We've known for a long time that adding cheese rinds to soups and stews adds depth to your dish. But have you thought of making a stock with your rinds? You can use it in place of chicken or vegetable stock or broth and we guarantee you'll love the results.
We can't take all the credit—this idea is from Nate Appleman of San Francisco's SPQR and A16 restaurants—but if you like cheese as much as we do, you may find yourself with as many rinds as a bustling restaurant. Rather than wait for your next soup, create the base for one by simmering your old parm, pecorino, or grana padano rinds in a stock pot.
Start with about 8 cups of water and half a pound of cheese rinds (or whatever you have on hand). Simmer for 3-4 hours, and voila, cheese stock. It makes for a simple and relaxing weekend project during our (hopefully) last few weeks of chilly weather.
Just substitute your cheese stock in place of chicken or vegetable broth, and not just in clear soups. This stock works especially well with cheese-friendly purees like broccoli, cauliflower, or potato. The resulting flavor is decidedly cheesey, but in a really understated way. You'll taste a complex, subtle note beneath the rest of your components.
Some ideas to get you started:
- Italian Meatball Soup Rapido
- Creamy Garlic
- Tomato Soup with Toasted Cheese Croutons
- Hearty Kale and Sausage Soup
- Mushroom Soup
Hey, you can even refer back to our archives from our soup-themed February.
Related: How to Serve Soup at a Dinner Party
(Image: Nora Singley for the Kitchn)
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I always throw a cheese rind (parmesan reggiano, grano padano, piave etc.) into my minestrone. The chef's treat is to fish it out when it is really soft and chewy and eat it. Kind of like parmesan taffy.
I throw the occasional rind into my soups, but I think it would take us about a year to have enough rinds for a stock. We just don't eat that much cheese, I guess.
I wonder if it's possible to get rinds from the cheesemonger?
Any ideas if this stock would end up containing lactose?
Hard aged cheese such as parm contain little or no lactose so probably not.
Interesting idea. I wonder if this work with a piece of super sharp gouda in my drawer.
i actually have the A16 cookbook and have followed this recipe a few times, especially for a stock for minestrone. I have found that the recipe can be changed a bit though and I usually toss in whatever rinds I have collected- @JudiAU- i have totally used Gouda so go for it! I usually just throw the rinds in the freezer until I am ready to make the stock and it works well. Also, I know that Whole Foods sells just the rinds in case you don't consume the mass amounts of cheese that I do! :)
Another great tip from the A16 cookbook is to make a stock from leftover bits of cured meats (prosciutto, salami, etc) at the same time that you're making the cheese stock (in seperate pots) and then you can use half cheese stock and half meat stock for a soup like minestrone. yum!
heather77 - you can probably purchase rinds from a cheesemonger, but I know I've seen tubs of parm rinds in the deli section of regular grocery stores where they sell pre shredded parm cheese. good luck!
Brilliant! I have 2 bags of rinds in the freezer, not to mention the one in the fridge. My husband always wants me to pare back but knows that I wouldn't think of it. This is a great idea.