Vegan Stracciatella

I've recently had a couple inspirations to make an old favorite - a quick and easy Italian soup called stracciatella (straw-cha-tella). First, I heard good news from the friend who taught me how to make it (she’s expecting - congratulations, Ivana!). Then, my veggiphobic friend told me he had decided to befriend a vegetable, and he valiantly picked Swiss chard to be his new buddy. I love chard, but it seems like a much more intimidating choice than, say, baby carrots, would have been. But, by all reports, Zak and the chard are getting along swimmingly.

Hearing from Ivana had me waxing nostalgic about my time in Tuscany (why did I ever leave?). While I got to WWOOF at an incredible organic farm named Motrano, Ivana got to study abroad in Florence, and she was taking a cooking class when I came to visit. Stracciatella was one of the many amazing things she fed me. In that typical Italian way, it is incredibly simple and incredibly good. It gets its name from the ‘tatters’ of egg that are stirred in at the end – just like chocolate chip gelato is also called ‘stracciatella’ for the flakes of chocolate in it. I have veganized the soup, but I’ll include notes on the traditional preparation as well.

Vegan Stracciatella

3 TBSP olive oil
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp nutmeg
1 1/2 c red wine
1 bunch red Swiss chard, chopped, stalks separated
5-6 c water
1 pkg soft tofu packed in water, drained
salt, pepper

In a large pot over medium high heat, sauté the onion in olive oil with the nutmeg and 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper until nearly browned. I like to fresh grate the nutmeg, but ground nutmeg can also be used. Add the garlic and sauté for a few more minutes until all is nicely browned. Deglaze the pan by adding the red wine. Add the chopped stalks of the Swiss chard and cook for a couple minutes to soften slightly. Stir in the chopped chard leaves and add the water. Crumble in the package of tofu. I like to use soft tofu to mimic the egg, but any firmness will work. However, don’t use shelf-stable silken tofu, as it falls apart too much. Adjust the salt, pepper, and nutmeg to taste. Bring just to a simmer and serve immediately – I like to keep the chard crisp and green. Garnish with a couple twists of pepper, a sprinkle of coarse salt (I like Celtic salt), and/or a drizzle of really good olive oil – my favorite find stateside is Frantoia.

Traditional variation – Instead of adding the tofu, wait until the soup comes to a simmer and then quickly stir in a couple beaten eggs just before serving. The heat of the soup cooks the egg and it will form into little shreds. If you have some rind of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, you can put a few pieces into the broth to simmer and add the chard later in the cooking process so that the flavor from the rind has a chance to infuse into the soup and the chard isn’t overcooked. In Italy, they sell the rinds at the cheese counter. I’ve seen them for sale at Whole Foods - ask your local cheese counter if they have any. It’s a good way to add the flavor of Parmesan in recipes where melted cheese wouldn’t work. You can add a tablespoon or two of nutritional yeast to the vegan version to bring in the richness of the cheese if you like.

This just in - Ivana writes from across the ocean that she grates a couple spoonfuls of Parmesan and a bit of nutmeg into the beaten eggs before stirring them to the soup. She also uses half veggie stock/half water, and likes to make croutons to add to the soup by cubing whole wheat bread and toasting in a pan drizzled with olive oil, salt, and any other spices that inspire you. Buon appetito!

Tempeh variation – This is pretty far removed from the original, but last week I made it with a package of crumbled tempeh that I browned with the onion at the beginning, instead of using tofu. I also used white chard instead of red, and threw in a handful of chickpeas as well.