scorpionfish or gurnard, for body and natural sweetness.
- Keep the simmer gentle, with small lazy bubbles, because a hard boil clouds the broth and dulls the fish flavor.
- Press the blended soup through a fine-mesh sieve with a ladle and discard the solids, since small bones survive even a strong blender.
- Boil the white wine for 2 minutes before adding tomato so the sharp alcohol smell cooks off and only the acidity remains.
- Toast the bread until fully dry and golden, and ladle the soup over it right before serving so it holds its shape.
Variations
- Cook 2 anchovy fillets in the soffritto oil until they dissolve for a deeper savory base without a fishy taste.
- Use gluten-free bread, sliced 1.5 cm thick and toasted until fully dry, to keep the soup safe for gluten-free guests.
- Add a pinch of chili flakes with the garlic and finish each bowl with a little lemon zest for a brighter, warmer bowl.
Storage and Reheating
Ciuppin keeps for 2 days in the fridge in an airtight container. Cool it and refrigerate within 2 hours of cooking, and store the toast separately.
For longer storage, freeze the soup without bread for up to 2 months. Thaw it overnight in the fridge.
Reheat on the stovetop over low heat for 5 to 8 minutes, stirring often, until steaming hot. If it looks separated, whisk it or give it a few seconds with an immersion blender. Re-crisp leftover toast on a sheet pan at 180 C / 350 F for 5 minutes.
Serving Suggestions
Ciuppin is served in a wide bowl over two slices of garlic-rubbed toast, with a swirl of olive oil and a few parsley leaves. Eat it within about 10 minutes of ladling, before the bread softens.
For a fuller dinner, add a salad of shaved fennel, lemon and olive oil. Crisp fried anchovies or roasted vegetables also fit well, though the bread already gives you a starch.
A chilled Ligurian Vermentino or another dry white suits the tomato and fish. If you prefer crisp toast, serve it on the side and dunk as you go.
FAQ
Why is my ciuppin gritty?
Ciuppin turns gritty when small bones and skin fragments slip through the blender. Blend for a full 2 minutes, then press the soup through a fine-mesh sieve with the back of a ladle until only dry solids remain. If it still feels grainy, strain it a second time through the same sieve.
Can I use salmon or frozen fish fillets instead of rockfish in ciuppin?
Yes, as long as the fish is lean and white, such as cod, whiting or monkfish. Skip salmon, because its oil dominates and makes the soup taste greasy. Frozen fish works if fully thawed. Include at least one bony cut or cleaned fish head, since fillets alone give a thin broth.
Can you freeze ciuppin?
Yes, ciuppin freezes well for up to 2 months in airtight containers, without the bread. Thaw it overnight in the fridge, then reheat over low heat, stirring, until steaming hot. If it separates, whisk it or give it a few seconds with an immersion blender to bring it back together.
What goes well with ciuppin if I want a full dinner?
A salad of shaved fennel, lemon and olive oil keeps the meal light, and a chilled Ligurian Vermentino suits the tomato and fish. For something heavier, follow with fried anchovies or roasted vegetables. The soup already comes with toast, so you don’t need to add a separate starch.
What is the difference between ciuppin and cacciucco?
Ciuppin is blended and strained into a smooth soup from Liguria, while cacciucco is a chunky Tuscan stew from Livorno with whole pieces of fish and shellfish. Cacciucco is usually spicier with chili and sometimes red wine. Ciuppin tastes cleaner and is closer to a vellutata.
Is ciuppin gluten free?
The soup itself is naturally gluten free, since it contains only fish, vegetables, tomato, wine and olive oil. The garlic toast is what adds gluten. Swap in gluten-free bread, toasted until fully dry, and check that your passata and wine labels don’t list any added ingredients.
