The Only Kind Of Cheese Rinds You Should Be Tossing In Tomato Soup

While there are few things that can beat a comforting bowl of tomato soup, that hasn’t stopped soup enthusiasts from tinkering with elevated variations — for instance, roasting the tomatoes for enhanced flavor or blending fresh, sweet basil into the mix. Hear us out, though: cheese rinds. First things first: Avoid any wax-based or bandage-wrapped rinds, which are inedible. Instead, opt for natural rinds, which are edible though tough in texture. However, you’re not adding the rind with the intention of chewing it; instead, the goal is to infuse the soup with flavor.

What’s the best natural rind to add to your tomato soup? In our opinion: parmesan. Not only is it safe to eat, its aged exterior contains a multitude of condensed saltiness and unmami. If you really want to go for it, opt for Parmigiano Reggiano — a regional cheese from central Italy that’s been aged for at least 12 months, lending itself to an explosive flavor profile.

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Infuse, Then Toss

We’re not reinventing the (cheese) wheel here. Parmesan rind already serves as a staple ingredient in Minestrone soups and tomato sauces. You can even make your own parmesan broth using cheese rinds, aromatics, and dried mushrooms. To create a similar effect with tomato soup, simply toss a few rinds into your mixture of blended tomatoes, aromatics, salt, pepper, and olive oil. The rind will soften somewhat but remain intact as the soup cooks. Opt for a low, long simmer — a few hours, if you’ve got the time — to truly highlight the notes of aged parmesan.

Once you’re ready to serve the soup, simply fish out the rind and throw it away. For a slightly funkier variation, swap parmesan for pecorino — a similarly hardened cheese made with sheep’s milk rather than cow’s milk that also contains a natural, edible rind. And since no tomato soup is complete without a grilled cheese, use some leftover parmesan (the cheese, not the rind) to create an accompanying sandwich with a crispy parmesan crust.

Read the original article on Tasting Table.