Stracciatella alla Romana (Roman Egg and Parmesan Soup)
Silky rags of egg and Parmesan floating in a clear, savoury broth with spinach, ready in fifteen minutes.
Made with Homemade chicken stock. Make a batch of the base first, then this takes minutes. Skip to the method
- Time15 min
- LevelEasy
- Costabout £1.23 a head
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Estimated nutrition per serving
- 172kcal
- 8.9gcarbs
- 4.6gof which sugars
- 8.1gfat
- 3.3gsaturates
- 16.4gprotein
- 3.5gfibre
- 1.4gsalt
A rough estimate worked out from the ingredients, for the serving size above. It is a guide only and not medical advice. If you count carbs or manage diabetes, check with your own tools and your care team.
Ingredients
Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.
Method
- 1
Beat the eggs in a jug with the Parmesan, parsley, nutmeg and black pepper until smooth.
- 2
Pour your ready made homemade chicken stock (see the base recipe) into a medium pan, add the salt and bring to a gentle simmer over a medium heat. Taste and add a little more salt if needed, because the stock has none.
5 min - 3
Add the spinach and stir for 1 minute until it just wilts.
1 min - 4
Turn the heat down so the stock barely bubbles. Pour in the egg mixture in a thin stream while stirring slowly in one direction with a fork. The egg sets into soft, ragged strands almost at once.
- 5
Cook for 1 minute more, then take the pan off the heat. Ladle into warm bowls and finish with extra Parmesan and black pepper.
1 min
Tips
- Keep the soup at a gentle simmer, not a rolling boil, when the egg goes in. A hard boil makes the egg break into tiny dry crumbs.
- Pour the egg slowly and stir in one direction. The slower you pour, the finer and silkier the strands.
- Taste the stock before the egg goes in. Homemade stock has no salt, so the soup will taste flat until you season it.
Storing and freezing
Best eaten straight away. Leftovers keep in the fridge for up to 1 day, but the egg firms up on reheating, so warm gently and do not boil.
Questions
Is stracciatella soup the same as egg drop soup?
They are close cousins. Stracciatella is Roman, made with Parmesan, nutmeg and often spinach, and the name means little rags. Chinese egg drop soup is thickened slightly with cornflour and uses ginger and white pepper instead.
Can I make stracciatella without Parmesan?
Yes, but it will taste much plainer. Use a dairy free hard cheese alternative or a spoonful of nutritional yeast, and add a little more salt and black pepper to lift the broth.
Is this soup gluten free?
Yes. It uses only stock, eggs, cheese, spinach and seasonings, with no pasta or semolina. Some cooks add a spoonful of semolina to the egg, which is not gluten free, so leave it out.
More made with homemade chicken stock
Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.
