Caldo De Mariscos Recipe

Sauté aromatics

Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add olive oil and when shimmering add diced onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook 30–45 seconds until fragrant.

Build the tomato base

Stir in tomato paste and cook 1 minute to remove raw flavor. Add crushed tomatoes and diced fresh tomatoes, stirring to combine. Cook 3–4 minutes until mixture begins to slightly reduce.

Add liquids and seasonings

Pour in water and fish or seafood stock. Add bay leaf, tied cilantro or parsley stems, dried oregano, crushed red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes to meld flavors.

Prepare seafood

While the broth simmers, pat shrimp, fish, octopus, and seafood mix dry with paper towels and season lightly with a pinch of salt and pepper.

Cook firmer seafood first

Add the octopus and seafood mix (mussels/clams/squid) to the simmering broth first. Simmer gently for 4–5 minutes to start releasing their flavors and to warm through. If using live shellfish, ensure they open fully and discard any that remain closed.

Add delicate seafood

Add the fish pieces and shrimp to the pot. Simmer another 3–4 minutes, or until the fish is opaque and flakes easily and the shrimp are pink and just cooked through. Do not overcook — total seafood cooking time should be brief so everything remains tender.

Add bell pepper and finish

In the final 2 minutes of cooking, add the sliced green bell pepper so it softens but retains some texture. Remove the bay leaf and the bundle of stems (if used).

Brighten and garnish

Stir in fresh lime juice and chopped cilantro leaves. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt, pepper, or lime juice as needed.

Ladle the caldo de mariscos into warmed bowls, ensuring a mix of broth, shrimp, octopus, fish, and shellfish in each portion. Serve immediately with slices of crusty bread on the side, lime wedges, and extra cilantro. Ideal to serve family-style with bread for dipping into the broth.