One fine morning, when Cedric Brown’s seven children were pretending to be sick and refusing to get up, Nanny McPhee glued them to their beds for the whole day. Later, as the sun was setting, she served them this soup. It may be made from humble vegetable peelings but to the hungry children it was the best dish they had ever tasted.
Ingredients
- 2 lb 4 oz vegetable trimmings, as diverse as they are varied (potatoes, carrots, parsnips, radish tops, beets . . .)
- 1 small handful fresh herbs (thyme, bay leaf, rosemary)
- 1 chicken bouillon cube
- Salt and pepper
- 1 packet (9 oz) noodles
How to Make It
- Rinse the peelings and sort them, discarding any that are bruised or moldy. Set aside a few for garnish. Wash the herbs as well.
- Place the peelings in a large pot, crumble in the bouillon cube, add the herbs, season with salt and pepper, and cover with fresh water.
- Bring to a boil. When the first bubble bursts, lower the heat and simmer for 45 minutes. Use this time to check that the supposedly sick children are actually lying in their beds rather than using them as trampolines.
- Heat a saucepan of water, cook the noodles according to the time indicated on the packet, drain, and set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 450°F.
- Spread the reserved peelings on a baking sheet and bake for 5 to 10 minutes, depending on their thickness, until they are nice and crispy.
- Strain the broth and serve it very hot with the noodles and crisped peelings, after having lifted the spell gluing the children to their beds, of course!