Italian Zucchini Egg Drop Soup

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.

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.

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!

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.

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

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! 

Italian Zucchini Egg Drop Soup

Print Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 2 reviews

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

• Author: Lisa
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 25 mins
• Total Time: 45 mins
• Yield: 6 1x
• Category: Soup
• Method: stove top
• Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 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.

Keywords: Egg drop soup with shredded zucchini