Since making stock last week, I've been eating a lot of homemade soup. The weather dipped back down recently, with some rain and chilly days. So, mmmmm, soup. Especially with homegrown chard and kale.
Read on for my crazy simple soup formula (it's too basic to call a recipe), but here's my tip:
You may have already done this a thousand times, so pardon me for being so silly all this time. But, have you ever popped a parmesan rind into simmering soup? DELICIOUS!
Next time you get to the end of your chunk of parmigiano-reggiano, wrap it up and stash it in the freezer. Then, when you make some soup (or pasta sauce), pop it in for the last 15 minutes or so. It infuses the simplest soup with umami: savory, meaty, cheesy goodness.
Do you do this? You should.
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Blake's Simple Soup Formula
Aromatics: Dice carrot, celery, onion, pinch of salt... sweat it in olive oil, in a big pot.
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Seasoning: Add some garlic, dried oregano, red pepper flakes, a squirt of tomato paste... cook briefly.
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Vitamins: Throw in some chopped greens (kale, chard, etc)... sautée until wilted.
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Liquid: Add a cup of diced tomatoes and a few cups of chicken stock (homemade!), enough to cover.
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Chef-y stuff: Throw in a bay leaf, fresh thyme, and a few springs of parsley.
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Cook: Bring to a simmer, let it bubble away for a bit.
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Finish up: Throw in a 1/2 c or so orzo pasta, along with the parmesan rind. Cook until pasta is done. Discard rind and "chef-y stuff" from above. Check salt & pepper.
ENJOY.
PS: this soup makes great leftovers!
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image: restaurant widow
Posts
umami-licious! Wow!
ReplyDeleterebecca
the girls love soup. i'm on it! :)
ReplyDeleteI have been making a similar soup this winter too. Love to add some pancetta to the aromatics and I also add beans (usually canellini) and a little chopped potatoe if I have it around.It makes it a dreamy minestrone. Just got turned on to the parmesan rind this year and I agree with your assessment!!
ReplyDeleteHeard about your site from a friend of a friend of yours. I am really loving it and look forward to each new post. Keep it up!
umm, that is genius. how can you go wrong with cheese in your soup? i can't believe i hadn't thought about that before...considering i put cheese in pretty much everything i eat.
ReplyDelete