15-Minute Stracciatella Soup with Parmesan Egg Ribbons

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Rome's answer to egg drop soup: a clean chicken broth threaded with silky ribbons of egg beaten with parmesan, lemon zest and a whisper of nutmeg. The whole trick is heat control — hold the broth at a bare 180°F shiver, stream the egg in slowly, and you get soft ragged strands instead of grainy scrambled bits. Good boxed broth, doctored for ten minutes with parmesan rind and garlic, does all the heavy lifting, which makes this the fastest genuinely elegant soup in the repertoire.

Ingredients

• 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth (good boxed is fine)
• 1 piece parmesan rind (about 2 inches)
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1 strip lemon peel, wide
• 1 sprig fresh thyme (optional)
• kosher salt, to taste

• 4 large eggs
• 3/4 cup finely grated parmesan (about 2 oz)
• 2 tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
• 1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp fine dry breadcrumbs or semolina (optional, for body)

• 2 cups baby spinach, packed (optional)
• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• extra grated parmesan, for serving
• crusty bread, for serving

Instructions

1. Combine the chicken broth, parmesan rind, smashed garlic, lemon peel and thyme in a 4-quart saucepan. Bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to low and simmer for 10 minutes to infuse. Taste and season with salt — the broth should taste pleasantly seasoned on its own, since the egg mixture will mute it slightly.
2. While the broth infuses, crack the eggs into a medium bowl and whisk for a full 30 seconds until completely uniform with no streaks of white — unbroken whites are what turn into rubbery clumps. Whisk in the parmesan, parsley, lemon zest, nutmeg, black pepper and the breadcrumbs if using. The mixture will be thick and pasty; that is correct.
3. Fish out and discard the parmesan rind, garlic, lemon peel and thyme with a slotted spoon or strain the broth and return it to the pot.
4. Bring the broth back to a very low simmer and then pull it down to barely a shiver — about 180–185°F, with just a few lazy bubbles at the edge of the pot. If it is boiling, the egg will seize into hard curds. Add the spinach now if using and let it wilt for 30 seconds.
5. Stir the broth in a slow circle with a fork or whisk. Pour the egg mixture in a thin, steady stream from about 6 inches above the pot, moving the stream around while you keep the broth turning. Take a full 20–30 seconds to add it all.
6. Stop stirring and let the soup stand undisturbed over the lowest heat for 60 to 90 seconds, until the ribbons set into soft, feathery strands and the broth turns faintly cloudy. Give it one gentle stir to break the ribbons into bite-size pieces.
7. Taste and adjust salt and pepper. Ladle into warm bowls, drizzle each with a little olive oil, shower with extra parmesan, and serve immediately with crusty bread — the ribbons are at their most tender in the first few minutes.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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