Stracciatella, despite its ever-so-fancy-sounding name, is a homey, nearly effortless Italian egg-drop soup. And actually the name isn’t fancy at all — it comes from stracciato, which in Italian means “torn apart.” Why? Because little torn rags form in the hot broth when you stir in an egg, semolina, and Parmesan mixture. This version of the soup also features the subtly bitter bite of broccoli rabe, which is just coming into season here in the cold frames and greenhouses around the hills.
This is a wonderful shoulder-season soup — good for taking the chill off on these drippy, half-frozen evenings when you just can’t bear the idea of making a full-blown winter stew.
Stracciatella with Broccoli Rabe
Adapted from Sunset
This recipe makes enough to serve two for dinner, along with a bit leftover for lunch the next day.
- 1 qt. homemade chicken or light vegetable broth
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- Salt (optional)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon fine semolina
- 1 ounces parmesan cheese, finely grated (1/3 cup)
- 6 ounces broccoli rabe (rapini), flowers and greens only
- Freshly ground black pepper
In a medium saucepan, bring broth and garlic to a simmer. Cover and cook 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the garlic and set aside 1/4 cup broth. Taste the broth in pan and add salt if needed.
Beat eggs in a bowl and stir in reserved 1/4 cup broth, the semolina, and parmesan.
Add broccoli rabe to broth. Simmer until tender but still bright green, 3 to 5 minutes. Slowly pour in egg mixture. Turn off heat and stir the soup back and forth very slowly until little “rags” of egg form. Add pepper to taste.
This soup is great with a hunk of crusty bread, or a little side of pesto pasta.