Stoneless Stone Soup
"This was my favorite story from grade school, and the soup is what I have always envisioned “Stone Soup” to taste like. It uses seven different vegetables and beef…but sorry…no stones. If you have something else to add to the pot…go for it!!
We have all heard the story about Stone Soup, if not, here’s a brief synopsis: The story is set in a small French village. Tired and hungry soldiers approach the villagers for food and a place to rest. The unknown soldiers frighten the villagers. The villagers hide their food and inform the soldiers that they do not have a place for them to sleep. The soldiers tell the villagers they will make soup from three smooth stones. The villagers are excited by this idea and eagerly help the soldiers gather the pot, water, and stones to make the soup.
When the soldiers hint that a few vegetables will make the soup even better, the excited villagers run home and return with many of the vegetables they had previously hidden. The soldiers and villagers happily enjoy a huge feast together, the villagers even volunteer to bring meat, bread, and cider to the feast. After spending the night in the homes of several outstanding members of the village, the villagers and soldiers
say their good-byes. The end of the story finds the once frightened villagers thanking the soldiers for having introduced them to stone soup."
- Ready In:
- 8hrs 30mins
- Ingredients:
- 18
- Yields:
-
10 cups
- Serves:
- 6
ingredients
- 1 lb beef chuck (after trimming)
- 2 tablespoons Crisco (for browning meat)
- 1⁄4 cup flour (to coat meat with)
- 1 cup red onion (1/2 medium)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1⁄8 teaspoon black pepper
- 1⁄4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1⁄8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 4 cups beef broth
- 3 (14 1/2 ounce) cans whole canned tomatoes
- 3 teaspoons sugar
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon Heinz 57 steak sauce
- 8 ounces potatoes
- 4 ounces carrots
- 1⁄2 cup peas
- 1⁄2 cup corn
- 4 ounces cabbage
directions
- Highly recommend using a West Bend slow cooker with removable aluminum pan. If not, a large cooking pot will do.
- Coarsely dice onion. Trim excess fat off of meat, and cut into 1/2" cubes. Toss meat with flour. Melt Crisco in slow cooker pan (or large pot) on top of stove (MED/HIGH), add meat (with flour) and diced onions. Fry until brown. Mix together salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper. Sprinkle on meat and fry on MED/HIGH heat for about 2 minutes.
- Place pan back on slow cooker base and set to power level 4 (MED/HIGH). Add beef broth, cover, and cook for 1-1/2 hours. If you do not have a crock-pot, cover large pot tightly, and slow simmer.
- 15 minutes before the first 1-1/2 hour cooking stage is completed, peel and cut potatoes and carrots into 1/2" cubes or wedges. Cut hard end off of tomatoes, wash out seeds, and cut into 1/2" pieces (reserve juice in cans). Core cabbage and rough chop about 1/8 head, for 4-OZ.
- Add to pot potatoes, carrots, cabbage, tomatoes, peas, corn, sugar, and tomato juice from cans. Stir, cover, and cook for an additional 2 hours, stir every 1/2-hour (3-1/2 hour’s total cooking time). If using a pot on stove, bring to boil and slow simmer for 2 hours.
- Cool for 30 minutes, stir and serve.
- Even better if stored in the fridge overnight. Freezes well, store in Ziploc freezer bags, 1-1/2 cups per bag. Thaw before re-heating, then re-heat slowly in microwave or stove top.
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Reviews
-
Very good hearty soup. Reviewed for Spring 2009 PAC
RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
I have always liked to cook, especially for my family. I plan to share some of my recipes on RecipeZaar, although I am very protective towards the hundreds of recipes in my “Family Cookbook”.
I have two adult children and four grandkids.
Stay tuned for other great recipes!!
