I’ve recently shared the story of my Mom’s Christmas gifts…..every year, for months, Mom would make her famous soups, chili, and spaghetti sauce for all of her kids. She’d then put them in containers, label them, and then she’d freeze them and give them to us on Christmas day. This was like getting hugs from Mom throughout the year, whenever we thawed and devoured one of our favorites.
One of our favorites was her Veggie Soup, which I recently learned was her version of a stone soup. What’s a stone soup, you ask….
The way I understand it, travelers would arrive in a village with no food, but they had an empty cooking pot. They were hungry, but the people of the village didn’t want to share any of their food with them. The travelers would find a water source and fill the pot with water and then place a stone in it, then placed it over a hot fire. That would peak the villagers curiosity so they would ask what they were making. The travelers would say they were making “stone” soup. They said the soup was delicious and that they’d be happy to share it with the village, but it lacked a few things that would make it taste better, but they didn’t have it on hand.
So, the villagers, one by one, began to bring them things to throw in the pot, like herbs, potatoes, onions, cabbage, peas, celery, corn, and sometimes even a small amount of meat. After the pot was full, the stone was removed and what was left was a healthy pot of soup that was enjoyed by both the travelers and villagers.
Priscilla’s Veggie Soup
While there are many variations to this recipe, this is the recipe that we luckily found, handwritten by my Mom. You can add or remove any ingredients you don’t want (I highly recommend you DON’T add a stone). One secret is that the recipe calls for “summer savory”. We made the mistake of making it with just savory, and it just wasn’t the same.
If you ever wonder what to do with your leftovers at the end of the week, start with this as your base, and throw it all together to make an incredible soup!
Ingredients:
- 1 Medium Onion
- Thin Sliced Carrots
- Thin Slice Green Pepper
- Olive Oil
- 2 Beef Bouillon Cubes
- 2-4 Cups of Water
- Leftover Vegetables (green beans, corn, peas, cabbage, anything)
- 1 (14.5-oz) Can of Stewed Tomatoes + 1 Can of Water (Use Can That The Tomatoes Came In)
- 1 Small Diced Potato (Raw)
- Handful of White Rice, Barley, Noodles
- 1/4 Package of Lipton Onion Soup Mix
- Salt & Pepper To Taste
- 1-2 Pinches of Summer Savory, Oregano, Parsley
- 1# of Stew Meat or Ground Chuck (Cooked, Optional)
Instructions:
- If using stew meat or ground chuck, cook in a soup pan. Remove from pan.
- In the same pan, brown the onion, carrots, and green pepper in 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Remove from pan.
- In the same pan, mix the bouillon cubes and the 2-4 cups of water and simmer in pan until dissolved.
- Add the meat, browned veggies, and all the remaining ingredients to the bouillon water.
- Simmer on low for 4-6 hours or in a crockpot on low for 6-8 hours.
Serve with a baguette or garlic bread on the side, or just some saltine crackers crushed over the top of the soup.
If you are interested in more great recipes like this, check out our Dining With a View blog series. There, you’ll find more of our favorite family recipes that we’ve shared. While you’re there, you can also see our list of properties for your next family vacation on the beach!
