Italian Egg Drop Soup (Stracciatella alla Romana)
Similar to Chinese egg drop soup, stracciatella alla romana consists of swirls of whisked egg suspended in a rich, flavorful broth. Stracciatella means long strands and it can be used to describe a string cheese, an ice cream with strands of chocolate or, in this case, the strands of egg in a soup. Chicken meat can be added back to the soup, or left out, and often seasonal vegetables are added. The soup must be eaten fresh as the egg will lose its texture if frozen.
Ingredients 8
1.35 kg chicken, quartered
2.4 l water
2 tbsp salt
4 eggs, large
25 g dried breadcrumbs
30 g parmigiano reggiano cheese, freshly grated
2 parsley sprigs, including stems, finely chopped, plus extra finely chopped to garnish
150 g arborio rice
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Method 6
Place the and or stock in a large pot with the . Weigh down the chicken under a few small plates to keep it submerged and simmer gently over a medium heat until the chicken pieces are cooked through, about 7–10 minutes for the breasts and 15–18 minutes for the legs and thighs. The meat should separate from the end of the leg bone when cooked, a thermometer will read 74°C (165°F) when inserted into the thickest part of the thigh or breast and the juices of the chicken will run clear.
When the is cooked, remove from the pot and leave until cool enough to handle, then remove the chicken skin and discard. Using your hands, shred all the meat and discard the bones. Set the meat aside. Strain the broth and reserve.
Meanwhile, mix the , or semolina, , and finely chopped together in a bowl. Season lightly with and freshly ground black pepper, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.
Rinse the pot and pour in the strained broth. Add the or pastina and cook for 7–10 minutes until tender. This will cloud the broth. If a clear broth is preferred, cook the rice or pastina in a separate pot, then add to the soup when cooked. When the rice or pastina is tender, add the reserved to the soup and season with and freshly ground black pepper.
Remove the pot from the heat and immediately and slowly pour the into the soup. Make sure to pour around the pot, not in the same place. The residual heat will cook the eggs and the heat from the stove will create a very tender cooked egg.
Gently ladle the soup into bowls without damaging the soft curds of cooked . Season with freshly ground black pepper and garnish with chopped .
Jenn Louis' tips
The soup must be eaten fresh as the egg will lose its texture if frozen.
Chicken meat can be left out, and often seasonal vegetables are added.
If a clear broth is preferred, cook the rice or pasta in a separate pot, then add to the soup when cooked.
