I’ve never been a big fan of cioppino because I’m not a huge seafood lover, but I have been having a love affair with shrimp for ages. To see it paired with shrimp’s mistress, sausage, I knew I couldn’t resist. Plus, Giada makes it pretty healthy too! However, I saw a couple of spots where I could make it extra healthy. As they say, it’s the small foxes that spoil the vine!
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SHRIMP AND SAUSAGE CIOPPINO – Anthony J. Caruso
INGREDIENTS
Olive oil cooking spray
1 large fennel bulb, trimmed and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
4 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
1 large or 2 small shallots, chopped
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus 1/2 teaspoon
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus 1/4 teaspoon
1 pound spicy Italian turkey sausage links, casings removed
2 cups white wine, such as Pinot Grigio
1/4 cup no salt added tomato paste
3 cups low-sodium chicken stock
1 bay leaf 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
DIRECTIONS
Spray a Dutch oven or large saucepan with cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat. Add the fennel, garlic, shallots, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are slightly softened, about 4 minutes. Add the sausage and break into 1/2-inch pieces with a wooden spoon. Cook until brown, about 5 minutes. Add the wine and scrape up the brown bits that cling to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Stir in the tomato paste, chicken stock, and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook for 10 minutes.
Uncover the pan and add the shrimp, beans, basil, and thyme. Simmer, uncovered, until the shrimp are pink and cooked through, about 4 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and discard. Season with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Ladle the cioppino into soup bowls and serve.
Here’s the skinny:
First, I used a cooking spray instead of olive oil. You don’t need the extra 56 grams of fat to make this dish delicious.
Also, I used chicken stock instead of broth to intensify the flavor, masking the lost fat.
To cut down on sodium, I used no salt added tomato paste. You can always put more in if you need it.
Lastly, Giada serves it with crusty bread. I took that out. This soup is great on it’s own. Maybe a light salad would be a better accompaniment instead. 
