With the help of some cheap, standby staples you can whip up this soup at a moment’s notice. A cosy, nutritious soup for only slightly more effort than opening a can.
Freeze your parmesan rinds after you’ve eaten the cheese – they add a ton of free flavour to soups, stews and ragu-type sauces. Simply wrap in cling film and keep in the freezer, then unwrap and throw into the pot straight from frozen. If you don’t have a frozen one, you don’t have to wait to use up the cheese. Just slice a piece of rind off a fresh piece of parmesan and use that, instead.
One optional addition is some toasted ciabatta or baguette smeared with jarred pesto, drizzled with a little olive oil. Delicious.
Feeds 4
Ingredients
Olive oil
1 onion, chopped
Rind from parmesan
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 fist-sized potato, unpeeled and cubed
2 x 14oz tins of chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp tomato puree (tomato paste)
500ml chicken stock
To serve: parmesan cheese, toasted crusty bread and jarred pesto
Method:
Place a pot over medium heat. Add a drizzle of olive oil then add the onion, parmesan rind and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often. When the onion has softened, add the garlic and potato and cook for another minute. Add the tomatoes, tomato puree and chicken stock. Bring to a bubble, then pop on the lid and cook until the potato is very tender. Remove the parmesan rind and blend until smooth. Loosen with a little more chicken stock or water if needed. Serve with a small drizzle of olive oil and a grating of parmesan cheese, if you like.
P.S. Here’s what to do with the rest of the tin or tube of tomato paste.
Caroline Feeds 