Stracciatella Alla Romana (Roman Egg Drop Soup) Recipe (2024)

By Samin Nosrat

Stracciatella Alla Romana (Roman Egg Drop Soup) Recipe (1)

Total Time
About 25 minutes
Rating
4(1,139)
Notes
Read community notes

Tendrils of quickly cooked eggs, seasoned with cheese, nutmeg and pepper, float in a meaty stock in this traditional Italian soup. To avoid clumps that make the dish seem more like failed scrambled eggs than a delicate broth, pour the egg mixture into the hot stock in a thin stream, whisking as you go and promptly pulling it off the heat when done. In the dead of winter, when warmth is elusive and colds seem to be overtaking everyone, there's nothing better.

Learn: How to Make Soup

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Ingredients

Yield:About 6 servings

  • ¼cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2medium yellow onions, diced
  • Kosher salt
  • 6large eggs
  • ½cup finely grated fresh Parmesan, rind reserved, plus more for serving
  • Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 8cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
  • 2tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

333 calories; 21 grams fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 11 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 16 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 7 grams sugars; 19 grams protein; 1001 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Stracciatella Alla Romana (Roman Egg Drop Soup) Recipe (2)

Preparation

  1. Step

    1

    Set a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat. Add oil. When it shimmers, add the onions and a generous pinch of salt. Reduce heat to medium. Stirring occasionally, cook onions for 10 to 15 minutes until tender. It’s fine if they start to take on a little color.

  2. In a large measuring cup or medium bowl with a spout, thoroughly whisk together the eggs, ½ cup grated Parmesan, nutmeg, black pepper, and a generous pinch of salt.

  3. Step

    3

    When onions are tender, add Parmesan rind and stock to pot. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce to a strong simmer. While gently whisking soup with one hand, pour egg mixture into pot in a thin stream with the other. Once all of the egg mixture has been added, turn off the heat. Remove Parmesan rind. Taste and adjust for salt.

  4. Step

    4

    Ladle soup into bowls and serve immediately, garnished with Parmesan, black pepper, and parsley.

Ratings

4

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1,139

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Private Notes

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Cooking Notes

Polly

I like to add fresh baby spinach and a bit of fresh lemon juice.

Phyllis

I find that it is best to take the soup off the heat before pouring in the egg/cheese mixture. It prevents the cheese from clumping and the eggs will stream beautifully.

Katherine

Step One: Set a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat. Add oil. When it shimmers, add the onions and a generous pinch of salt. Reduce heat to medium. Stirring occasionally, cook onions for 10 to 15 minutes until tender. It’s fine if they start to take on a little color.
When onions are tender, add Parmesan rind and stock to pot.

Chinese egg drop soup

If you leave out the cheese, this is identical to my mom’s Chinese egg drop soup. To make it even more authentic, add a bit of chopped green onion and sesame oil right before serving.

Lynnjehle

I prefer David Tanis' recipe for this soup - It's cleaner, purer tasting. Leave out the onion and add 3 whole garlic coves while heating the broth. Add thinly sliced scallions to the Italian parsley on top. Bellissima! You can make a smaller quantity with 1 quart of broth and 2 eggs.

Rob-in-Philly

Great as is and the key is the home made stock...never use store bought 'broth' or those K-ration cubes. Now to kick this up a notch to a great winter dinner or lunch add pulled rotisserie chicken and the baby spinich. and those herb or garlic scones or parma cheese bicscuts, or....yum.

June

I add baby spinach. Otherwise pretty much follow this as it is.

Dede

I love to add some rough chopped escarole.

North Star

kinda weird that the times photographer would shoot a picture with the cheese /eggs all clumped up...it should be in ribbons. Take the broth off the stove and whisk the cheese/egg mixture in a slow steady stream... Ribbons! and it wouldn't be Stracciastella without some fresh lemon juice to serve... otherwise a great recipe... perfect on a lenten friday

Anne DePalma

I have been making this soup for decades and have never added onions; it's very flavorful (and easier to make!) without them. I also like to add some small pasta (acini de pepe or stellete) to make it heartier.

Rob-in-Philly

It works but I find the key is using a stock made from a base of roasted veges including onions, carrots, celery, and parsnip, with added fresh thyme and a bit of rosemary, a bayleaf, peppercorns and mushroom stems. Otherwise the soup 'liquor' is too bland and broth like.

pasuga

Not recommended to freeze, the eggs get funky.

CarmelN

Trying adding some small meatballs (ground beef and veal combined is best) or some shredded chicken

Dee Capaldi

Can you use onion powder? If not, garlic? My mother made hers with no nutmeg. Swiss chard or spinach torn, hence the name, instead of parsley. She also put in mini (@ a centimeter in diameter) meatballs. It is our “go to if you are ill” soup and the first course of many holiday meals. I add extra garlic and onion powders to the broth. It is delicious, nourishing and healing. Mangia bene.

Terri

Would this still be as yummy as it sounds if I made it with Veggie Broth?

Ron

We've made this soup a couple of times and have really enjoyed it. One key issue that impacts the texture of the finished soup is the whisking while the egg mixture is being poured into the stock. The first time I made this, I whisked too vigorously, which broke the egg ribbons into smaller pieces. It still tasted really good, but looked too "muddy" because of the small egg pieces throughout the soup. The second time I made it, I focused on GENTLE whisking, creating the desired "ribbons".

Kirill

This is a great hangover soup.

Josh Wilson

Great. Subbed in celery for half of the onion. Definitely doesn't need added salt -the stock and parmesan have plenty.

Scott

This was a super easy, quick, delicious soup. We'll make this one again.

maggie in canada

My version from an Italian home chef website: proportions are 6 cups homemade chicken stock; 3 large eggs; 3 tbsp fresh chopped Italian parsley; 5 tbsp freshly grated cheese - half parm, half pecorino; pinch freshly grated nutmeg; and to give the eggs some body - 2 tbsp semolina. Combine all ingredients well and add slowly to the simmering broth, stirring constantly. It will be cloudy at first and then become clear. Chiffonade 2 cups of fresh spinach if desired and add to broth until soft.

Yum

My eggs clumped because of a personal error but I was able to reduce the recipe by 6 for a single serving and it was amazing

Dan

Definitely use homemade chicken stock. It makes all the difference and produces a much richer flavor.

Kim P.

This was delicious! Followed recipe with home made broth but subbed Swiss chard in for the parsley, as I was out of parsley. Wonderful rich flavor as written, however my family likes their soup a bit more meaty, so I broiled some meatballs and placed them in individual bowls, then ladled the soup over the meatballs. Delightful, my family loved it. This recipe is going into our rotation!

Only As Good As The Broth

The broth makes this soup, or in my case, breaks it.

Barbara

This is a wonderful soup on a cold night! Delicious.

Sally

I thought this was bland and boring. But when I reheated it the next day, I added lots of fresh-ground mixed peppercorns (black, green, white and szechuan) and found it was transformed over just using black pepper.

Lynn

Is it possible to make this using vegetable broth ?

PJ

Take the soup off the heat before pouring in the egg/cheese mixture.

Kat

Adding mini meatballs and escarole or baby spinach makes a soup close to Nonna’s.

Babis77

I only had bone marrow stock in the freezer, but it was equally delicious. I’ve often made the Chinese version with homemade chicken stock. I also took off the heat before adding the egg and cheese mixture.

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Stracciatella Alla Romana (Roman Egg Drop Soup) Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why is egg drop soup so good? ›

It is: Rich in Protein: Eggs, the main ingredient in egg drop soup, are an excellent source of high-quality protein, as is bone broth (homemade or store-bought), which usually contains 8-10 g protein per cup. You can further boost the soup's protein content by adding shredded, cooked chicken, shrimp, or tofu.

What is stracciatella romana soup? ›

Stracciatella alla romana is the egg drop soup of Italian cooking. It starts with a rich meat broth (either chicken or beef), into which a beaten mixture of whole eggs and grated Parmigiano-Reggiano is streamed in to form tiny, light, and flavorful clouds. A bit of fresh nutmeg and lemon complete the picture.

What is the history of stracciatella soup? ›

Stracciatella, The Soup

The recipe originated in Rome hundreds and hundreds of years ago, and is said to have been created when families had loads of leftover broth on Christmas from cooking their meat.

What does stracciatella mean in English? ›

This process creates the shreds of chocolate that give stracciatella its name, the word meaning 'little shred' in Italian. While stracciatella ice cream traditionally involves milk ice cream and milk chocolate, modern variations can also be made with vanilla and dark chocolate.

Is egg drop soup good for your gut? ›

This soup has so many healing benefits and is a great option for when you're feeling a cold coming on, inflamed from eating too much junk food, to help alleviate sinus pressure, cramps and many other uncomfortable situations. The bone broth is also great for your gut health and helps with digestive issues.

What broth is egg drop soup made of? ›

So What Is Egg Drop Soup? In case this recipe is new to you, egg drop soup is a staple at Chinese restaurants across the United States. It's typically made with lightly-seasoned chicken or veggie broth, and filled with delicious egg “ribbons”, which are created by whisking raw eggs into the simmering broth.

What is a substitute for stracciatella? ›

Substitutes. Fresh ricotta may be substituted for stracciatella as a condiment or an ingredient in a topping or filling. Stracchino, a fresh, unripened Italian cheese with a milky flavor and light tang, may also be used. For melting, such as on a pizza, fresh mozzarella or burrata can be used in place of stracciatella.

What flavor is stracciatella? ›

This elegant Italian version of chocolate-chip ice cream unites creamy vanilla gelato with luscious dark chocolate slivers. Those chocolate slivers are made by hand-spinning melted Ghirardelli chocolate into fresh vanilla gelato.

Is stracciatella healthy? ›

Containing 260 mg of calcium per 100 g, Stracciatella plays a modest yet valuable role in promoting overall health. While it may not be the primary source of calcium, this essential mineral found in Stracciatella contributes to bone health, providing structural support and strength.

Can I eat stracciatella? ›

This popular Italian soft cheese is widely used as a topping for pizzas, pastas, and risottos. It perfectly pairs with salads or fresh bread and tomatoes. When eaten alone, it should be tasted at room temperature. Remove it from the fridge at least 30 minutes before serving.

Is gelato healthier than ice cream? ›

The main difference between ice cream and gelato is their fat content. With only 4-9% fat to the usual 10-25% of ice cream, gelato usually is lighter and healthier. Per portion, however, the answer is clear, gelato is typically healthier than ice cream.

What do you eat stracciatella with? ›

Stracciatella pairs wonderfully with fresh pasta. Try a dollop on spaghetti bolognese or gnocchi with marinara sauce. You can add stracciatella to a tomato sauce and prosciutto pizza straight from the oven to take your pizza night to the next level. With roasted veggies.

Does stracciatella taste like vanilla? ›

In Italy, stracciatella is referred to as vanilla gelato with crunchy chocolate pieces on top or throughout the gelato. It can also be used to create a chocolate flavored gelato. Offering a chocolaty, crunchy chocolate chip texture, it's hard not to become an amante (lover) of this flavor.

What type of cheese is stracciatella? ›

Stracciatella is an Italian cheese product made from pulled mozzarella curds mixed with heavy cream. It is a type of pasta filata ("spun paste") cheese. The word stracciatella means “rag” and comes from the word strattore ("to stretch").

Does egg drop soup help when you're sick? ›

It's especially perfect when you're sick and trying to rest up and recover. It takes minimal effort, is soothing on your throat, and actually provides some nutrients to help keep your energy up. Please don't wait to make this until your next head cold, you really need egg drop soup in your life immediately!

Why is Chinese egg drop soup so thick? ›

Beating the eggs with cornstarch before adding to the broth thickens them so they will be evenly distributed throughout the broth.

Is egg drop soup good as leftovers? ›

Store your leftover egg drop soup for up to four days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Reheat on the stove or in the microwave.

Why is egg drop soup gelatinous? ›

Why is my egg drop soup so thick? If prepared properly, egg drop soup should be thick with a rich and creamy mouthfeel. It shouldn't, however, be so thick that it's practically gelatinous. A soup that's too thick likely means you used too much cornstarch or the swirl-and-pour technique was done incorrectly.

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