parmesan soup with corn and sausage

Remember how you read Ramona Quimby, Age 8 and there was that part where she decided that the first bite of an apple was the best bite, so she took a bunch of apples and just took one bite out of each and threw the rest away and got in trouble for it, possibly because Beezus snitched? Remember how you were all, “Hey, she’s right!” and started doing the same thing with apples? You know how you still do that now even though you are a grown-ass adult? And you took that carbon footprint quiz online and there was a question about your apple habits and it said that if everyone lived like you, we would need like a dozen Earths? It made you feel guilty, right? Like maybe you shouldn’t waste so much stuff? But obviously you’re not changing your apple habits for this world or the next one. Well here is a recipe for you, friend!

Parmesan soup is a way to put the parmesan rinds you would have thrown away to good use. You can keep them wrapped in the freezer until you need them. We made this one with some summer ingredients like corn, because it happens to be summer, but I imagine this would be really good come winter time, too. Also, it’s a nice thing to make for company because the parmesan gives the whole thing a nice subtle complexity that might really impress your friends, if subtle complexity is the kind of thing that impresses them (let’s face it, it’s not).

Parmesan Soup with Corn and Sausage

makes about 4 big bowls

1 parmesan rind
1 quart vegetable broth
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon cumin
1 giant sausage or 2-3 normal sized ones–something mild and not smoked
4 ears of corn, shucked
1/4 cup chopped parsley, plus more for garnish
egg noodles
salt and pepper to taste

Put the broth in a stockpot and bring it to a boil. Throw in the parmesan rind, the bay leaf, the parsley, and the cumin.

While you’re waiting for the broth to boil, put on a pot of water for the corn.

Also while you wait for the broth, slice the sausage, brown it, drain the fat, and put the sausage into a bowl.

When the water boils, put the corn in.

When the broth boils, turn the heat to low and , and add the sausage (if it’s done browning). Simmer for 20-30 minutes.

Add just a handful of egg noodles when you have about 10 minutes left.

Pull the corn when it is tender and use a knife to cut it from the cob, add it to the soup.

Taste it and add the salt and pepper if you need to.

Serve in a bowl, garnish with parsley.