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Home » Recipes » Soup

Italian Zucchini Egg Drop Soup

August 28, 2013 Updated April 25, 2022 by Lisa Goldfinger 8 Comments This post may contain affiliate links

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This Italian zucchini egg drop soup recipe has shredded zucchini, onions, garlic, parmesan and fresh basil. It's hearty and bursting with fresh summery flavors.

bowl of zucchini egg drop soup

I spent last weekend in New Orleans. Two of my sons attend college there at Tulane. Our visits are largely centered around eating - the food is sooooo good.

We had a particularly memorable meal at a charming contemporary Creole restaurant called Atchafalaya. If you go there, don't miss the fried green tomatoes with crab and remoulade sauce. When we arrived, we were greeted by a very large cast iron skillet - my favorite cooking vessel and Panning The Globe's trademark.

Atchafalaya restaurant - New Orleans

When I got back to Massachusetts I was craving a light meal - but one that didn't compromise on flavor. I experimented a bit and  came up with this Italian zucchini egg drop soup.

Egg Drop Soup Italian Style

You might think of egg drop soup as an Asian dish, but Italy has it's own version. They call it Stracciatella. The name comes from the Italian verb "stracciare", meaning “to tear apart.” That's how the eggs look in the soup - like torn shreds.

Traditional stracciatella is made with chicken broth, eggs, parmesan cheese and spinach. In honor of summer I decided to use shredded zucchini instead of spinach. I also added some fresh basil for a finishing touch.

How To Make Zucchini Egg Drop Soup

  1. Sauté shredded zucchini with onions and garlic until tender
  2. Whisk eggs with parmesan cheese, salt and pepper
  3. Bring chicken broth (or veggie broth) and water to a simmer and slowly whisk in the egg-parmesan mixture.
  4. Stir in the zucchini and simmer until heated through - Done!

Sauteed shredded zucchini in a cast iron skillet

how to make Recipe for Italian Zucchini Egg Drop Soup, tempering the eggs

a big pot of Italian zucchini egg drop soup

Stir in chopped basil just before serving for a bright fresh final layer of flavor.

This soup makes a perfect, light summer lunch or even dinner. If you're a vegetarian, use your favorite vegetable broth as the base, instead of chicken broth. Serve zucchini egg drop soup with a salad of sliced ripe summer tomatoes and basil, drizzled with olive oil and balsamic - maybe some crusty bread on the side. Or with this delicious Mediterranean Chickpea Salad on the side.

 Italian zucchini egg drop soup recipe topped with basil

Pass around some extra parmesan cheese - it only gets better!

Close up bowl of Italian zucchini egg drop soup

Top time saving tip

Shred the zucchini in your food processor!

Here's the recipe for Italian zucchini egg drop soup. If you make this I hope you'll come back to leave a star rating and a comment. I'd love to know what you think! 

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Recipe

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bowl of zucchini egg drop soup

Italian Zucchini Egg Drop Soup


5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 2 reviews

  • Author: Lisa
  • Total Time: 45 mins
  • Yield: 6 1x
Print Recipe

Description

A hearty Italian-inspired soup featuring fresh zucchini, eggs, and parmigiana cheese.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 2 pounds zucchini (about 4 large), shredded using the shredding blade of your food processor (5-6 cups shredded)
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • 3 large eggs
  • ⅓ cup grated parmigiana Reggiano or another good quality parmesan cheese
  • 4 cups low salt chicken broth (I recommend Swanson's)
  • 2 cups water
  • 12-14 fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped plus more for garnish
  • Grated parmigiana cheese to sprinkle on top

Instructions

  1. Heat oil  (2 tablespoons) in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add onions and garlic. Cook for 8 minutes or until onions are soft and translucent. Add zucchini and turn heat up to medium-high. Cook, stirring frequently until tender, 4-5 minutes. Stir in salt (½ teaspoon) and pepper (½ teaspoon). Remove from heat.
  2. In a small bowl whisk eggs, parmesan cheese (⅓ cup), salt (½ teaspoon) and pepper (½ teaspoon). Set aside.
  3. In a medium saucepan bring broth (4 cups) and water (2 cups) to a  gentle simmer. Whisk the simmering broth as you pour in ⅓ of the egg mixture. Allow broth to return to a simmer. Repeat with another ⅓ of the egg mixture. When broth returns to a simmer, add the rest of the egg mixture while whisking. Add zucchini mixture and simmer just until heated through. Right before serving, stir in chopped basil.
  4. Ladle soup into bowls. Garnish with additional shredded basil. Season with salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste. Pass around extra parmigiana cheese.
  • Prep Time: 20 mins
  • Cook Time: 25 mins
  • Category: Soup
  • Method: stove top
  • Cuisine: Italian

Did you make this recipe?

If you make this recipe, please let me know how it turns out for you! Leave a comment below and share a picture on instagram with the hashtag #panningtheglobe

 

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Filed Under: All Recipes, Entertaining, Europe, Italian Recipes, Quick and Easy, Soup, Vegetarian Tagged With: gluten-free

Reader Interactions

Comments

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    Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

  1. Allison

    October 21, 2018 at 8:03 am

    Hi!
    Nutrition info??

    Reply
    • Lisa

      October 21, 2018 at 3:08 pm

      Hi! I'm working, slowly but surely, on getting nutrition information for all of my recipes. I'll put this one high up on the list. Stay tuned!

      Reply
      • Allison

        October 24, 2018 at 10:18 am

        Thank u!!!!!

      • Lisa

        October 26, 2018 at 5:38 am

        You're very welcome. Nutrition info is now here!

  2. Cindy

    August 28, 2017 at 9:36 pm

    This soup surprised me. It was so yummy!! I was really not expecting much. But is was delightful. I made a half recipe & used 1/8th of a tsp of dried sweet basil in place of fresh. Thank you for a lovely and simple recipe!

    Reply
    • Lisa

      August 29, 2017 at 7:25 am

      I'm glad you enjoyed Cindy!

      Reply
  3. Mary-Elise

    September 15, 2013 at 8:57 pm

    So tasty and so simple. Made this for Abby and her teammates after a long day racing on the Charles. They loved it. My new comfort food.

    Reply
  4. Méli

    August 29, 2013 at 10:52 am

    Your recipe is just wonderful! I think I'll do it very soon! 🙂
    I'm going to discover your beautiful blog now...
    Greetings from France,
    Méli

    Reply

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