Most kids have heard the story about stone soup. It has been recreated and retold in many forms but it never loses its ability to intrigue. For a fun day of stories, fantasy and cooking with the kids, there’s nothing better than this. The easiest way to begin is with a copy of the story that you can read with the
kids. But if you prefer to go it on your own, here’s a quick synopsis that you can embellish and tell in your own way.
The Story of Stone Soup
Once upon a time, there was a poor, hungry traveler who stopped in a small town looking for something to eat. Everyone in the town claimed to be poor and without food. The hungry traveler used his creativity to find a way to encourage the townsfolk to share their food. He built a fire in the centre of
town and placed a big pot of water over the fire. He added a big stone to the fire and stirred it and pretended to breathe in its delicious aroma. Soon a curious man inquired about the soup. The traveler explained that he was making soup but it would be so much better if it just had some onions. The
traveler offered to share the soup if the man were to share a few onions. The man agreed and soon the soup smelled even more delicious. Soon quite a few of the townsfolk offered up ingredients for the soup. Naturally, the traveler made each addition seem more and more enriching. He stirred the soup
ever so slowly and breathed in the glorious smell even deeper and longer.
The story continues with various townsfolk offering to contribute more and more food items in exchange for a bowl of soup, until soon the pot was filled with carrots, potatoes, turnips, celery, tomatoes and anything else the townsfolk wished to contribute. And, finally everyone enjoyed a big bowl of “stone soup.”
To encourage further discussion, tell the kids that you’re going to make some soup together, not with a stone but with real ingredients. Ask them what they think should go into a pot of soup. Encourage the exchange of ideas and try to include their choices in the recipe if possible. Afterwards, enjoy a hearty
meal of your own homemade soup together.
Stone Soup Recipe
Gather all the ingredients you need for the soup and have the kids help with the cleaning and chopping. Quantities can be adjusted to suit the amount of soup you want to make. Remember this is a magical soup, so be adventurous and add what you like!
Ingredients:
3 stalks of celery chopped
3 large carrots sliced
1 medium onion chopped
3 medium potatoes cubed
1 cup chopped turnip
2 cups cubed cooked chicken
4 cups chicken stock or broth
Directions:
In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, combine all ingredients and simmer for about an hour until vegetables are tender. Cooking with kids is a great way to encourage them to try new foods. When they can be a part of the creation process, they have a much greater interest in the finished product.
This article comes courtesy of MakeBakeCook.com where you can find helpful cooking, crafting and baking tips as well as informational product reviews for products such as the Le Creuset Dutch Oven and the Lodge Dutch Oven.
This is such a great idea! It’s always nice to find ways to get children to eat more healthily. I have tried something similar to this. We used a different book that had a meal in it that my son really thought looked “tasty.” I will try this as well; I’m sure he will love it!