This easy Italian Egg Drop Soup with Orzo is the type of comfort food that will bring you back to your childhood. Anytime, anyone is under the weather, I make this for them.
I was a really odd child and liked going to school. There were years where I did not miss a single day. I loved getting the perfect attendance award in sixth grade. That's what you call a really nerdy twelve-year old, right?
Considering we didn't have cable TV, there were no reality TV shows, no cell phones or internet, so I didn't have many good reasons to stay home. As I got to be a wise teenager in high school, there were days that I was under the weather and stayed home sick from school (oh, yeah, we also got cable TV). The day consisted of watching The Dating Game, General Hospital, MTV and playing some PacMan.
While this could be fun for a few hours, I was bored out of my mind by the end of the day. Without texting, email or cell phones, there was no communication with any of my friends. Being home sick was not as fun as you thought (or as much fun as my kids have in the modern day of technology). The best part of the day was eating soup for lunch.
This Easy Egg Drop Soup with Orzo brings me back to my childhood!
As a little girl, I remember my mother and grandmother making pastina soup for anyone that was sick. It consisted of chicken broth, itty bitty pieces of pasta and a lump of butter. The butter melted right into the thick soup giving it a velvety texture. It's such an easy thing to make but so good and comforting.
I continued to make that soup when I was home in high school. As an adult, I make the soup with just a few changes. Instead of butter, I add a few eggs to the broth. It adds some protein and still gives the soup a velvety texture without the butter. I now use orzo because I like a bigger pasta that you can bite into. This soup is so thick that it almost reminds me of risotto. More broth can be added if you want a thinner soup.
Don't Forget the Parmesan Cheese!
You can never add enough grated Parmesan cheese to this Easy Egg Drop Soup with Orzo. I use a low sodium chicken broth because the cheese gives it plenty of salty flavor. Or I make my own chicken broth if I have the time. This is my "go to" soup recipe whenever anyone in my family is sick. It's also perfect in the cold weather but even good in the warmer weather when you need a bit of comfort food.
Every time, I eat a bowl of this soup I wonder how anything so simple can be so good. But it just is. And make sure to get a good Parmesan cheese because the better the cheese, the better the soup!
If you love soup as much as I do, try my Hearty Chicken Vegetable Soup or Easy Ten Minute Wonton Soup.
Happy Soup Eating!
Easy Egg Drop Soup with Orzo
This simple soup is perfect comfort food!
Ingredients
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups dried orzo pasta
- 4 eggs, beaten
- 2 TBS fresh parsley or 1 TBS dried parsley, plus extra for garnish
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Parmesan cheese, for serving
Instructions
- In a medium size sauce pan, bring broth to a boil over medium high heat. Add orzo pasta and reduce heat to medium. Cook pasta for about 8 minutes or until tender.
- Add egg and parsley to the pan and stir well. Cook for another minute or until egg is formed into bits.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Garnish with parsley and serve with grated Parmesan cheese.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 266Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 197mgSodium: 2021mgCarbohydrates: 35gFiber: 2gSugar: 4gProtein: 16g
John@Kitchen Riffs
One can never have too many soup recipes! Adding a bit of butter to soup at the end does make it incredibly rich, doesn't it? Such a nice thing! Love this orzo egg drop soup -- really a fun idea. Good recipe -- thanks.
Louise
Hi Lisa,
I just couldn't read this post like I normally do and run away. Not this time, the thought of Pastina always warms my heart. Do you pronounce it with the accent on the P so it sounds like a B, lol...I don't think it's a New York thing I think it's an Italian thing. Everyone in our family always pronounced it like a B, Bastina!
I guess I was a nerdy girl too. I loved going to school and getting perfect attendance. Of course that all changed in Jr. High. (do they even use that term anymore:)
I haven't made Bastina in years. As you said, you can never put too much grated cheese and for me, too much pepper. I LOVE it with pepper!!! I think I will try it with the egg next time. I miss that soup my mother use to make where you broke an egg in it. Straccetelli or something like that.
Well, Lisa, see what you did. You inflamed the memories and I thank you. Others may dream about ooey gooey stuff this evening but I'll be wishing I had made Pastina for comfort. Thanks for sharing...
Sues
I used to lie and pretend I wasn't sick because I hated missing school so much. These days, I'm sure it would be different. I'd totally stay home if this soup was involved!!
Lynne Laino
I think you need to call this stew - just how I like my soup!!! I'll be making this for sure - what an easy recipe!
Wendy
I don't know that I've ever had this type of soup. It sounds perfect! I like the idea of adding the egg to get some protein. Pics look delish.
lisa keys
This totally brings me back to my childhood--one of my favorite comfort foods still
Lisa @ Whisk & Cleaver
What a great way to modernize a family favorite! I love the idea of adding an egg to thicken the soup.
Kristin @ Dizzy Busy and Hungry
This sounds delicious! I am always looking for soup recipes to try. Can't wait to taste this one!