Italian Egg Drop Soup [Stracciatella Recipe]

This Italian Egg Drop Soup is a variation of the traditional recipe Stracciatella Alla Romana. Sauteed shallots and tomatoes add a splash of color and texture.

Serve this comforting soup with your favorite flatbread, focaccia, or a slice of yeast-free honey wheat bread.

The authentic recipe for Italian stracciatella is one of the world’s simplest soups.

Basically, it is an egg mixture slowly poured and stirred in a hot homemade chicken broth. 

The egg mixture of this classic soup consists of whisking together 1 egg, 1 tablespoon of grated cheese (Parmesan) and 1 tablespoon of semolina per serving.

The addition of freshly grated nutmeg, lemon zest and chopped parsley are all optional.

When this egg mixture hits the hot broth, little strands or stracci form, hence the name stracciatella. 

Today, we will enrich this traditional soup with the addition of a few ingredients.

Mise en place

There are just a few vegetables we need to prep for this simple Italian egg soup. First, let’s properly rinse the parsley and the tomato.

Next, chop about 2 tablespoons of flat-leaf Italian parsley and mince 1 french shallot. If you don’t have shallots, replace them with ½ cup minced onion.

Prep the garlic: Crush 2 garlic cloves with the side of your knife. Remove the papery skins and cut off the tips. Mince finely and set aside. 

Prep the tomato: Depending on the size and variety, chop 1-2 fresh tomatoes. Discard the white inner core. 

If desired, you can remove the skin by scoring the bottom of the tomato with an X. Then, submerge in boiling water for one minute. Transfer to a bowl of ice water. After a couple of minutes, remove from the water and peel off the skin.

Instructions

In a medium saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat.

Sauté the minced shallots (or onions) for 3-4 minutes or until softened.

Add the minced garlic and sauté for 1 minute while stirring. Do not allow to brown.

Add the chopped tomatoes and continue to sauté for 2-3 more minutes.

Next, add 4 cups of broth (vegetable or chicken), cover and bring to a low simmer for about 10 minutes.

Taste and adjust for salt and pepper. 

While waiting, whisk 2 eggs together with 2 tablespoons of grated cheese and 2 tablespoons of chopped parsley. 

Remove the broth from the heat.

Slowly pour the beaten egg mixture into the hot broth, constantly stirring in the same circular motion with a fork for about one minute. Notice how the eggs form threads. 

Ladle the soup in bowls.

If desired, garnish this tomato egg drop soup with additional grated cheese and chopped parsley.

Variations

There are countless variations of the basic recipe for Stracciatella Alla Romana. Let your imagination and whatever you have in your pantry and fridge be your guide.

Here are some suggestions:

Spinach Egg Drop Soup: Add 1 cup of thinly sliced spinach after the addition of the whisked egg mixture.

Chicken Stracciatella Soup: Add cooked diced chicken after the addition of the whisked eggs. 

Stracciatella Soup with Pasta: While the broth is simmering, add small pasta shapes like acini di pepe, orzo or satellite. When al dente, remove from heat and whisk in the egg mixture. 

Tips

• The french shallot can be replaced by ½ cup minced onion.
• A homemade broth (vegetable or chicken) provides the maximum amount of flavor. 
• Use frozen tomatoes to replace fresh ones. 
• The fresh parsley can easily be replaced by frozen parsley.
• Taste and adjust seasonings before whisking in the egg mixture.

Easy soup recipes we love

If you are looking for more simple recipes like this one, try this White Bean Soup. It’s also healthy, hearty and gluten-free. A few other family favorites are this Italian Lentil Soup, Italian sausage soup, and this Split Pea Soup. One bowl is never enough! 

Recipe inspiration

If you were living in Quebec or Ontario in the ’80s and of Italian descent, you knew about Chef Pasquale Carpino, the Calabrian opera-singing chef.

Chef Pasquale was extremely entertaining to watch. He was creative, gifted and inspirational.

Let me remind you, there was no Food Channel back then. This chef was the real deal.

The inspiration for this recipe comes from Chef Pasquale’s cookbook entitled “La Cucina di Pasquale.”  

This is one of my go-to recipes whenever I need a big bowl of comfort food.

Enjoy!

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Ciao for now,

Maria

★★★★★ If you have made this stracciatella soup recipe, I would love to hear about it in the comments below and be sure to rate the recipe!

This post was originally published on October 21, 2015, and republished on April 1, 2020 with updated content and photos. Thanks for sharing!