Meatless Friday: Stone Soup to the Rescue

For Meatless Friday, Maria Morera Johnson shares a cozy recipe for soup that makes the most of whatever you have on hand. Download our recipe card!

There’s nothing like a nice hot cup of soup on a winter afternoon. The cozy feel of the warm cup and the delicious aroma floating up in the steam drives away the blahs. If you happen to be feeling poorly, it’s a medicinal boost to your system. When I found out that my daughter’s entire family was knocked down with a virus, I immediately went to the fridge to see what was available.

Nothing. Well, nothing at first. I had visions of making a schmaltzy chicken soup or a hearty beef vegetable. I didn’t have enough of anything, so I grabbed everything!

Remember the story of Stone Soup? A whole town comes together to make a soup by contributing whatever scraps they have available. A charming stranger starts off with a stone in a pot of boiling water and asks for contributions, however small. Together, the townspeople create something delicious for everyone.

Basically, I had a pot, some boiling water, and a bunch of scraps that didn’t add up to much alone, but when added to the pot, simmered into something magical. There’s a big lesson in there about working together with each of our unique talents, but that’s for a different feature.

I’ll share my recipe, but please don’t follow it to the letter. Let that pot of boiling water inspire you to create your own stone soup!

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Stone Soup

Basic Ingredients (adjust to your heart’s content):

3 teaspoons of olive oil or vegetable oil
1 onion, diced
2 small red or yellow bell pepper, diced
1 carrot, chopped
3 small ribs of celery, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 potato, cubed
2 cups of butternut squash, cubed
6 cups of vegetable broth
1 large clean stone, optional
sage, thyme, turmeric, salt, and pepper to taste (I just sprinkle and taste)

In a deep pot, sauté onions, peppers, carrots, and celery. When translucent, add the garlic, potato, and squash, and continue to sauté for about three minutes to incorporate the flavors a bit. I add the seasonings here. Stir well and add the vegetable broth. Bring to a boil and then lower the heat to a low medium, and simmer until all the veggies are soft. Taste the broth and adjust seasonings. Put in blender or use an immersion blender for a creamy finish.

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Note: I made this dairy free and vegetarian, but you can easily substitute chicken broth and add a cup of milk or cream to finish before serving for a creamier, more robust version.

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