Stone Soup

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Description

In the story of "Stone Soup," travelers arrive in a town and ask for lodging in exchange for a delicious soup that they will make using only a large pot and a stone. In one version, the travelers talk their way into a home where they make the soup; in another, the travelers put the stone into a large soup pot and then ask the townsfolk for a bit of seasoning "just to make the soup a little more flavorful," and a potato "just to thicken the soup a little," a carrot "for a little color," and so on. Eventually, the townsfolk have shared everything needed to make the best soup anyone has ever tasted.

I love this story because it about a shared meal made with shared ingredients.

When I came up with this recipe, we were in the middle of a pandemic, so gathering together was out of the question. But, this soup became my "go-to" solution for those times when I had a carrot, a potato, a couple of ribs of celery, garlic, onions and maybe a piece of zucchini in the fridge and I didn't want to deal with trying to go to the grocery store. The soup comes together in minutes and is very flexible--it's basically a fridge clean-out that turns out a delicious, healthy meal with enough to share with someone you love.

An added bonus is that this soup can be made into a vegetarian meal (or even a diabetic-friendly meal) by using vegetable broth and/or eliminating the potato.

The recipe that follows is just a template. If you only have leeks (or shallots), but not onions--use the leeks (and/or shallots). If you have parsnips, but not carrots--use parsnips. If you have red bell peppers instead of zucchini, use the red bell peppers. You get the picture--there is not wrong way to make this soup.

I have even used this recipe to make soup at a church function--everyone brought chopped vegetables from their larder and we tossed them into the pot with some broth and made soup. While you will find that you prefer some combinations of vegetables over others, the soup mostly comes out tasting good.

But a word-to-the-wise: if you're making this soup with a group, make sure you're monitoring what's going into the pot. If someone brings canned goods, a can of green beans would probably work ok, but a can of, say, chili, would be a disastrous addition to this soup. Fresh, raw vegetables are definitely preferred!

Enjoy with a nice glass of pinot or merlot and it goes particularly well with my cheesy quick bread!

Ingredients
  • 2-3 tbsp butter
  • 1 large onion (diced)
  • 3 ribs celery (diced)
  • 1 small carrot (diced)
  • 1 clove garlic (minced)
  • 1 leek (trimmed and chopped)
  • 1 sprig, fresh thyme
  • 1 small sprig rosemary (leaves only)
  • 4 cups chicken stock or bouillon
  • juice of one lemon (or about 1/2 tbsp of preserved lemon paste)
  • 1 medium Yukon gold potato, diced (some leftover pasta or rice would work just fine, too)
  • 1 large zuccnini (diced)
  • 1/4 tsp lemon-pepper
  • salt, pepper
Instructions
  1. 1
    In a heavy, medium-sized Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, carrot, leek, thyme and rosemary to the pot and season with salt and pepper. Saute the mixture in the butter for a bout a minute. Put the lid on the pot and turn heat to low. Let the mixture cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring frequently to make sure the mixture doesn't brown.
  2. 2
    After 15-20 minutes, the mixture should be cooked through and smelling wonderful. Add the chicken broth, lemon juice (or preserved lemon paste), lemon-pepper and potato and bring to a boil. Stir, and turn temperature down to a simmer. Cover and let simmer for about 10 minutes.
  3. 3
    Add zucchini (and/or any other odds and ends you might have--in this case, I had some stray spears of asparagus that I didn't want to go to waste, so in they went to the soup!) and simmer for about 5-7 minutes longer until the zucchini is soft, but not mushy.
  4. 4
    At this point, either pour the whole thing into your Vitamix or blender (you may have to do this in 2-3 batches depending on the size of your blender), or use a hand-held immersion blender to lightly puree the mixture--leave it a little rough and rustic. Return mixture to pot and add a slug of cream if desired...or not.
  5. 5
    Heat until just hot and serve immediately.
  6. 6
    Serve with cheesy quick bread or crusty French bread with lots of butter.
Read it online: https://thestonesoupcook.com/recipe/stone-soup/

Thank you for visiting my site!  I hope you love the recipe!