Stracciatella (Easy Italian Soup Addition Using Eggs)
Stracciatella is a super easy, delicate and tasty addition to your Italian chicken soup, or other broths. that will bring rave reviews!
Although there is two other types of stracciatella that refer to a type of ice-cream or dessert flavor, as well as a type of wet cheese (the inside of burrata, for example.) Today, I’m talking about stracciatella for soup.
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What is Stracciatella?
Contrary to some descriptions I’ve seen on the internet, stracciatella is NOT a type of soup, but something that is added to soup. Giada shares misinformation about this (and does it often with other dishes, as I believe she is catering to her US producers and audience, sadly.)
The word, “stracciare” means “to rip or shred” in Italian, so stracciatella means something that is torn. When the egg mixture is added to the soup, it looks like something shredded. Stracciatella is even listed as one of the world’s best egg dishes!
You can add stracciatella to pastina soup instead of just egg.
What Ingredients are Needed to Make Stracciatella?
There are essentially just 2 or 3 ingredients. Sometimes it’s just made with egg and cheese, however, my recipe includes another ingredient: fine semolina or breadcrumbs.
How to Make Italian Stracciatella (for Soup)
typical Italian (Roman) recipe from my family serves 6
FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW
Ingredients
- eggs
- Parmigiano Reggiano DOP (or other hard Italian cheese)
- breadcrumbs or semolina
Directions
Please note that the measurements for the egg/breadcrumb(or semolina)/cheese ingredients are not critical. I never measure them, but I do use equal amounts of crumbs and cheese. Sometimes it’s thicker, and sometimes more runny, but it always tastes great.
Beat the eggs in a small bowl and add the breadcrumbs/semolina.
Next, add the Parmigiano cheese (don’t use fake Parmesan) salt, pepper and parsley, if using, and mix well.
The consistency will be like a runny paste. When the pastina is ready, drain the water and add it to the simmering Italian chicken soup or broth you are using. Next, pour in the stracciatella mixture, and stir it into the soup. It will immediately become fluffy and float on top of the soup.
Taste for salt again, and add some black pepper if desired. Enjoy making stracciatella for your soups and broths, often! It’s so easy and delicious, don’t you agree?
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Stracciatella (Easy Italian Soup Addition Using Eggs)
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- 3 Tbsp dried breadcrumbs (or semolina)
- 3 Tbsp Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (grated)
- ¼ tsp Kosher salt (or sea salt)
- ⅛ tsp black pepper (to taste)
- ⅛ tsp fresh Italian parsley (chopped, a sprinkle)
Instructions
- Beat the eggs in a small bowl and add the breadcrumbs/semolina
- Next, add the Parmigiano cheese, salt, pepper and parsley, if using, and mix well.
- The consistency will be like a runny paste. When the pastina is ready, drain the water and add it to the simmering Italian chicken soup or broth you are using. Next, pour in the stracciatella mixture, and stir it into the soup. It will immediately turn fluffy and float on top of the soup.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- Please note that the measurements for the egg/breadcrumb (or semolina)/cheese ingredients are not critical. I never measure them, but I do use equal amounts of crumbs and cheese. Sometimes it's thicker, and sometimes more runny, but it always tastes great.
- Parsley is not a typical addition, but it can be added for more flavor and color.
- Recipe: Italian Chicken Soup
Nutrition
Use the recipe below to make an authentic Italian chicken soup to add the stracciatella to.
Homemade Authentic Italian Chicken Soup
Special Equipment
- 1 8 quart pot/ 7 ½ liter (optional)
Ingredients
- 1 whole organic chicken (2 ½ to 3 lbs/ 1 to 1 ½ kg, or some necks and backs)
- 4 quarts water
- 2 tsp Kosher salt (or sea salt, to taste)
- ½ cup pastina (such as acini de pepe, or orzo)
Instructions
- Wash the chicken, remove and wash the giblets and neck, if included, and place everything in a large pot. Fill about ¾ full of water, add salt, place over medium high heat, and bring to a boil.
- When scum starts to appear, remove it with a spoon, and discard. Lower the temperature, so that the soup is simmering gently.
- Let the soup simmer for an hour to an hour and a half, then remove from heat.
- Using a flat metal strainer, lift the chicken out of the pot and place on a plate. Remove the giblets and neck, if they are also in the soup.
- Strain the broth into another pot, taste for salt, adding more to taste (I can guarantee that it will need more salt at this point) then place half of the broth into a container to freeze for another time. (Use the chicken to make chicken pot pie (recipe coming soon), chicken salad, or any way you like. You may also add some pieces of chicken to the soup.)
- About 10 minutes before you want to serve the soup, cook the pastina in a separate pot until al dente (you can cook the pasta directly in the broth, but it will make the soup cloudy. If you don’t mind it not being clear, and you don’t want to wash another pot, just cook the pastina right in the broth.)
- When the pastina is ready, drain the water and add it to the simmering broth. Add the stracciatella, if using. (Stracciatella recipe below.)
- Taste for salt again, and add some black pepper if desired, and serve.
Notes
- If you like a little more flavor, you can add a little Better Than Bouillon Chicken, however, if you used a good quality, organic chicken, this should be unnecessary. That’s all you need to do, and you’ll have another batch ready for another meal.
Nutrition
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One of my favorite ways to use eggs. The other is coddled eggs. Yum!
This soup looks wonderful. it reminds me of egg drop soup. ill definitely attempt to make it.
Yes, quite similar, actually!
posting for the contest:
My favorite egg dishes are devilled eggs and Eggs Benedict.
I love making eggs benedict. We used to go RV camping with friends and this was our go to Sunday breakfast. We learned how to make the poached eggs the day before and warmed them up the next day for the benedict. We also used ham slices for a heartier breakfast. Alongside there was plenty of fresh fruit and mimosas. The benedicts were delicious and even the youngsters loved them.
P.S. i love your newsletter and exploring your recipes.
Sounds like a really nice camping breakfast, Vicki! Thank you so much! That’s lovely to hear! Good luck!
This is a more involved recipe than what my grandmothers made, but I am going to try it this way! All the ingredients (sans egg and semolina) are exactly the same. SO SIMPLE and so authentically good! I would be interested if you know what region of Italy this is native to. My grandmother was 50% South and 50% North and was born in Modena, then lived in Finale Emilia.
Hi Nevra, not sure why this is more “involved” since I think it’s one of the easiest things in the world to make! My family is from Lazio (between Rome and Naples), but I would guess this is a very common dish in more parts of Italy than just Lazio. I’m not totally sure, though, so don’t quote me on that. Let me know what you think! :)
This soup reminds me of my “Little Grandma” – definitely a heartwarming soup.
Ohhh I have to try this! I’ve never made it, but I think had a similar version in Italy many moons ago. It would make any soup over the top. :-) ~Valentina
Happy holidays, Christina! XOXO
It’s so simple and so delicious, Valentina! The same to you and your family, too!
xx
We had a Roman dinner the other night, for which I made Stracciatella followed by Saltimbocca alla Romana! This soup is a real favorite of Mark‘s from his time in Rome. I will have to try your recipe with semolina… I’ve never tried that!
Oh, I bet that was an amazing dinner, David!
when I first had Stracciatella, at a restaurant in Eataly in NYC, I was blown away. When back at home I tried to order it, and I kept getting stuff about soup and ice cream!!! It was very confusing! This soup looks wonderful. Kind of like egg drop soup!
Yes, it can be confusing! There’s also the stracciatella cheese!