Pigeon Cottage Kitchen

I get through a lot of Parmesan cheese so I save all those hard pieces of rind that you can’t grate any further in a little resealable bag in the fridge to use another time. Once I’ve got 4 or more, I make Parmesan stock to create the most delicious vegetable soup. It really adds a complex savoury flavour to soup and all kinds of rice dishes. In this cold winter weather, a generous bowl of vegetable soup made with this additional stock is super-healthy and very satisfying. Add a little pasta or some cannellini beans to bulk it out if you like or just serve it with some crusty bread. You don’t need to be a slave to the quantities of vegetables in the soup. Carrot, onion, potato and celery make the essential base and if you have a bit of swede, parsnip, leek or celeriac leftover, they will work well too. Just don’t allow one flavour to dominate. A pan of soup will easily serve four. If you want to serve more people, add more vegetables and a proportionate amount of stock that won’t dilute the final flavour.

• Mixed vegetables: 5 carrots, 3 sticks of celery, 1 large onion, a parsnip and 2 small potatoes, peeled and diced into small pieces.
• 1 tbsp of parsley, chopped
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• 1 litre of chicken or vegetable stock stock
• Salt and white pepper to taste
• 4-6 leftover Parmesan rinds
• 1 tbsp milk
• 40g butter and a little dash of vegetable oil
• Option: 2 tbsps of tiny macaroni pasta, cannelini beans

To make…

• First, make the Parmesan stock. Place all the Parmesan rinds in a medium sized non-stick saucepan and pour over about 300ml of water and the milk. Bring to a simmer, cover and leave to stew for a couple of hours to allow all the flavour to develop. Stir from time to time.
• Peel and chop the vegetables into small dice.
• Melt the butter and oil in a large saucepan and, once it has melted, add all the vegetables. Season with a little salt, stir so that all the vegetables are coated in the butter. Turn the heat to low, cover and allow all the vegetables to sweat gently for about 10 minutes.
• Add the chicken or vegetable stock, the tomato paste and gently simmer the vegetables for 10 to 15 minutes until they are cooked but not mushy.
• Fill a jug with a couple of ladles of the cooked veg and a little stock, blitz smooth with a hand held blender. Return to the soup. Add the pasta at this stage if using and cook for about another 8 minutes.
• Strain the Parmesan rind stock into the soup and discard the rinds. Taste for seasoning and add a little white pepper. Stir in the parsley.
• Serve in warmed bowls with some crusty bread.

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