Cold day? Trapped indoors? Raid your pantry & freezer, and make your own version of Stone Soup! Hearty, simple, and a life-saver on those days when you can’t make it to the store.  Stone Soup isn’t just for children’s stories anymore!

**Affiliate links appear in this post.  All opinions are mine.  However if you choose to make a purchase through those links, I will receive a small commission.  No additional cost to you, the customer, will be incurred.**

Stone-SoupOnce upon a time, there was a harried and frazzled spouse, trying to manage work, home, family, two four-legged kids, and everything in between.  She was used to planning ahead for most weeknight dinners, but let’s face it, sometimes those days of “I got nothin'” crept up on her.  Suddenly it was mid-afternoon and no ideas for the evening meal were in sight.  She fretted.  She fussed.  She may have used some inappropriate language (the poor dogs tried to cover their ears to no avail)What to do?

Suddenly, she remembered the old fairy tale of Stone Soup.  You know the story: an old man has nothing to eat, so he wanders into the middle of the village and lights a pot of water over a fire, and starts gathering stones, placing them into the boiling water.  When the townsfolk begin to ask him what he’s making, he says “Stone soup, of course!”  Long story short, he convinces everyone to bring out a random assortment of vegetables, meats, and other edible items to put into the pot.  In  the end, the villagers all enjoy a bowl of hearty–and tasty–soup.  Everybody won.

Got Dachshund?
Got Dachshund?

Well, this poor spouse didn’t have anyone other than two dachshunds to help her out on this particular afternoon.  I mean, they’re cute and all, but without opposable thumbs, they weren’t much use in the kitchen.  She began poking through the freezer, and came upon several bags of vegetables she had forgotten were in there.  Then she found a rope of smoked sausage.  After that, she wandered to the pantry and stumbled upon some cans of beans and tomatoes, and a couple cartons of low-sodium broth.

When the fairy tale came to an end, the spouse was rewarded with a fabulous new stoup (a cross between a stew and a soup?).  And the crowd went wild!  And dinner was saved, and served.  So I guess it DOES take a village (or a woman and two dogs).  Poof-Stone Stoup! 

 

Save

Stone "Stoup" Bowl
Stone "Stoup"
Print Recipe
A few veggies, a random protein, some various broths, and like magic, a meal is created. The great thing about dishes like this is that you truly can throw just about anything found in your freezer and pantry in there, and the chances of a tasty meal are a mere couple hours away. Basically, if you have a crock pot, dinner is saved! Whew!
Servings Prep Time
4 people 10 minutes
Cook Time
4 hours
Servings Prep Time
4 people 10 minutes
Cook Time
4 hours
Stone "Stoup" Bowl
Stone "Stoup"
Print Recipe
A few veggies, a random protein, some various broths, and like magic, a meal is created. The great thing about dishes like this is that you truly can throw just about anything found in your freezer and pantry in there, and the chances of a tasty meal are a mere couple hours away. Basically, if you have a crock pot, dinner is saved! Whew!
Servings Prep Time
4 people 10 minutes
Cook Time
4 hours
Servings Prep Time
4 people 10 minutes
Cook Time
4 hours
Instructions
  1. Slice smoked sausage into 1 inch pieces. With it frozen, it will make slicing it even easier.
    Stone "Stoup" Frozen Ingredients
  2. Open the can of beans and drain excess liquid.
    Stone "Stoup" Ingredients
  3. Place the meat, beans, corn, kale, peppers, and tomatoes into the crock pot insert.
    Stone "Stoup" Ingredients in Crockpot
  4. Add broth to ingredients.
    Broth into Stoup
  5. Add paprika, garlic powder, salt & pepper; stir to incorporate into stoup.
    "Stoup" Ingredients Ready
  6. Cook on low for 3-4 hours.
    Cooked "Stoup"
  7. Serve with crusty bread, and enjoy your stone "stoup"!
    Stone "Stoup" Served Up
Recipe Notes

Let's face it--this was an easy "save" for dinner.  And because the stars of this fairy tale are a rotating cast, this can be made to meet the needs of those who are vegetarian or vegan or who have any other dietary restrictions.

My crock pot was the real star here.  I mean, what is better than tossing everything in a big pot, hitting a button, and walking away for several hours while dinner makes itself?  Um, not much is better than that on a busy day.  You agree with me, I just know it.  Wait, you STILL don't have a crock pot to rely on?  Of course, any old slow cooker will do the trick, but this one is the best out there IMHO.  Whichever you wind up with, you'll be on your way to a great meal in no time flat.

The bonus round on this one?  There can be a sequel to this fairy tale!  Even though many of the ingredients came out of the freezer, the "stoup" can go right back in there and used at a later time.  Now that's what I call a happy ending!

What would wind up in YOUR Stone "Stoup"?

Share this Recipe
Powered byWP Ultimate Recipe
Add to Favourites