Stracciatella Soup

One of the great things about Italian cuisine is how it highlights simple ingredients and makes them shine. This lovely stracciatella soup is a perfect example. Sometimes called Italian egg drop soup, it’s a quick and easy soup recipe made with just a few kitchen staples: chicken stock, eggs, Parmesan cheese and seasonings. This soul-warming soup is terrific when you feel a cold coming on or when you need a quick meal on a cold day. Savory and soothing, you can feel generations of Nonnas behind every sip.

What is stracciatella?

The word stracciatella refers to three very different foods in Italy. Derived from straccetti, which means “little rags,” it describes dishes that feature bits of one ingredient strewn within another. For instance, stracciatella cheese is pieces of stretched and torn mozzarella blended with heavy cream. Stracciatella ice cream has strands of chocolate drizzled over it, then stirred into the base. And the stracciatella soup recipe involves stirring beaten eggs and cheese into hot chicken broth, which turns the eggs into “rags” or ribbons.

Stracciatella is similar to Chinese egg drop soup, but there are a few key differences. The Italian soup includes cheese, while the Chinese soup does not. The Chinese version is also thickened slightly with cornstarch, which gives it a velvety mouthfeel. Lastly, the seasonings are different: nutmeg, salt and black pepper for stracciatella; salt, white pepper and sesame oil for egg drop soup.

Stracciatella Soup Ingredients

• Chicken stock: Because this recipe has so few ingredients, you’ll want to make it with the best chicken broth brand that you can get your hands on. If you’re great at making homemade chicken broth, this is the time to use it.
• Nutmeg: A hint of freshly grated nutmeg lends an enchanting flavor to this Italian egg drop soup. However, if you don’t have it on hand, you can omit it. I like to grate mine with a Microplane.
• Seasonings: Salt and freshly ground black pepper are the only other spices you’ll need to make this quick and easy soup.
• Eggs: Whatever kind you get—cage-free, vegetarian-fed, farm-fresh—make sure they’re Grade A and large.
• Parmesan cheese: Not all Parmesan is created equal. Skip the stuff in the green can and go straight to the fancy cheese counter or deli section of your grocery store, where you might find some real Italian Parmigiano Reggiano.

Directions

Step 1: Heat the stock

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In a large saucepan or stock pot, bring the stock to a simmer over medium heat. Stir in the salt, pepper and nutmeg.

Step 2: Add the eggs

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In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs and 3/4 cup of Parmesan.

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Gently pour the eggs into the the broth, stirring once or twice. Simmer until the eggs float to the top, three to four minutes.

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Gently break the eggs apart into clumps.

Editor’s Tip: Keep the stove on medium or medium-low heat when adding the eggs. You don’t want them too cook too fast; the egg “ribbons” should be fluffy and soft.

Step 2: Serve the soup

Serve the soup in your favorite bowls, and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese.

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Stracciatella Soup Variations

• Beef up the broth: It’s not unusual to make this soup with beef stock or broth instead of chicken broth. Don’t eat meat? A veggie broth will work just fine.
• Add some green: Just before breaking up the cooked egg, add some baby spinach or shredded Swiss chard and let it wilt for a moment before proceeding. You can also garnish the soup with fresh parsley.
• Tweak the seasonings: If you’d like a bit more complexity, add some grated lemon zest and a squeeze of lemon for zing, or a small amount of chili flake for some spice.
• Make it starchy: For a heartier meal, spoon the stracciatella soup onto cooked petite pasta, such as stelline or orzo.

How to Store Stracciatella Soup

Because this soup is so quick to put together, and because the egg threads are delicate, we recommend making just the amount you wish to eat (it’s perfectly fine to halve the recipe). However, if you do find yourself with leftovers, store them in an airtight glass container or a screw-top jar. The soup will last up to four days in the refrigerator.

How do you reheat stracciatella soup?

Gentle is the name of the game here. Warm this soup slowly over low heat, as you want it to get hot without coming to a full boil.

Stracciatella Soup Tips

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How many eggs per person should you use for stracciatella soup?

This recipe calls for a little bit less than an egg per serving, as you’re aiming for the proper ratio of broth to strands of egg. If you serve this soup to four people instead of six, you’ll eat approximately an egg per serving.

What else can you serve with stracciatella soup?

Because stracciatella soup is from Rome, I like to serve it as an appetizer before offering other Roman-style dishes. Try including it as part of a meal along with chicken saltimbocca, the ever-popular cacio e pepe or some sweet potato gnocchi. On the side, try a lemon-artichoke romaine salad or a dish of roasted green beans with lemon and walnuts.