One usually associates Roman cookery with hearty and robustly flavored dishes and, by and large, the image holds true. But there are some exceptions, like today’s offering: stracciatella, a light and delicately flavored ‘egg drop soup’.
Stracciatella is utterly simple and—if you have the broth at hand—very quick to make. Beaten egg is whisked together with grated parmigiano-reggiano and various flavorings, then swirled into simmering broth to form little curds or ‘rags’ (stracce in Italian) giving the soup its name.
It’s a great choice for those occasions when you may not be very hungry—perhaps you’ve had a big lunch and prefer something light but warming for dinner. Stracciatella is also gentle on the stomach, so it’s ideal when you’re feeling under the weather. And provided you have broth on hand, it can whipped up on the spur of the moment, so it’s also a great choice for serving unexpected company or when you don’t feel much like cooking.
Stracciatella perhaps most often figures, however, as a primo piatto or first course, and a favorite choice for Easter dinner. No doubt it’s the egg, practically synonymous with Easter as a symbol of life and rebirth. Stracciatella will sit more gently on the stomach than other Italian Easter favorites like say asparagus lasagne, so you’ll still have plenty of room for that lamb roast. Not to mention dessert…
Ingredients
Serves 4-6
- 1.5 liters (6 cups) broth, preferably homemade
Plus:
- 4 medium eggs
- 4 heaping Tbs freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- Salt and pepper
Optional:
- 4 Tbs semolina
- Grated nutmeg
- Grated lemon zest
- Finely chopped parsley
Directions
Bring the broth to a fairly brisk simmer (but not a rolling boil).
While the broth is coming up to heat, in a mixing bowl whisk the egg together with the grated cheese, salt and pepper and, if you like, one or more of the optional flavorings, until perfectly smooth and homogenous.
When the broth is at the simmer, pour the egg mixture into the broth in one go, whisking (or stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon) in a single direction. After a minute or two, the egg mixture will separate into little curds or stracce.
Allow the soup to simmer for a couple of minutes more and serve hot, with additional grated cheese on the side for those who care for it.
Notes
The choice of broth is yours—chicken, beef or a brodo classico all go well. The important thing is that the broth be full of flavor and preferably homemade. This is a dish that stands or falls on the quality of the broth.
While the core ingredients for stracciatella—broth, egg and cheese—are a constant, as is the basic technique, as usual in Italian cookery variations abound. Hence all the optional flavorings. Nutmeg is perhaps the most common. The semolina is original to the dish, featured in all of the most traditional recipes, including the one in the authoritative Talismano della Felicità. Modern recipes mostly omit it, which makes for an even lighter dish. And many modern versions of this dish, including the recipe proposed by the Accademia della Cucina Italiana and most online recipe you’ll come across, call for the grated lemon zest, which of course brightens the dish. It can be a nice touch if you have a light hand. If you overdo it, you’ll overwhelm the other delicate flavors. Some recipes call for a bit of chopped parsley for color, which I rather like. Or for an elegant touch, top with chopped chive just before serving.
One ingredient that doesn’t figure in Italian recipes is spinach. That’s an Italian-American variation.
Stracciatella soup is not to be confused, of course, with the gelato of the same name, or another Roman beef dish called straccetti.
And for a more elaborate soup in a similar vein, you might try sciusceddu alla messinese from Sicily.
Stracciatella alla romana
Ingredients
- 1.5 liters 6 cups broth preferably homemade
Plus
- 4 medium eggs
- 4 heaping Tbs Parmesan cheese freshly grated
- Salt and pepper
Optional
- 4 Tbs semolina
- nutmeg grated
- lemon zest grated
- fresh parsley finely chopped
Instructions
- Bring the broth to a fairly brisk simmer (but not a rolling boil).
- While the broth is coming up to heat, in a mixing bowl scramble the egg together with the grated cheese, salt and pepper and, if you like, one or more of the optional flavorings. Whisk well until perfectly smooth and homogenous.
- When the broth is at the simmer, pour the egg mixture into the broth in one go, all the time whisking (or stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon) in a single direction. After a minute or two, the egg mixture will separate into little curds.
- Allow the soup to simmer for a couple of minutes more and serve hot, with additional grated cheese on the side for those who care for it.
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48 Comments on “Stracciatella alla romana”
This turned out to be quite the surprise hit in our house tonight. I included nutmeg and just a bit of lemon zest as you recommended, and broth made from the bones of Sunday’s Pollo all’ischitana. Served as a main course with a side of sauteed zucchini – perfect. Not heavy but filling enough for a meal. My husband raved – not his usual response to soup 😉
So glad to hear it, Erika. Sounds like a lovely summer menu.
A great soup recipe that is easy to make and tastes good. Thank you Frank !
Thanks so much, Gerlinde!
Thanks
My son’s favourite !!!!! Also, it heals all the colds and flu ! Thank you Frank !
Definitely a cure-all… 😉
As a soup lover I totally dig this, nice and simple, delicate and light. Great way to start a meal
Couldn’t agree more, Raymund! Thanks for stopping by. 🙂
Quite wonderful in its simplicity. I added semolina also; had never done that before but now am a convert.
Does add a nice touch, I agree… Thanks Pat!
I love having something warm and fresh in my back pocket to whip out at a time when I want something really light. Thank you Frank!
Yep, it really is super useful, Jeff! Thanks for stopping by.
You bring back sweet memories, Frank, of my mother making this soup for me. It’s always a comfort.
Surely is. Happy to bring back those fond memories for you!
This a very hearty and comforting soup dear Frank! And easy which makes it a winner for a weeknight meal. Definitely trying out with some chicken broth. Thank you for sharing it! 🙂
Hope you like it!
One of my favourite soups, but I can’t remember the last time I had it! It’s gotten a bit chilly here in the south of Spain so a soup sounds perfect.
It’s suddenly turned chilly here, too, Eva! Funny that. Anyway nice excuse for a warming bowl of soup!
Simple, delicate, but so tasty! I just tried it and it’s divine. Thank you for sharing this Frank. I love the brightness the lemon zest gives it. I liked it so much I gave it an extra spritz of fresh lemon juice. This is a perfect soup for spring and summer.
Glad you liked it, Madalaine!
this sounds very light and tasty. Happy belated easter to you.
Same to you, Sherry!
Very delicious soup. Never had stracciatella, but looks very healthy, not too complicated to prepare, and very handy for a day we prefer a lighter meal. Probably with chicken. Thanks for sharing.
And thanks for stopping by, Vicky. It indeed is delicious and healthy food. And easy to make too. Definitely a keeper!
This is a soup my mother in law would make any time someone got sick. I don’t know if you got to feeling better any sooner but it was comforting and delicious. 😊
I can imagine, Karen! My mom would do the same. Stracciatella is great invalid food. But it’s also great any time food. Just nice all round..
This is a soup my mother in law would make any time someone got sick. I don’t know if you got to feeling better any sooner but it was comforting and delicious. 😊
Interesting! I have not come across stracciatella before…well except in gelato form. 🙂 The egg with the grated cheese almost reminds me of carbonara, but of course this one is very different. I want to give this a try especially coming off the holiday weekend when I’m ready for a bit lighter fare for the week ahead. Thanks, Frank!
Hope you like it, David! Actually I’m pretty sure you will. It’s great comfort food, only with a lighter touch than most. Hope you had a great Easter.
This is one of Mark’s favorites from his study abroad in Roma. I will be making this for him in the next few weeks!
I’m sure it will bring back happy memories for him, David!
I’ve never had this dish. It looks wonderful!
Thanks, Jeff! Definitely worth a try. For me, it’s real comfort food.
Have a big smile on my face this Easter Saturday morning as this was probably the first Italian dish I tasted when just knee-high back In Estonia ! Yep, eggs in soup is a ‘thing’ there also. I even learnt to manage and say the name and felt very ‘grown-up ! Have not made for ages – so simple if a good stock is there !!! Hope you are enjoying a happy, healthy Easter . . .
Happy Easter to you too, Eha!
I live in the Bergamo area, and the local restaurant and bakery La Marianna claims to be the birthplace of stracciatella ice cream :). The owner is said to have named the ice cream after one of the most popular menu items, i.e. this soup, because the chocolate drops in the ice cream resemble the distribution of egg pieces in the soup. Italian speakers can find the story on La Marianna’s website: https://lamarianna.it/la-stracciatella/
Maybe my favourite stracciatella so far has been the cheese of the same name that I had in Puglia :). Very flavourful, a little tart/bitter, wet and kind of stringy.
How interesting! I didn’t know the ice cream was named after the soup. Just figured it was coincidental!
My parents absolutely loved Stracciatella soup it was their favourite. Mum would often make it and sometimes do variations to it for variety even breaking up and adding some a little angel hair pasta and parsley.
Sounds nice. Thanks for your comment, Maria!
I bet this is fabulous! When I’d been served stracciatella at an Eataly restaurant years ago, and afterwards tried to google it, I was quite confused. I was looking into the creamy center of burrata, and discovered it is a name of three different kinds of foods! And so, this is one!
Italian food terms can be really confusing sometimes! Multiple names for the same dish, and the same name for totally different dishes!
I haven’t had this dish in forever! And it’s been a restaurant dish for me. And mainly the spinach version. Definitely want to your recipe — looks excellent. Thanks!
Thanks John! It has been a while since I’d made it, too. One of those old timey dishes that’s easy to forget but really shouldn’t be!
That looks delicous and fantastically simple. It reminds me a bit of the French Tourin à l’Ail, where egg white is beaten into a garlic soup to make filaments.
Thanks MD! I’ve had that soup too long long ago… very nice stuff.
My mom used to make this for breakfast easter morning except she added veal chunks to it. Very tastey she also added the cinnamon, nutmeg, cheese and parsley.
Sounds delicious MaryAnn!