Parmesan Broth Recipe: How to Use up Those Rinds! (2024)

This easy, homemade flavourful parmesan broth recipe is such a great way to use up parmesan rinds and it may soon become your new favourite broth. It makes a tasty addition to soups, stews, risotto or anywhere else you'd use chicken broth. And it takes way less time to cook than chicken bone broth.

Parmesan Broth Recipe: How to Use up Those Rinds! (1)

I don't know about you, but Ikeep a stash of parmesan rinds in my freezer!

Why? To make this parmesan rind broth first of all. But using the rinds adds so much flavour and umami to recipes, you really don't want to just be tossing them out.

They freeze very well too! I simply keep mine stored in a vacuum sealed bag in the freezer until I collect enough to make this flavourful parmesan broth. The rinds can stay in the freezer for up to one year if stored correctly like this.

I really hope that you'll do the same!

Easiest Broth to Make

You'll love the taste and the simplicity of this rich and flavourful parmesan rind broth. It may just become your new favourite broth to make, plus the aroma that comes from this simmering away *heaven*

Here's why you're going to love it

  • Easy to prep and hands-off to make
  • Efficient
  • Affordable: parmesan isn't cheap, I know, but if you're already buying parmesan, why not use the rind? See my tips for making this even more cost efficient.
  • It takes only a few hours from start to finish
  • Customizable to suit your needs and taste
  • Stores very well in the freezer
  • Tastes amazing and you'll find so may ways to use it. See my suggestions at the end of the post.

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Ingredients You'll Need

Here is everything you'll need to make this delicious parmesan broth recipe.

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What is Parmesan Broth?

Parmesan rind stock is a rich and flavourful broth that can be used as an alternative to chicken bone broth or vegetable broth.

It's made by slow simmering parmesan rinds with other veggies and herbs until it is deeply rich and flavourful, which only takes about three to four hours.

What does it taste like?

It has a very rich, umami (savoury) flavour that tastes cheesy. If you love parmesan, you'll love this parmesan rind broth.

It has a more robust flavour than chicken, vegetable or beef stock.

How to Make Parmesan Broth

Making your own parmesan broth is SO easy. Seriously, you only need some simple ingredients and of course, your parmesan rinds. And in a few hours, you'll have some umami rich parmesan broth.

Heat a large dutch oven over medium heat and once warm, drizzle in the oil. When the oil is hot, add the onion, celery and carrots. Stir and cook for about three to four minutes, until fragrant.

Add in the garlic, salt and pepper and stir again. Cook for another ten minutes, until everything is softened.

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Place the parmesan rinds in a cheesecloth and secure with kitchen twine. This will make clean up a lot easier!

Pour in the water and parmesan rinds. Add in the thyme and rosemary.

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Cover with a lid and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for three to four hours, until the broth has reduced by about half, stirring occasionally.

Set a sieve over a large pot and carefully pour the parmesan broth through the sieve. Discard the vegetables and parmesan rinds.

Season the broth with additional salt and lemon juice.

Store in an airtight container (mason jars) in the fridge for up to five to six days, or freeze for longer.

This recipe yields about four to five cups of parmesan stock, depending on how much you simmer and let it reduce for.

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Tips

  • Clean the rinds: be sure to clean your parmesan rinds well. Trim off any moldy looking bits before using.
  • Use a cheesecloth: trust me, I've made it before without. The cheese from the rinds will stick to your pot and make cleanup a mess.
  • Stir occasionally: using a cheesecloth will help with the mess significantly. Some of the cheese can still stick a little, so I recommend stirring occasionally as it simmers.
  • Let it simmer: I find letting my parmesan broth simmer for at least three hours is key. Letting it simmer for longer will result in a flavourful and rich broth. It will still taste great if you only have two hours, but I recommend going longer.
  • Save parmesan rinds in the freezer: once you have enough, you can make this broth. They will keep in a securely sealed ziploc bag (or vacuum seal them)for up to one year.

Need more parmesan rinds?

Perhaps, you don't have quite enough, or you want to make this parmesan broth NOW and don't have any on hand.

Head to your local cheese shop and ask for just the rinds. Many shops will have them on hand and sell them to you for usually a very fair price. This helps making your own parmesan rind stock at home a little more cost efficient too.

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How to Store Parmesan Stock

Keep it in a sealed mason jar or other glass container in the fridge for up to five to six days.

If you won't be using it all during that first week, store it in the freezer.

To store in the freezer, let it cool and then transfer to a mason jar or other glass container. Be sure to leave some room at the top.

Place in the freezer and take it out when you need.

You can also freeze it in a silicone ice cube tray and once they're frozen you can pop them out and store them in a ziploc bag. This is great if you only want to use a bit at a time.

These are the silicone ice cube trays Iuse and love them, they pop out so easily.

It should last in the freezer for up to three months.

Substitutions

  • Use a mix of different cheese rinds: you can of course swap in some other cheese rinds if you'd like. Cheese rinds from manchego, pecorino romano or cheddar will all work.
  • Different veggies: feel free to use different veggies depending on what you have on hand. For example, shallot instead of onion, add a splash of white wine when deglazing the pot, or add different herbs, such as a bay leaf or parsley.

Things to Make with Parmesan Broth

  • Use it instead of chicken or vegetable broth in recipes. Most of the time it would work to swap in parmesan stock instead and it will add a very rich, cheesy and umami flavour to your dish.
  • Use it as a base for soups and stews, it would be great in this loaded potato soup!
  • Cook your beans in it. If you're cooking dried beans or lentils, use this parmesan stock instead.
  • Add it to risotto. Rather than using chicken or vegetable stock, swap in some parmesan cheese broth instead. It would be delicious in this mushroom orzo risotto or this cacio e pepe risotto!
  • While braising meats, use it to add even more flavour.
  • Add it to a pan sauce.

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More Soup Recipes to Try

  • Healthy Chicken Tortilla Soup
  • Loaded Potato Soup
  • Vegan Cauliflower Soup
  • Instant Pot Ramen with Crispy Pork

I hope this parmesan stock recipe inspires you to save your rinds. It's truly such a flavourful and easy recipe to make.

If you make this parmesan broth please share with me, by tagging me on Instagram or leave a comment and/or review below. I truly love seeing and hearing form you!

This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only share products and services I have personally used and love. Disclosurehere.

Parmesan Broth Recipe: How to Use up Those Rinds! (2024)

FAQs

How to use parmesan rinds in soup? ›

Simply drop a Parmesan rind or two into a pot of simmering soup, Bolognese, tomato sauce, risotto, or beans. You can also make Parmesan broth, a satisfying vegetarian alternative to use in place of chicken or vegetable broth in recipes.

Can you reuse parmesan rinds from soup? ›

soup! The most classic way to reuse parmesan rinds is to cut them into cubes and add them to soups, broths, and soups. With the heat, the cheese will start to soften and release its flavor, making the taste even more intense than if simply grated.

What to do with cheese rinds? ›

The classic way to give them a purpose is to cut them into adorable little cubes and plop them into soups, broths, and stews. As they cozy up to the heat, these rinds will soften and unleash their flavor, making your soup taste like a cheesy symphony in your mouth.

How long does parmesan rind last in the fridge? ›

Parmesan rinds will last for a few months in a zipper-lock bag in the fridge, but my preference is to keep them in the freezer (in a zipper-lock freezer bag) where they will last practically indefinitely. Don't worry about thawing them before use, just toss them right into the pot!

What is a substitute for parmesan rind in soup? ›

While an Asiago rind made the soup taste unappealingly gamey, tasters agreed that rinds from both Pecorino Romano and Gruyère added a savory flavor comparable to that of the Parmesan rind. If you don't have a rind, any one of these cheeses is also an acceptable substitute.

Does parmesan cheese thicken soup? ›

First, a quick and easy way to thicken soup is to add cheese. While any cheese will work, you can also effortlessly upgrade your soup's flavor and thickness by adding a leftover frozen parmesan rind.

Why do you avoid simmering your soup after adding the cheese? ›

High heat can cause the cheese to overheat and separate. Slow and steady wins the race when it comes to incorporating cheese into soup without curdling.

Do you need to wash Parmesan rind? ›

Clean the rinds: be sure to clean your parmesan rinds well. Trim off any moldy looking bits before using. Use a cheesecloth: trust me, I've made it before without. The cheese from the rinds will stick to your pot and make cleanup a mess.

What to do with pecorino rinds? ›

Before you toss it, use it to enhance another recipe. The texture of a cheese rind is too hard to eat on its own, but it makes for a great flavoring in soups and pasta sauces. Upcycling rinds is a great way to create something new with excess food waste, leading to a more sustainable way to cook with cheese.

What are cheese rinds good for? ›

Other rinds made of wax or cloth can generally be removed and discarded—these rinds are there to protect the cheese along its aging journey. Finally, natural rinds on cheeses like parmesan are ideal for use in cooking or broths—just not eating on their own. (They're just a bit too hard.)

When should you not eat cheese rind? ›

In fact, the question here shouldn't be “can” I eat the rind, more like “should” I eat the rind, because (unless the cheese is coated with an inedible substance like wax or cloth), rinds are totally safe to eat. At the end of the day, it really comes down to your personal preference.

Can I freeze parmesan rinds? ›

Many of you may already be hip to the idea of saving rinds, but for those of you who aren't, here's your official PSA: bag 'em, date 'em, freeze 'em. They'll last up to 18 months in the freezer, and if you're like me, you'll go through them faster than you can freeze them.

What to do with parmesan rind in the microwave? ›

According to TikTok (and my own experiments), simply cut your Parmigiano Reggiano rinds into smaller (1/2-inch or so) squares. Then put them in the microwave for about a minute. The cheese will puff up and crackle before turning into a crunchy crisp of cheesy goodness.

How do you counteract too much Parmesan? ›

The Fix: If you overdo umami-packed ingredients like cheese or meat in a dish, all is not lost. Brighten up overly rich dishes by adding something sweet or sour.

References

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