By Samin Nosrat
- Total Time
- About 25 minutes
- Rating
- 4(1,136)
- Notes
- Read community notes
Tendrils of quickly cooked eggs, seasoned with cheese, nutmeg and pepper, float in a meaty stock in this traditional Italian soup. To avoid clumps that make the dish seem more like failed scrambled eggs than a delicate broth, pour the egg mixture into the hot stock in a thin stream, whisking as you go and promptly pulling it off the heat when done. In the dead of winter, when warmth is elusive and colds seem to be overtaking everyone, there's nothing better.
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Ingredients
Yield:About 6 servings
- ¼cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2medium yellow onions, diced
- Kosher salt
- 6large eggs
- ½cup finely grated fresh Parmesan, rind reserved, plus more for serving
- Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 8cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
- 2tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
333 calories; 21 grams fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 11 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 16 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 7 grams sugars; 19 grams protein; 1001 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Step
1
Set a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat. Add oil. When it shimmers, add the onions and a generous pinch of salt. Reduce heat to medium. Stirring occasionally, cook onions for 10 to 15 minutes until tender. It’s fine if they start to take on a little color.
In a large measuring cup or medium bowl with a spout, thoroughly whisk together the eggs, ½ cup grated Parmesan, nutmeg, black pepper, and a generous pinch of salt.
Step
3
When onions are tender, add Parmesan rind and stock to pot. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce to a strong simmer. While gently whisking soup with one hand, pour egg mixture into pot in a thin stream with the other. Once all of the egg mixture has been added, turn off the heat. Remove Parmesan rind. Taste and adjust for salt.
Step
4
Ladle soup into bowls and serve immediately, garnished with Parmesan, black pepper, and parsley.
Ratings
4
out of 5
1,136
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Cooking Notes
Polly
I like to add fresh baby spinach and a bit of fresh lemon juice.
Phyllis
I find that it is best to take the soup off the heat before pouring in the egg/cheese mixture. It prevents the cheese from clumping and the eggs will stream beautifully.
Katherine
Step One: Set a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat. Add oil. When it shimmers, add the onions and a generous pinch of salt. Reduce heat to medium. Stirring occasionally, cook onions for 10 to 15 minutes until tender. It’s fine if they start to take on a little color.
When onions are tender, add Parmesan rind and stock to pot.
Chinese egg drop soup
If you leave out the cheese, this is identical to my mom’s Chinese egg drop soup. To make it even more authentic, add a bit of chopped green onion and sesame oil right before serving.
Lynnjehle
I prefer David Tanis' recipe for this soup - It's cleaner, purer tasting. Leave out the onion and add 3 whole garlic coves while heating the broth. Add thinly sliced scallions to the Italian parsley on top. Bellissima! You can make a smaller quantity with 1 quart of broth and 2 eggs.
Rob-in-Philly
Great as is and the key is the home made stock...never use store bought 'broth' or those K-ration cubes. Now to kick this up a notch to a great winter dinner or lunch add pulled rotisserie chicken and the baby spinich. and those herb or garlic scones or parma cheese bicscuts, or....yum.
June
I add baby spinach. Otherwise pretty much follow this as it is.
Dede
I love to add some rough chopped escarole.
North Star
kinda weird that the times photographer would shoot a picture with the cheese /eggs all clumped up...it should be in ribbons. Take the broth off the stove and whisk the cheese/egg mixture in a slow steady stream... Ribbons! and it wouldn't be Stracciastella without some fresh lemon juice to serve... otherwise a great recipe... perfect on a lenten friday
Anne DePalma
I have been making this soup for decades and have never added onions; it's very flavorful (and easier to make!) without them. I also like to add some small pasta (acini de pepe or stellete) to make it heartier.
pasuga
Not recommended to freeze, the eggs get funky.
Rob-in-Philly
It works but I find the key is using a stock made from a base of roasted veges including onions, carrots, celery, and parsnip, with added fresh thyme and a bit of rosemary, a bayleaf, peppercorns and mushroom stems. Otherwise the soup 'liquor' is too bland and broth like.
CarmelN
Trying adding some small meatballs (ground beef and veal combined is best) or some shredded chicken
Dee Capaldi
Can you use onion powder? If not, garlic? My mother made hers with no nutmeg. Swiss chard or spinach torn, hence the name, instead of parsley. She also put in mini (@ a centimeter in diameter) meatballs. It is our “go to if you are ill” soup and the first course of many holiday meals. I add extra garlic and onion powders to the broth. It is delicious, nourishing and healing. Mangia bene.
Terri
Would this still be as yummy as it sounds if I made it with Veggie Broth?
Ron
We've made this soup a couple of times and have really enjoyed it. One key issue that impacts the texture of the finished soup is the whisking while the egg mixture is being poured into the stock. The first time I made this, I whisked too vigorously, which broke the egg ribbons into smaller pieces. It still tasted really good, but looked too "muddy" because of the small egg pieces throughout the soup. The second time I made it, I focused on GENTLE whisking, creating the desired "ribbons".
Kirill
This is a great hangover soup.
Josh Wilson
Great. Subbed in celery for half of the onion. Definitely doesn't need added salt -the stock and parmesan have plenty.
Scott
This was a super easy, quick, delicious soup. We'll make this one again.
maggie in canada
My version from an Italian home chef website: proportions are 6 cups homemade chicken stock; 3 large eggs; 3 tbsp fresh chopped Italian parsley; 5 tbsp freshly grated cheese - half parm, half pecorino; pinch freshly grated nutmeg; and to give the eggs some body - 2 tbsp semolina. Combine all ingredients well and add slowly to the simmering broth, stirring constantly. It will be cloudy at first and then become clear. Chiffonade 2 cups of fresh spinach if desired and add to broth until soft.
Yum
My eggs clumped because of a personal error but I was able to reduce the recipe by 6 for a single serving and it was amazing
Dan
Definitely use homemade chicken stock. It makes all the difference and produces a much richer flavor.
Kim P.
This was delicious! Followed recipe with home made broth but subbed Swiss chard in for the parsley, as I was out of parsley. Wonderful rich flavor as written, however my family likes their soup a bit more meaty, so I broiled some meatballs and placed them in individual bowls, then ladled the soup over the meatballs. Delightful, my family loved it. This recipe is going into our rotation!
Only As Good As The Broth
The broth makes this soup, or in my case, breaks it.
Barbara
This is a wonderful soup on a cold night! Delicious.
Sally
I thought this was bland and boring. But when I reheated it the next day, I added lots of fresh-ground mixed peppercorns (black, green, white and szechuan) and found it was transformed over just using black pepper.
Lynn
Is it possible to make this using vegetable broth ?
PJ
Take the soup off the heat before pouring in the egg/cheese mixture.
Kat
Adding mini meatballs and escarole or baby spinach makes a soup close to Nonna’s.
Babis77
I only had bone marrow stock in the freezer, but it was equally delicious. I’ve often made the Chinese version with homemade chicken stock. I also took off the heat before adding the egg and cheese mixture.
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