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.
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.
Ingredients You'll Need
Here is everything you'll need to make this delicious parmesan broth recipe.
- extra virgin olive oil
- yellow onion
- celery
- carrots
- garlic
- kosher salt
- whole peppercorns
- parmesan rinds
- filtered water
- thyme
- rosemary
- lemon juice
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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