Italian Style Egg Drop Soup "Stracciatella"
Not long ago a reader of mine asked me about an Italian style of egg drop soup that she couldn't remember the name of.
This was her question: "I spent 3+ years in southern Italy (Naples) and had a soup with chicken, spinach and other things, and I think an egg or two was put in (raw) and stirred. I do not know what the soup was called. My landlady made it for my son and me and I didn't speak much Italian at that time so conversation was rough. Any idea of the soup I'm asking about?"...
My reply: Well, this is the egg drop soup that you are asking me. The Italian style is called Stracciatella or shredded soup due to the eggs that are whisked in. Originally the authentic recipe is from Rome but there are other variations in Italy.
Linda (USA) asked me something very similar about this recipe: "My daughter's best friend's nonna is straight from Italy and makes pastina soup with an egg. Every recipe I find seems much more complicated then what my daughter describes. HELP!"
Nancy (USA) asked: "My mother made a soup ravioli that had egg, bread crumbs, parmesan cheese. I'm not sure of the other ingredients. Please help...".
My reply: Dear Linda & Nancy, I wrote here the authentic recipe Stracciatella alla Romana. You can give your own twist adding spinach instead of parsley, and use chicken broth instead of the meat one, even baby pasta (pastina) instead of bread crumbs or both can be added as you like, or make a ravioli soup.
Recipe:
Italian Style Egg Drop Soup
Preparation time: 10 minutes - Cooking time: 10 - Total time: 20 minutes.
Ingredients: serves 2
Ingredients
Egg drop soup called Stracciatella- 4 cups (1 lt) meat or chicken stock cubes or broth
- 4 tablespoons (60 g) freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano
- 4 tablespoons (60 g) breadcrumbs
- 2 eggs yolk + white
- 2 tablespoons (30 g) finely chopped parsley
- pinch of grated nutmeg
- pinch of grated lemon zest
- salt
Preparation: easy
- Begin by making the stock cube or your homemade broth into a pot.
- In a large bowl beat the
eggs with a whisk and combine them with cheese and breadcrumbs, salt, pinch of lemon zest and a pinch of grated nutmeg.
- Now pour the mixture in the broth you have made before. Lower the heat, stir with a spatula and cook for 2 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and sprinkle with chopped parsley and grated Parmigiano cheese.
- Serve the dish hot and if desired you can add extra Parmigiano at the table.
In a bowl add breadcrumbs, cheese, eggs, salt, grated nutmeg and whisk
Cook for about 2 minutesGiven a closer look to the ingredients of this stracciatella soup (egg drop), it is really recommended in a cold winter to warm you up, or even when suffering from flu.
