Stone Soup

When I was in elementary school in upstate New York, Native American heritage was a large part of the curriculum. We learned about the local tribes, specifically the Mohawk, Iroquois and Algonquin. We visited Tepees, Wigwams, and Longhouses, and had guest Native Americans come to our school. We learned about how Native Americans used every part of the animal; meat for food, skins for clothes, bones for tools; no part was wasted.

One of my favorite stories, or at least one of the stories I remember well from childhood, was “Stone Soup”. In the story a clever beggar or three miserly soldiers (depends on who is telling the folktale) tell villagers that they are making “stone soup” by which a stone is set to boil in a big pot of water. They tell the villagers that this soup is particularly delicious, but it may need a bit of onion. One villager agrees to contribute an onion and so the story goes. At the end, the “stone soup” is fit for savoring, made not of stones but of the fresh vegetables, meat, and herbs that various villagers donate.

I think that these two lessons, of conservation and collaboration, subliminally affect my cooking ethic.

Concocting soup is an excellent way to re-use leftovers, and “doctoring up” an ordinary can of soup can make for a quite satisfying and frugal meal.

Today I made my own Stone Soup:

Ingredients:

Base- 1 can chicken noodle (Wolfgang Puck)

1 can (fresh is better) straw mushrooms

Celery and carrots, finely chopped

Left over chicken

Left over steamed broccoli (pureed in a food processor with some green onion)

Buttermilk (maybe a cup)

Water

Garlic

Sage

Fresh ground black pepper

Sea salt

Method:

Your discretion! Maybe you have roast beef, onions, potatoes and some left-over red wine; perfect! The beauty of this kind of soup is that it takes on new character each time you make it. Add water to desired consistency and spices to taste. “Stone Soup” is very versatile; like the Iroquois, use what you have (left over meat, veggies, rice, pasta etc) and like the villagers, bring the ingredients together harmoniously to make something new. It’s up to you! Bon appetit!