Zuppa Imperiale, or Imperial Soup, is a soup with a thin meat broth and cheesy cubes of frittata or baked semolina dough. It is a traditional dish in Bologna, Emilia-Romagne, and Marche. Various recipes, including a vegetarian version of the famous Italian soup, are available. Not only is the popular Italian soup easy to make, but it is also a great option for those looking for cheap meal ideas. You can make it very quickly using a premade broth, but a stock you have made yourself has so much more flavour. Our version of the soup uses the cheesy frittata. Here is our easy zuppa imperiale recipe for you to try.
Useful Information
Ingredients for an Easy Zuppa Imperiale Recipe
- 10 large eggs
- 6 oz. grated Parmesan cheese plus extra for serving
- 6 oz. breadcrumbs
- 2 sprigs of fresh parsley chopped
- 2 litres of chicken stock (switch for beef or vegetable, if you prefer)
- ½ tsp. salt
- pinch nutmeg (optional)
How to Make the Zuppa Imperiale Recipe
- Preheat oven to 350 F/ 175 C.
- Line a baking dish (approximately 12 X 9 inches) with greaseproof paper.
- Beat 10 large eggs in a mixing bowl.
- Stir in the grated Parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs, parsley, nutmeg, and salt. You should have a mixture with the consistency of a thick pancake batter.
- Pour the mixture into the baking dish, then use a spatula to spread it evenly.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes until the edges begin to brown, and it is set in the middle.
- While the frittata is cooking, add the chicken broth to a large pot over medium heat on the hob and bring to a simmer.
- After removing the frittata from the oven, set it aside and leave it to cool.
- Once the frittata is cool, cut it into 1 cm cubes, then drop the cubes into the pot of chicken stock and cook for five minutes before serving.
Additional Tips
- You can make the frittata in advance and store it for up to two days before making the soup.
- You can make the soup using beef stock if you prefer the flavour of beef to chicken in your zuppa imperiale recipe. Using a good vegetable stock is also possible if you are a vegetarian.
- You might like to try some of our other Italian soup recipes, including Italian wedding soup and ribollita.
- Serve the zuppa imperial recipe alone or with the bread of your choice.