Stone Soup
Stone Soup: The Story
There is an old-world folktale dating back to the 1500s or maybe even before. It’s a story of a man who makes soup from a stone. There are many different variations of this story and many retellings. There are songs, fireside tales, picture books, and film versions. No one is quite sure where the story began or who first told it, but regardless, the elements of the Stone Soup tale are the same.
The story goes something like this:
A man (a monk, a soldier, a poor traveler, etc...) is traveling through a town. He comes upon a home and asks if they have any food to spare. They don’t and he is told to go away. The man then pulls a stone out of his bag and says that he can make soup out of the stone if only they would give him a pot. “Soup from a stone?! We’ll see about that.” Intrigued, the homeowners invite him in if only to see the magic stone make soup. Into the pot goes the stone, and some water.
As the water is boiling the man says, “Well this soup is coming along quite nicely, but it could use a carrot or two.” The homeowners quickly run to the garden and pull a few carrots to add to the pot of magical soup. Then the man asks for an onion, they supply. Then a potato, they supply. Then a bone, and some herbs, etc... All until they have truly made some wonderful soup and they all sit down together in communion to enjoy the stone soup.
Depending on the telling the soup could be made as a collaboration of the whole town or of just one home’s garden and pantry stash. Clearly we all know that it was a bit of a con, but it was also a con that brought people together and fed them! Food is great like that, bringing out the best in people.
Stone Soup: The Meal
I grew up thinking this story was just wonderful. I’m pretty sure I made my mom get me the book from the library about every other week. I remember asking her if we could make stone soup every time we read the book. She aways said sure, and we ate a lot of soup but never official Stone Soup. So when I gave my kids Stone Soup, the children’s book, for Christmas I told them we could make stone soup. And we did!
The truth about stone soup is that it is really just a regular soup. Usually, a beef broth-based soup with vegetables. Sometimes it has barley or rice. The stone soup recipe I am sharing with you today is an extremely flavorful beef soup with bone broth, tons of veggies, and delicious herbs.
There are a lot of ingredients in this stone soup recipe, and it’s a great way to get your kids to eat different veggies. However, you don’t have to include all those vegetables. If you only have onions, carrots, celery, potatoes, and frozen peas on hand then use that. Conversely, if you have other veggies that aren’t listed in this recipe, use those! Just like the characters in the story, use whatever you have on hand and make it work!
Stone Soup
Ingredients
- 1 pound beef soup cubes
- 2 tablespoons ghee (or other high-heat cooking oil), seperated
- 1 onion, diced
- 3 regular carrots, chopped
- 1 parsnip, chopped
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped
- 8 cups beef bone broth or stock
- 1 beef bone, roasted (optional)
- 1/2 head cabbage, chopped
- 2 golden potatoes, cubed
- 1/2 turnip, peeled, and cubed
- 1 can chopped tomatoes
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme, stripped or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh or dried parsley, plus more fresh for garnish
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 clean stone (optional)
Instructions
- Toss beef cubes with salt and pepper. In a large soup pot, melt 1 tablespoon of ghee over medium-high heat. Add beef cubes and brown on all sides. Remove from the pot and set aside.
- Add the other tablespoon of ghee or cooking fat to the pan and add in the onions, carrots, parsnips, celery, and a pinch of salt. Brown these up nicely to get the maximum flavor. Add the garlic right at the end so it doesn't burn.
- Deglaze the pan with the bone broth: pour in about 1 cup of the bone broth into the pan and use a wooden spoon to scrape the brown bits off the bottom of the pan.
- Add the beef and the rest of the ingredients and cook until the vegetables are soft and the flavors are melded.
- You can add the very clean stone to the soup pot or just put it on the table as a reminder of the meaning of the story.
Notes:
I purchased a stone from Michael's and then washed the heck out of it, because I wanted to make sure there wasn't any dirt in our soup. The stone is really optional, but it's fun for the kids.
There are a lot of ingredients in this stone soup recipe, and it’s a great way to get your kids to eat different veggies. However, you don’t have to include all those vegetables. If you only have onions, carrots, celery, potatoes, and frozen peas on hand then use that. Just like the characters in the story, use whatever you have on hand and make it work!
