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Stracciatella alla Romana (Italian Egg Drop Soup) Recipe

Daniel Gritzer

Chicken soup Italian-style, featuring a rich broth filled with a deeply flavorful mixture of beaten eggs and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

Published: Last Updated:
Stracciatella alla Romana (Italian Egg Drop Soup) Recipe

[Photographs: Vicky Wasik]

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. It's quick, comforting, warming, and oh so delicious.

Why It Works

  • Homemade stock makes all the difference here; most store-bought ones just won't cut it.
  • Blending the egg with grated cheese adds a ton of flavor to each spoonful of soup.
  • Whisking the egg mixture into the soup breaks it up into small, cloud-like nubbins.

Read more: How to Make Stracciatella Gelato Cheese Soup

  • Yield:Serves 4
  • Active time: 15 minutes
  • Total time:15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 quart (950ml) homemade chicken stock (or homemade pressure cooker chicken stock) or homemade beef broth (see note)
  • Kosher salt
  • 4 large eggs
  • 3 ounces (85g) freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
  • Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste (optional)
  • Freshly grated lemon zest and/or fresh lemon juice, to taste (optional)
  • Finely minced flat-leaf parsley, to garnish (optional)

Directions

  1. 1.

    In a medium saucepan, heat stock over medium-high heat until simmering. Lower heat to a bare simmer. Season lightly with salt.

  2. 2.

    Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, whisk together eggs and cheese until thoroughly mixed.

  3. 3.

    Slowly pour egg mixture into the soup while whisking. Return to a simmer, then remove from the heat. Season with salt once more, if needed.

  4. 4.

    You can season and garnish the soup as desired. A light grating of nutmeg is traditional, as is some finely grated lemon zest, and even a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Garnish with parsley, if you like. Serve hot.

This Recipe Appears In
How to Make Stracciatella Gelato Cheese Soup

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Daniel Gritzer Culinary Director

Daniel cooked for years in some of New York's top American, Italian and French restaurants - starting at the age of 13, when he began staging at the legendary restaurant Chanterelle. He spent nearly a year working on organic farms in Europe, where he harvested almonds and Padron peppers in Spain, shepherded a flock of more than 200 sheep in Italy, and made charcuterie in France. When not working on, thinking about, cooking and eating food, he blows off steam (and calories) as an instructor of capoeira, the Afro-Brazilian martial art.

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