A story of curiosity and sharing.
Soup of Stones?
Some travelers come to a small town, carrying nothing more than an empty-bellied pot. Upon their reaching the town, the villagers are unwilling to portion out any of their food stashes with the hungry travelers. The travelers fill up the pot with water, drop a big rock in it, and position it over a fire in the village square. One of the villagers gets to be curious and asks what they’re doing. The travelers reply that they’re making “stone soup”, which tastes fantastic, although it all the same needs a little bit of garnish to better the flavor, which they’re missing. The villager does not mind giving up just a little bit of flour to help them out, so it gets added to the soup. A different villager walks by, asking about the pot, and the travelers again remark their stone soup which has not reached its full potential so far. The villager hands them a little bit of flavoring to help them out. More and more villagers walk by, each bestowing another ingredient. At long last, a delicious and nourishing pot of soup is savored by all.
Veggie Soup with Basil Sauce
Ingredients- No stones
1/2 cup cubed potatoes
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped carrot
1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans 6 tablespoons soy sauce
1 bay leaf
6 cups water
1 cup fresh green beans, cut into 2 inch pieces 3/4 cup fresh corn kernels
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil
1/3 cup tomato puree
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
In a large pot over high heat, combine the potatoes, onion, carrot, beans, tamari OR soy sauce, bay leaf and water. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 20 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. (Note: Add water as necessary to cover vegetables.)
When the soup is done, add the beans and corn and simmer for an additional 5 minutes. To make sauce, in a blender or food processor, combine the basil, pureed tomatoes, garlic, oil, Parmesan cheese and salt and pepper to taste. Blend until smooth, stir this sauce into the soup and serve.
