This stracciatella soup (Italian egg drop soup) recipe is made with a rich (chicken) broth, nutritious vegetables, and a flavorful mixture of Parmesan or Pecorino cheese, eggs, and fresh parsley.
It's incredibly hearty, nourishing, and filling enough to serve as a complete meal. You can keep it low-carb or make it with pasta like Tortellini or Ravioli—this soup won't disappoint!
When colder months are around the corner, there is nothing better than warming you up with a bowl of this healthy Roman egg drop soup.
In my home, it often serves as a cold cure soup to comfort and nourish the body when you need a little extra help.
It's also versatile enough to keep adding ingredients or tweak it to your liking. However you make it, this soup delivers incredible flavors and nourishment.
Jump to:
Why we love this soup
- This homemade Italian egg drop soup contains plenty of nourishing vegetables.
- It includes celery, carrots, leeks, and kale (or replace it with spinach).
- Although traditionally made with a rich chicken broth, bone broth works too.
- You can keep it simple and enjoy it as a vegetable egg drop soup.
- Or throw in any cooked shredded chicken (or leftovers from a roasted chicken) or pre-cooked ground Italian sausage to make it a stand-alone nourishing meal.
- It has an incredibly flavorful mixture of grated Parmesan or Pecorino cheese, beaten eggs, and fresh parsley that becomes little clouds when whisked into the simmering broth.
- This soup is light, low-carb, and gluten-free without pasta.
- But you can add your favorite pasta, like tortellini and ravioli, for a heartier dish.
- You have plenty of options.
So let's make this nourishing Stracciatella soup recipe.
What is Stracciatella soup
You may know it as Stracciatella Alla Romana or Italian egg drop soup. It's a simple soup made usually from a rich meat-based broth. A raw egg-based mixture is stirred during the simmer, creating little shreds or soft egg pockets, usually deliciously flavored with Parmesan-Reggiano cheese and fresh chopped parsley. Although traditionally a starter soup for Easter with bread on the side, it's one of these recipes that was often adapted and served as a whole winter meal with added vegetables, meats, or pasta in my childhood.
Ingredients, notes & substitutions
STOCK OR BROTH: This soup will always taste richer and better with homemade stock. Traditionally, it's made with good chicken stock, but a hearty bone or beef broth can also work.
For store-bought broths and stocks, go for slow-simmered, unsalted ones with minimal ingredients.
FINELY CHOPPED VEGETABLES: leeks, celery, and deep-colored carrots add nutrition and infuse the stock with tremendous sweet and savory flavors.
They're only simmered long enough to tender but are far from mushy.
GREENS LIKE KALE OR SPINACH: curly or Russian kale is tossed in towards the end and tastes amazing in this soup. You can opt for spinach or swiss chard.
When cooked, these dark greens lose their bitterness and make the Stracciatella soup nutrition-rich and a complete meal.
EGGS: use two large eggs for the mixture. If your eggs are small, add a third or more to cover the Parsley.
PARMESAN OR PECORINO CHEESE: I wish I could tell you that you can substitute the Parmesan or Pecorino cheese, but this is an Italian egg drop soup, after all.
In my humble opinion, nothing compares to the sharp and uniquely bold flavors of these Italian cheeses when it comes to this soup. You don't have to get the best, just a decent brand.
FRESH PARSLEY: it adds a peppery and unmistakable aromatic flavor that lifts up the whole soup. We add it to our homemade version, and I highly recommend it.
How to make stracciatella soup
(See complete instructions in the Recipe).
STEP 1: Bring your favorite homemade stock or broth to a gentle simmer. Season lightly with salt.
STEP 2: Add the chopped vegetables, except kale, and cook for 5 minutes.
STEP 3: Then stir in the kale. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes at a steady simmer. If you choose to add any frozen or refrigerated tortellini or ravioli, stir it in at this point.
STEP 4: In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs with the cheese and parsley.
STEP 5: Pour the egg mixture into the soup, give it a good stir and simmer for one minute allowing the mixture to cook and fluff to the surface.
Note: For fluffy clouds or soft clumps—our home version—avoid over-stirring once you add them to the broth. A few stirs will suffice. For a more delicate stracciatella soup where the egg mixture becomes more stringy, slowly pour it while whisking it in the soup until it becomes straggly.
Keep it low-carb & gluten-free
No pasta is needed to enjoy this soup because it has satisfying flavors and incredibly nourishing ingredients.
You can make it more wholesome by adding any leftover shredded chicken (chicken stracciatella) or serving it with a chicken salad on the side (low-carb Italian Stracciatella soup).
Add Tortellini or Ravioli for a Heartier Dish
For a more hearty dish, add a cheese, spinach, or meat-filled tortellini—even ravioli can work here.
Refrigerated or frozen tortellini goes straight into the soup and cooks for a few minutes. And like kale, they are added toward the end.
I wouldn't add more than a pack of eight to nine ounces; otherwise, the pasta will soak up all the broth (more on that later—see storage).
A tortellini stracciatella is always very popular amongst kids and a great comforting winter meal like this sausage broccoli rabe pasta.
Note: You can also use dried tortellini, but instead of going straight into the soup, cook them first according to package instructions. Dried tortellini takes longer to soften and will take away too much of the broth when cooked together.
Storage & reheating
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 to 4 days.
If you've made it with any pasta, it's best to store the pasta and soup separately so the noodles won't drink up the broth.
The soup warms up quickly on the stove over medium-low heat. When hot, stir back in the noodles and let cook for about a minute. Then serve and enjoy!
I never freeze this soup. Instead, I'll make a big batch of homemade chicken stock, freeze that in smaller portions and only take out what I need to make this hearty Stracciatella soup.
Serving Suggestions
This Italian egg drop soup is wonderfully filling and savory. The flavors are big and fresh. Sometimes I serve it with a few sides like:
- An Italian-flavored chicken salad.
- Extra grated Parmesan, Pecorino, or Asiago cheese.
- Italian-baked breadsticks (especially around the Holidays).
- Or Rusty Farmer's bread.
- It could also be a great side to this amazing Mediterranean grazing board.
I hope this recipe will go in your soup rotation! Enjoy.
Also Recommended
Don't forget to subscribe to my Monthly Newsletter!
Have questions? Simply comment below or message me. If you make this recipe, please leave a comment and a starred review below. Thank you!
📖 Recipe
Nourishing Stracciatella Soup
Mariska RamondinoEquipment
- minimum 5 QT pot with a lid.
Ingredients
- 8 cups homemade chicken stock or robust unsalted store-bought chicken stock 2 quarts/about 2 liters
- 1 cup finely chopped carrots (about 5 small farmer's carrots) 140 grams
- ½ cup finely chopped celery (about 1 to 2 celery stalks depending on size) 70 grams
- 1 cup packed finely chopped leeks—1 small leek 105 grams
- 3 cups packed chopped curly kale 110 grams (1 small bunch)
- 1 package frozen or refrigerated Ravioli or Tortellini 8 ounces/ 227 grams (optional), (*or use dried tortellini cooked according to package instructions)
- 2 large eggs 3 if eggs are small
- ½ cup grated Parmesan or Pecorino cheese 45 grams
- ½ cup packed finely chopped parsley (curly or flat) 30 grams
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large pot, heat the stock over medium-high heat until simmering. Then lower the heat to a gentle simmer. Season lightly with salt.
- Meanwhile, prep the vegetables while keeping an eye on the stock.
- Add the chopped carrots, celery, and leeks—Cook for 5 minutes.
- Then stir in the chopped kale.
- Optional: if you want to add frozen or refrigerated tortellini or ravioli, add it right after you've stirred in the kale.
- Let it cook for 3 to 5 minutes at a steady simmer.
- Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, the cheese, and the parsley until thoroughly combined.
- Pour in the egg mixture and give it a good stir.
- Simmer for about 1 minute more, allowing the mixture to cook and fluff to the surface.
- Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
- Serve hot.
Notes
- Storage: if you have leftovers, store soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 to 4 days. Best to keep the tortellini or any pasta and soup separate so the pasta won't drink up the broth.
- For freezing, best to freeze the stock without the pasta or stracciatella (egg mixture).
- Reheating: The soup warms up quickly on the stove over medium-low heat. When hot, stir in the cooked noodles (if using) and let cook for about a minute. Then serve and enjoy!
- Options: This soup tastes amazing without any pasta. But if you do choose to make it with pasta, I recommend a cheese or spinach-filled tortellini or ravioli. You can also add leftover or cooked shredded chicken or pre-cooked ground Italian sausage to make it a stand-alone nourishing meal.
- Prep Time: the 10 minutes include warming up the stock while prepping the vegetables.
- Pasta: if added, frozen/refrigerated tortellini or ravioli will be ready when they're floating to the surface and tender (anywhere from 3 to 5 minutes). Dried tortellini must be cooked according to package instructions before adding them to the soup.
- Eggs: A few gentle stirs when mixing in the egg mixture will result in small eggy clumps (which we prefer at home). However, if you like the egg mixture to be a sheer addition to the soup (more like little shreds), then keep stirring until the egg mixture becomes more stringy.
Add your own private notes
Whenever you come back to this recipe, you’ll be able to see your notes.
Nutrition (% Daily value)
Disclaimer: This nutritional data is calculated using third party tools and is only intended as a reference.
Leave a Reply