A bowlful of creamy vellutata soup never fails to warm bodies (and hearts) during winter. And what better way to keep nourished than by adding an extra dose of protein – ideally without having to spend too much extra time in the kitchen. That's where egg yolk comes in.
Raw or cooked egg yolks?
To make a creamy vegetable soup into a single, protein-packed dish try adding one raw egg yolk per person to the soup with the heat turned off at the end of cooking. Stir gently until thickened and creamy. The heat of the vellutata will cook the egg yolk and the result will be a rich custard-like consistency. To add some extra color to your bowl, you can crumble a hard-boiled egg yolk over a hot bowl of vellutata soup. If you have a creamy carrot, pumpkin or tomato soup, for example, this will add energy and warmth to your dish.
Some ideas for pairing
A creamy leek and potato vellutata is perfect when raw egg yolks are added at the end of cooking. To complete, garnish with pecorino cheese flakes, extra-virgin olive oil and freshly ground black pepper. A classic greenish vellutata with chard, broccoli, spinach, zucchini and all the green vegetables in your pantry will be even more cheerful with an egg yolk crumbled on top. You can also add some bread crostini and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil in addition to the egg.
Thicken a classic mushroom vellutata with egg yolk at the end of cooking for a deeper flavor. During spring, serve creamy asparagus soup with raw asparagus and a raw egg yolk in each dish for a little taste of magic.