Stone Soup is a great way to get kids to fall in love with soup making. Stone soup making was a special event at the Mount Kisco Child Care Center back in the days when I taught my variety of food based education there.
As a prelude to making this recipe with kids, read a version of Stone Soup, the story of three hungry soldiers who come into a village and cleverly trick the peasants into sharing their food–by making a lavish soup out of seemingly nothing but stones. Like the soldiers’ soup, this recipe turns whatever vegetables you have on hand into a hearty meal. Kids love plopping a real stone into the broth, but if your pantry is low on stones, you can let the potatoes fill that role.
Stone Soup
serves 6
1 stone, big enough that it won’t get lost in the soup (quartz is a good choice because it won’t break down in cooking)
1 tbsp. butter or olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, trimmed and chopped fine
1 large carrot, cut into coins
3 medium red-skinned potatoes, unpeeled, and cut into quarters
1/2 sweet red pepper, chopped
1 large garlic clove, pressed
6 cups chicken stock (or a combination of stock and water)
1 medium zucchini, diced large
1 medium yellow squash, diced large
1/2 cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen
2 cups cooked soup pasta (optional)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
The first step is for your child to scrub and wash the stone thoroughly. Then, for an extra cleaning, she can drop it in a pot of water to boil while you prepare the rest of the soup together.
In another large pot, melt the butter or heat the oil, then sauté the onion on medium-high for 2 to 4 minutes.
Stir in the celery, carrot, potatoes and red pepper, sautéeing for 6 to 8 minutes.
Add the garlic and sauté for about 30 seconds, then add in the broth. Using a spoon, fish the stone out of the other pot, add it to the soup and bring to a boil.
Add the zucchini, squash, corn and pasta, cooking another 8 minutes or until the zucchini is the desired softness.
Season to taste with salt and pepper. Before serving, ladle–minus the stone–into individual bowls.
Serves 6 to 8.
